Texas Governor Greg Abbott has named Arun Agarwal, Indian-American philanthropist and the CEO of a Dallas-based home textile company, to the Texas Economic Development Corporation's (TxEDC's) Board of Directors. Governor Abbott tapped Agarwal, along with eight other Texas executives, to market the state nationally and globally to relocate a business and create new jobs. "Their efforts will be instrumental in amplifying the success of TxEDC in promoting Texas as a premier business destination," Abbott said in a statement. Agarwal is the CEO of home textile company NEXTT. Apart from textiles, Agarwal also has business interests in cotton trading and real estate. Additionally, he is a board member of the US-India Friendship Council, Executive Board UT Dallas, Texas Tech Innovation HUB at Research Park, Big Brothers Big Sisters International and MD Anderson Board of Visitors. He is also a volunteer for Chetna, a non-profit organisation to help victims of domestic violence, and the Living Dreams Foundation. Agarwal received a Master's in Business Administration from IMT - Ghaziabad, a Master's in Computer Information Systems from Southern New Hampshire University, and an Advanced Certificate in International Business from Harvard University. "This is a tremendous honour for the Indian-American diaspora in the United States," said Agarwal, who also serves as the chair of the India American CEO Council and president of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board. "The Governor realises the tremendous power our community holds in this country as the hardest-working, highest-earning ethnic minority, and, together, we hope to make Texas the most successful hub for small and large business owners globally," he said. An independently funded and operated nonprofit, the TxEDC works alongside the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office in the Office of the Governor to market the state across the US and abroad as a place to relocate a business and create new jobs.
