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July 1, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Houston City Council confirmed Wednesday Mayor Sylvester Turner’s
appointments to the Houston Forensic Science Center’s board of directors, including Dr.
Stacey Mitchell for a second term as chair and Vanessa Goodwin, an assistant general
counsel at Arnold Ventures, who begins her first term.
Dr. Mitchell, a clinical associate professor of nursing at Texas A&M University, has been
on the board of directors since 2015 and has served as chair since 2019. Her expertise is
in forensic nursing with a specialization as a sexual assault nurse examiner or SANE.
“I am honored to serve another term as the board’s chair and continue to guide and
watch as HFSC becomes a model for the forensic community,” Dr. Mitchell said.
Ms. Goodwin brings a robust legal background to the board, including as a prosecutor
with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. Currently, Ms. Goodwin provides
legal counsel to Arnold Ventures, a non-profit dedicated to four issues, including
criminal justice.
“I am excited to be a part of HFSC’s journey and help it continue on a path of success,”
Ms. Goodwin said.
City Council also confirmed the reappointments of Philip Hilder, an attorney, Dr. Lois
Jean Moore, the former CEO of the Harris County Hospital District, and Dr. Vicki Huff,
a professor of genetics and director of advanced technology genomics core at the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“HFSC is truly lucky to have a board that is knowledgeable, dedicated and caring and I
look forward to their leadership on this journey to provide Houston with the best
forensic services,” said Dr. Peter Stout, HFSC’s CEO and president.
HFSC is a local government corporation that provides forensic services to the City of
Houston and other local agencies. HFSC is overseen by a board of directors appointed
by the Mayor of Houston and confirmed by the Houston City Council. Its management
structure is designed to be responsive to a 2009 recommendation by the National
Academy of Sciences that called for crime laboratories to be independent of law
enforcement and prosecutorial branches of government.
HFSC operates in seven forensic disciplines.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ramit Plushnick-Masti
Director of Communications/PIO
media@houstonforensicscience.org
hfsctx.gov
713-703-4898 (cell)
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