The Office of External Relations, under the direction of the Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences, communicates the needs, priorities, and relevance of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M Forest Service, and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory to external interests. The External Relations team is the primary point of contact for elected officials, government agencies, and external stakeholders at the state level. In addition, the Office of External Relations collaborates with the Texas A&M University System Office of State Relations. Using strategic communication and interaction, the office maintains consistency and coordination of contact with supporters while promoting numerous unique and pertinent programs and initiatives.
2013 Exceptional Items
Joint Item for Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
- Controlling Exotic and Invasive Insect-Transmitted Pathogens
- Positioning Texas as a National Leader in Curing Cancer
- Enhancing Research Capacity
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Saving Public Health Dollars by Preventing Chronic Diseases
- Expanding Workforce Horizons for Texas Youth
- Reversing the Decline of Quail in Texas
TVMDL
Texas A&M Forest Service
- Texas Wildfire Protection Plan: Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) Grants
- Texas Wildfire Protection Plan: Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Grants
- Texas Wildfire Protection Plan: Texas A&M Forest Service Operations
External Relations Staff
Joe Cox
Assistant Vice Chancellor for External Relations
joecox@tamu.edu
814 Lavaca St. Austin, TX 78701
512.542.7830
Joe Cox currently serves as assistant vice chancellor for External Relations for Texas A&M AgriLife. He joined the AgriLife team after his exceptional work for several offices in the Texas House of Representatives, where he focused on policy areas pertaining to agriculture, natural resources and the environment, and energy. Before working in the House of Representatives, Mr. Cox was employed by a private government-relations firm and represented a broad spectrum of clients.
He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and earned his Master of Arts degree in political science at Texas State University. A native Texan, Mr. Cox remains close to his roots and manages a family livestock operation in Central Texas.
Cristina Cornejo
Program Coordinator
cornejo@tamu.edu
814 Lavaca St. Austin, TX 78701
512.542.7830
Cristina Cornejo joined the External Relations team as program coordinator in December 2008, after serving as director of communications for the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO). Before working for TIPRO, Ms. Cornejo served as legislative director in the office of Texas State Representative Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles, where she focused on a wide array of issues, including agriculture, energy, juvenile justice, and criminal justice.
Ms. Cornejo was also employed by the Advertising Council in Washington, D.C., where she helped to manage the public relations and media outreach efforts for five national public service campaigns, including Homeland Security. She has worked for members in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Ms. Cornejo is a native of South Texas.