TRA Staff
Ronnie Volkening
- President/CEO
(512) 472-8261 ext. 203
Ronnie is a native Texas, who brings a wealth of association experience and retail expertise to Texas Retailers Association. He joined the association as its new President/CEO in October of 2007.
He’s an attorney who earned his law degree from the University of Houston Bates College of Law in 1977. He started his career as Staff Attorney for the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, and gained additional association experience with the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, the Texas Medical Association and finally serving as Senior Vice President for the Texas Association of Business from 1984 to 1988.
In 1988 he moved to the corporate side with positions at Frito-Lay and then Taco Bell. Ronnie joined 7-Eleven in 1992 as Senior Legislative Advisor and, in 1995, Ronnie was promoted to Director of Government Affairs.
Ronnie has been very active in advocating for the retail industry, serving on the Legislative Committees for national associations such as the National Association of Convenience Stores and the International Franchise Association. He has also served on the Government Affairs Committees for state associations from California to New York.
Family and community are top priorities in Ronnie’s life. Returning to Austin has brought Ronnie nearer to his two favorite Longhorns, his daughter Jennifer, who recently received a degree in Fine Arts; and his son Josh, who is a junior in the UT College of Communications.
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Joe Williams
- Vice President Regulatory and Member Services and Texas Food Council Main Contact
(281) 324-1509
Joe Williams is the Vice President Regulatory and Member Services of the Texas Retailers Association following the merger of Gulf Coast Retailers and Texas Retailers Association. He is also the main contact for the Texas Food Council. A graduate of Texas Tech University (BBA, 1971), Joe has worked in the association community for many years, serving as President of the Gulf Coast Retailers Association starting in 1994.
Joe is currently an active member in several industry related organizations, including the American Leadership Forum; the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Government Relations Committee; the Texas Interagency Task Force for EBT; the Texas Attorney General’s Employer Task Force; the Texas Medicaid Integrity Project (MIP); the Steering Committee to develop the Texas Integrated Services Card; and the Texas Merchants Advisory Committee.
In addition, he is serving on advisory boards for the Houston Independent School District’s Career and Technology Education Program and for The University of Houston’s Consumer Science and Merchandising department. In 2004 he was appointed to the Maternal, Infant, and Fetal Nutrition National Advisory Council and was made chair of the Council for 2006. He also serves as the President of his community’s Municipal Water District and served many years on the Board of a local non-profit (SEARCH) that works with the homeless. He was recently nominated to serve on the Board of The Greater Houston Chapter of the Red Cross.
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Karen Kenney Reagan
- Vice President Government Affairs and TFDS Executive Director
(512) 472-8261 ext. 202
Karen Kenney Reagan is the association’s lead lobbyist and Vice President, Government Affairs and also serves as the Executive Director of the Texas Federation of Drug Stores. As an expert in community and governmental relations, Karen has an extensive background in developing, negotiating, passing, and implementing public policy agenda. Previous to her engagement with TRA in 2000, she served as chief lobbyist for the Texas Pharmacy Association, worked for an independent lobby firm, and owned her own public relations company. Through her broad background and experience, Karen has built grassroots campaigns to support policy initiatives, developed complex strategies to share interstate business opportunities, and developed and coordinated public relations and media campaigns. In addition, she has organized and operated a political action committee as well as directing and organizing lobby teams to work together to achieve legislative goals.
Throughout her experience, Karen has also developed many significant relationships within private industry, the legislative branch, the executive branch, the health care industry, and the academic community. As a result of her leadership in the chain drug industry, she has served on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy and as an ex-officio member of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy’s Pharmaceutical Foundation Advisory Council. She works collaboratively with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and all Texas colleges of pharmacy to develop the profession’s long-term medical error reduction and pharmacy workforce development strategies. She serves on numerous regulatory stakeholder advisory groups at various state agencies, including the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
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Brad Shields
- Legislative Associate
(512) 472-8261 ext. 206
Brad Shields joined the association in 2004 in his current role of Legislative Associate for TRA. As a registered lobbyist, Brad helps the TRA lobby team represent retail members and their interests in front of the Texas Legislature. In addition to working with elected officials, he also works with numerous state agencies as they monitor various industries and implement recent legislative changes. Brad also works with members to coordinate the TRA's political action committee's (TRAPAC) activities, which allow the association to make campaign contributions and participate in the political process. These activities include fundraisers, mail pieces, political education, grassroots activities, and educating elected officials on the retail industry.
Brad, a native of Austin, grew up surrounded by politics and worked on several campaigns as a young volunteer in the capital city. His employment at the State Capitol began in 1996 as a Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. He continued his employment in the Legislature by working for three state representatives during multiple legislative sessions. He received his Bachelor's degree in government from The University of Texas at Austin in 2000.
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Barbara Lockerman, CAE
- Office Manager
(512) 472-8261 ext. 208
Barbara Lockerman joined TRA in May 2007. Barbara has a degree in marketing from UT Arlington and comes to TRA from the Texas Dental Association where she was General Manager of TDA Financial Services and TDA Member Benefits, the for-profit entities of the TDA. She has over nine years of association management and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in May of 2005.
Barbara's retail history dates back to high school where she began as a DECA student interested in window dressing. Barbara has owned her own gift retail business, managed a convenience store (7-11), and was in gift sales. Before moving to Austin, Barbara worked in the Dallas World Trade Center as showroom manager for Designer furniture, gift, and toy showrooms.
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