Robert J. "Rob" Meezo, nominated for reappointment to the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Board of Regents, told the Senate Committee on Nominations that workforce development and expanding training capacity are critical to Texas manufacturing.

Senator Pete Flores introduced Meezo as a Cedar Park business leader and noted Meezo’s roles as vice chair of the TSTC Board of Regents and founder of Dynamic Manufacturing Solutions. Meezo said he became CEO of the Texas Alliance of Manufacturing in fall 2023 and is a contributor to the Forbes Business Development Council and a founding board member of the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association.

Meezo told the committee that Texas has substantial facility space and a favorable economy for industry, but the state’s limiting resource is labor. "One of our largest challenges truly...is our ability to employ people in those jobs," Meezo said, adding that TSTC and other community colleges are central to expanding the skilled workforce. He described TSTC’s funding as outcome-based and focused on placing students into jobs in Texas, not out-of-state.

Committee members asked Meezo about capacity, recruitment and safety in training programs. Meezo said enrollment at TSTC is increasing statewide and that programs such as FAME and partnerships with employers are driving student recruitment. He said safety training is embedded across TSTC curricula and that the college has seven core programs and 11 physical campuses plus online instruction.

Senator Brian Birdwell and Vice Chair Hagenbuch praised Meezo’s record and the TSTC model during the questioning. Meezo closed by reiterating his support for outcome-based training and for growing the skilled-labor pipeline to meet the state’s manufacturing needs.