AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Mary Ann Apap Heller and Karen Partee to the Texas Commission on the Arts for terms set to expire on August 31, 2019. Additionally, the Governor appointed Adrian Guerra and reappointed Dale Brock and Kevin Yu to the commission for terms set to expire on August 31, 2023. The commission fosters the development of a receptive climate for the arts that will culturally enrich and benefit state citizens in their daily lives and attract outstanding artist to become state residents.

Mary Ann Apap Heller of Austin is president of DiamondDisc Records and chief financial officer of Heller Associates and Hell'er Highwater Ranch. Previously, she served as product manager for IBM in Austin and sat on the Austin History Center Board of Directors. She is a member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and the Seton Development Board and vice chair of the Seton League House. Additionally, she serves on The University of Texas College Natural Sciences Board of Visitors, Butler School of Music Directors Council, and various other cultural organizations. She is a Dame of the Order of Malta (Knights of Malta) and is a Master Lady of the Knights of the Vine.

Karen Partee of Marshall is executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Texas Bank and Trust Company. She is past president and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Longview and a member of the Institute of Certified Bankers, Longview Regional Medical Center’s Women’s Advisory Council, and the Longview Ballet Advisory Board. Additionally, she is co-chair of the Marketing Advisory Board for the American Bankers Association. Partee received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Texas Tech University. Additionally, she received a diploma from the American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management and the Institute of Children’s Literature and a certification from the American Institute of Bankers.

Adrian Guerra of Roma is the performing arts director for the Roma Independent School District, where he previously served as the choir director for over 20 years. He is a member of the Texas Music Administrators Conference, Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators, and the American Association of School Administrators. Guerra received a Bachelor of Arts in music and a Master of Education in education administration from The University of Texas Pan American and a Doctor of Musical Arts in music education from Boston University.

Dale Brock of Fort Worth is president of Visiting Angels and a member of its Franchise Advisory Council. He is a member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee and a board member of the of the Arts Council of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. Brock received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Southern Methodist University.

Kevin Yu of Dallas is the founder and CEO of Coregami. He is a three-time Texas All-State musician and has served as the Concertmaster of The University of Texas (UT) at Austin University Orchestra. Professionally, he has served as the principal violinist of the Masters Sinfonia in San Francisco and the Las Colinas Symphony. He serves on the board of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. Yu received a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems from UT Austin and a Master of Science in accounting from UT Dallas.