Andrew Card, a former White House chief of staff, was named acting dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Card is filling in for Ryan Crocker, who is serving as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, until Crocker returns.

Put Scott O'Grady in the hunt for the open HD-33 seat in Rockwall and Collin Counties. O'Grady, a Republican making his first run for office, first came to the public's attention when his F-16 was shot down over Bosnia in 1995 and he evaded capture for almost a week until the Marines got him out.

Comptroller Susan Combs created a new position — chief privacy officer — and hired Elizabeth Rogers to fill it. She also hired Jesse Rivera as the agency's chief information security officer. Rogers, a lawyer who once worked for the attorney general and for the State Bar of Texas, was most recently with Resources Global Professionals. Rivera comes from the University of Texas-Pan American, where he had the same title he's got at the comptroller's office.

Gov. Rick Perry named Richard Wendt III of Bellaire chairman of the Texas Board of Licensure for Professional Medical Physicists. Wendt is a licensed and board-certified medical nuclear physicist, and a professor of imaging physics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The governor also appointed:

• Daniel "Eric" Kalenak of Midland as justice of the 11th Court of Appeals. Kalenak is first assistant Midland County district attorney, and a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

• Four members to the Texas Bioenergy Policy Council. Bruce Bagelman of Dallas is founder and president of Green Spot Market and Fuels. Michael Doguet of Nome is president of Doguet Turf Farms and Doguet's Diamond D Ranch, and general manager of Doguet's Rice Milling Company. Michael Kerby Jr. of Houston is manager of Global Chemical Research at ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Jeffrey Trucksess of Austin is founder of Green Earth Fuels.

• James Lee of Houston to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a term to expire Aug. 31, 2011. Lee is president of JHL Capital Holdings.

• Steven Thomas of Kountze as judge of the 356th Judicial District Court. Thomas is a partner at the Chambers, Templeton, Thomas and Brinkley Law Office.

• James LaFavers of Amarillo and Michelle Skyrme of Longview to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. LaFavers is a self-employed private investigator. Skyrme is executive administrative assistant for the Gregg County Health Department, and a former adult probation case clerk for Gregg County Community Supervision and Corrections.

• Dr. Nizam Peerwani of Fort Worth chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. He's the chief medical examiner for Tarrant, Denton, Johnson and Parker counties. He'll replace Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley, who couldn't win confirmation from the state Senate.

• Barbara Cargill to chair the State Board of Education. She replaces Gail Lowe, who remains on the board but who, like Bradley, couldn't win Senate consent for that appointment.

Press corps moves: Robert Wood, long with the Texas State Network, is leaving radio, and reporting, to become the communications director with the Texas Association of Business.

Dr. Mike McKinney, the former chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, joined the Schlueter Group, an Austin-based lobbying firm.

Take Seth McKinney out of the HD-14 House race he said last week he'd be entering. He decided not to do it.