Former Gov. Bill Clements's wife was recently reappointed to a second six-year term by Gov. Perry, who had just received donations of $130,000 from her. She contributed $41,106 to Bush's campaigns for governor. Bush gladly appointed her for her first term. Rita Clements was co-chair - along with former regent Tom Loeffler - of the elder Bush's Texas steering committee in his '88 presidential campaign. She is now a Vice Chairman for the Board of Regents.

Clements's experience in education has been serving on the Governor's Task Force on Higher Education, a committee which she was appointed to by her husband during his gubernatorial term.

She is a member of the Governor's Business Council and was a director for Team Bank, Bank One, Texas, La Quinta Motor Inns and Dr Pepper. As the Vice-Chairperson of UTIMCO, she is responsible for investing billions of the University's funds. As a corporate dilettante, she reinforces her own holdings in companies with UTIMCO investments. With little regard for financial stability and absolutely no respect for ethical investment, Clements' position on UTIMCO goes beyond conflict of interest and into flagrant violation of public office. Clements has no experience in education, only a lifetime of using her husband's legacy in order to make money.

Clements is an old-school country-club Republican. She's hobnobbed her way through all the channels of power and money in Texas. She has been active in Republican Party politics since the 1950’s, serving as a precinct chairman from 1958 to 1961 and county canvass chairman from 1960 to 1963. She also has been a member of the board of the National Federation of Republican Women, a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1968 and 1992, a member of the Republican National Finance Committee from 1971 to 1972, and a member of the Republican National Committee from 1973 to 1975. She has been active in numerous state and national political campaigns.

Boards and Executive Positions