On Friday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced that a former United States Ambassador, Mark Langdale, would be joining his International Advisory Council.
The council advises Mayor Johnson on any international affairs and assists in hosting meetings with foreign dignitaries, the mayor’s press release stated.
“The Mayor’s International Advisory Council (MIAC) is helping to take our great city to the next level in international affairs,” Johnson said. “Ambassador Langdale has had an incredibly distinguished career in public service and in the private sector, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to join this amazing team. With the help of the Mayor’s International Advisory Council, we can build for our city’s future in this increasingly interconnected world.”
According to the press release, the advisory council aids the mayor in bringing foreign trade offices to Dallas. Langdale was an ambassador to Costa Rica between 2005 and 2008. He focused on Costa Rica’s participation in the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
“Texans have long appreciated the entrepreneurial spirit and free-market opportunities of our state,” Langdale said in the press release. “Today the rest of the world is taking notice and Dallas is attracting investment from all over the world. I am delighted that Mayor Johnson is making global trade and investment a priority for his administration.”
Before his start in public service, Langdale was the president of Posadas USA, the US subsidiary of Grupo Posadas SA de CV. He oversaw the company’s US management and investment activities.
Langdale also has experience serving on a few public boards. These include Grupo Posadas and Caprock Communications, Inc. He was the Chairman of the Texas Department of Economic Development.
Other Mayor International Advisory Council members include former U.S. Ambassadors Richard Fisher, Kathryn Hall, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Robert Jordan, James C. Oberwetter, and Jeanne L. Phillips. Phillips also acts as the council’s Chair.
According to the press release, the MIAC was created in January 2020.
Phillips said, “We are happy to welcome Ambassador Langdale to the Mayor’s council of experts on international affairs. His years of experience in working with global leaders will add greatly to our international team. Together this group is coordinating and implementing a strategy to take Dallas to the next level on the international playing field.”
Mayor Johnson’s press release also stated that Langdale was the founding President of the George W. Bush Foundation and helped launch the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University. The Center houses the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. He left his position at the foundation in 2013 but continues to serve on the board.
Langdale received his bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975, where he graduated with honors. He then went on to get his Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Houston School Of Law.
He married his wife Patty Langdale over 30 years ago, and they have two children together.