Mike Lockerd has had forty-plus years of professional experience included over 32 years with Texas Instruments Incorporated in technology development and business unit general management, plus managed several different business strategies in the government electronic systems area. He directed TI corporate strategic planning for 5 years and served as Chair of the Corporate Technical Council for 15 years, early retiring in 1997. 

Subsequently, he spent six years founding two technology-based startups as President and CEO.  He retired again in June 2005 and resumed his consulting practice, Mike Lockerd Associates, LLC; and shortly after that became manager of the proposal for the Alliance for Higher Education to form the N. TX RCIC.  In September 2005 his “third career” began as Executive Director of the North Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization (N. TX RCIC) supporting the Texas Emerging Technology Fund