Texas Wesleyan University announced that Glenn Lewis has been elected chairman of the board, effective Tuesday.

Lewis was unanimously elected and will be the first person of color to chair Texas Wesleyan’s 131-year history, the university said.

According to Texas Wesleyan University, Lewis will manage and lead the board as it transitions to the new Engage 2025 strategic plan.

“The mission of Texas Wesleyan is to facilitate success for all students of all backgrounds,” said University of Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach. “Glenn has been a vital part of this mission and we are honored to have him as the new Chairman of the Board. The impact he has had in Fort Worth and Tarrant County is immeasurable. As we contemplate our new strategic plan, we are confident that Glenn will help Texas Wesleyan make an even greater impact with our students and the community. ”

Lewis, a Texas Wesleyan alumnus, has been on the board since 2006 and has served as chair of the governance committee. He is currently a partner at Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson law firm.

In 2005, Lewis completed 10 years of service in the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 95th Tarrant County District, according to Texas Wesleyan officials.

Lewis is active in Fort Worth and sits on the board of directors of Water from the Rock, Inc., a non-profit organization that helps economically disadvantaged women make a successful transition to the workforce.

He was co-chair of the Tarrant County United Way’s public policy committee, the university said. He is also chairman of the Tarrant County Civil Service Commission, a commission on which he first served in 1988 and to which he was reappointed in 2008.

He is a life member of the Fort Worth / Tarrant County branch of the NAACP and has served on its board of directors and as general counsel.

According to the university, Lewis is a member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, where he served for six years as chairman of its board of ‘administration.

He is a member of the Board of Directors and Corporate Management Board of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, where he is currently Chair of the Public Policy Committee.

He has also served on the Tarrant County United Way Board of Directors and the Fort Worth Downtown Tax Raise Funding District Board of Directors.

Lewis has been married to his wife, Arveda Lewis, since 1977. They have two children.

Lewis succeeds Tim Carter who was president since 2017.