State & City Perspectives by Carole Keeton

    

Often called a trailblazer, Carole Keeton’s resume is full of “firsts” - First woman president of the Austin School Board, first woman president of Austin Community College Board of Trustees; first woman elected Mayor of Austin, (and still the only woman to serve as mayor of Austin) and the only mayor of Austin elected by the citizens for three terms. While serving as Mayor she was selected “One of the 50 Faces for America’s Future” by Time Magazine and was elected President of The Texas Municipal League representing all the cities in Texas. Elected to statewide office four times; Carole is the first woman in history elected and reelected Texas Railroad Commissioner and the first woman in history elected and reelected Texas Comptroller (the Texas Constitution also gives the Comptroller all the duties of State Treasurer). Carole began her career as a public school teacher. Her lifelong record of achievement is rooted in her passion for education and public service. She was recently inducted into the Austin Women’s Hall of Fame.

Carole is the proud Mom of four grown sons, and proud Grandmom of eight: six granddaughters, Kathryn, Michelle, Ellie, Alex, Anna, and Audrey, ranging in age from 20 to 8 and two grandsons, Keeton, 5 years old, and his baby brother, Cade, 1 year old.

Carole Keeton is the recipient of the University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Alumnus Award and she is the recipient of Texas Classroom Teachers Association's Friend of Education Award. The Mental Health Association in Texas selected Carole as the recipient of the Texas Champion Award. She also was
selected as the first Friend of Texas Taxpayers chosen by Citizens for a Sound Economy. A longtime friend of law enforcement, Carole is a lifetime Honorary Member of the Austin Police Association and an Honorary Member of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association.

Carole’s parents, the late Madge and Page Keeton, the revered long-time Dean of the University of Texas Law School, instilled in her at an early age the importance of public service. As a single Mom, Carole passed that lesson on to her children.

Carole’s eldest son, Dr. Mark McClellan, is Senior Fellow and Director of The Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings in Washington, D.C. He is former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Her twin sons, Brad McClellan and Dudley McClellan are both attorneys in Austin. Brad is a former Assistant Attorney General for Texas, and is now Of Counsel, Richard Pena Law Firm. Dudley is a former Assistant General Counsel for the State Bar of Texas, and is now In-House Legal Counsel for e-MDs. Her youngest son, Scott McClellan, former Press Secretary to the President of the United States, and author of number one New York Times bestseller book, What Happened, is Vice President for Communications of Seattle University.

Carole is currently Founder and Executive Director, pro-bono, of Austinites For Action, a Texas non-profit, non-partisan, corporation, fighting for responsibility, accountability and transparency of government, with the goal of maximizing turn-out in local elections from all persons and all sectors of our growing and diverse capital city area. She is a lifetime member of The Lola Wright Foundation, and is Chair of the Investments Committee for this charitable non-profit serving a fifty mile radius of the greater Austin area. Carole is a sustaining member of The Junior League of Austin.

Carole is a government honors graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

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