Rodney Ellis is vice chairman and a founding shareholder of The Tagos Group, LLC. Rodney has served as a business consultant to several Fortune 500 companies in his career. He currently serves on the National Commission of Energy Policy, a bipartisan group of 20 of the nation’s leading energy experts focused on issues, including increasing global competition for energy resources; concerns over global climate change; and progress in new energy technologies. He also co-chairs the newly created Commission on African Americans in Climate Change. This committee is focused on getting minorities better engaged in energy and climate change initiatives within their communities. Rodney serves as a frequent lecturer in the areas of renewable energy and energy conservation/efficiency. As a Texas state senator, Rodney has championed legislative considerations concerning environmentally preferred products and services, including a state wide tax free holiday. He has a diverse background in international finance and plays a key role in The Tagos Group’s International Consulting Services. Rodney is currently serving in his sixth term in the Texas Senate from Houston. During his sixteen year tenure in the Texas Senate, the Senator has earned praise as a legislative leader on economic development, education, civil rights, tax cuts, criminal justice and workforce development issues. A native Houstonian, Rodney was a co-founder of Apex Securities, Inc., an investment banking firm later sold to Rice Financial Products Company. Prior to his election to the Texas senate in 1990, Rodney served three terms as a member of the Houston City Council. He holds a BA from Texas Southern University, a Master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and a law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.