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OUR STORY
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In 2019, shortly after being sworn into the Texas House of Representatives and appointed to its powerful Appropriations Committee, Carl Oscar Sherman turned down three offers to return to city management.
But Ferris, the city where his municipal career began—refused to take no for an answer. Instead of offering him a job, the city proposed something different: a consulting agreement.
To ensure there were no conflicts with his legislative service, the consulting agreement was drafted by the Texas House of Representatives Legislative General Counsel. With that first municipal consulting contract, The Carl Sherman Group was born, not from a five-year business plan, but because a city refused to let go of a leader it trusted.
What started in one city hall soon extended into the private sector when a Dallas businessman referred a California developer whose innovative housing project had stalled in Texas, recognizing Sherman's rare ability to navigate both government and business. TCSG helped guide the project to unanimous approval, establishing the firm's reputation for bridging public priorities with private investment.
By God's grace and favor, that success launched a steady stream of referrals that continues to define the firm today.
Carl Oscar Sherman, Former Mayor, City Manager, and Texas State Representative
Carl Oscar Sherman builds where others see only obstacles. A transformational leader whose career bridges faith, business, and public service, he has spent three decades turning stalled institutions and underserved communities into engines of growth. Educated in Business Management at Northwood University, Sherman has led with a signature style: bold, inclusive, and relentlessly results-driven.
From 2019 to 2025, Sherman represented District 109 in the Texas House of Representatives. That seat in Austin was the natural extension of a public service record that began at the local level, where he became the first African-American Mayor of DeSoto, Texas, a historic milestone in a city he would go on to reshape. He also served as City Manager of Ferris and Hutchins, Texas, earning a reputation in both cities for driving organizational renewal in places that badly needed it.
A Foundation Built City by City
Sherman’s foundation in public administration began in Ellis County as City Manager of Ferris, a role he carried concurrently with his tenure as Mayor of DeSoto in Dallas County, a rare endeavor to this day. In this role, his work earned The Lone Star Award; yet again another rare feat for an award most often associated with much larger cities.. That year it was awarded to two municipal leaders making his selection an exceptional distinction highlighting the excellence of his leadership.
His performance there led directly to his recruitment as City Manager of Hutchins, broadening his municipal leadership footprint across North Texas. He was later appointed to the board of the North Texas Tollway Authority by the Dallas County Commissioners Court, and was awarded The Outstanding Texan Award, one of the highest honors conferred by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
From City Hall to the Boardroom
Sherman’s leadership isn’t confined to government. As Chairman and CEO of eTelcharge.com, Inc., he took the company public on the NASDAQ and Frankfurt Exchange under the ticker ETLC. His innovation was recognized with the AT&T Alex Award, named for Alexander Graham Bell for a patent he filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the Dallas Urban League named him one of the Most Promising Leaders of the 21st Century.
A Life Grounded in Faith
A man of deep religious conviction, Sherman balances the demands of ministry and marketplace as a bi-vocational Senior Minister in the Church of Christ, having also served as deacon and bishop.
Sherman is co-author, with the Honorable Jason Roberson, mayor of one of America’s fastest-growing cities; Cross Over Capitol: Navigating Business and Politics Without Losing Your Soul. Drawing on his experience as mayor, city manager, state legislator, and CEO, the book is a candid account of leading with integrity across business, politics, and public service. Learn more at CrossoverCapitol.com
As an ordained minister and author, he carries the same discipline and principle into the pulpit that has defined his work in the boardroom and in public office.
About TCSG
The same foundation that shaped Sherman’s public career, governing from the inside, at the city and state level, while building enterprise value in the private sector is what drives The Carl Sherman Group today.
TCSG partners with municipalities and private developers to close the gap between public need and market opportunity: attracting corporate headquarters, corporate offices, manufacturers, and major mixed-use developments, alongside an emerging focus on grocery attraction and food-access strategy. That work is gaining real momentum through a growing public-private capital stack designed to bring quality retail, anchored by a full-service grocery store to communities that have gone without it for too long.
Sherman’s dual fluency in city hall and the boardroom means TCSG clients get more than advisory recommendations. They get a partner who has sat on both sides of the table and knows what it actually takes to move a project from feasibility study to groundbreaking.
Board of Advisors
Working with our team means partnering alongside skilled professionals with diverse expertise in Texas local government regulations, public-private partnerships, and business development. As trusted partners we are committed to optimizing your ROI. Together, we work towards a common goal of creating favorable and sustainable outcomes.
Audra Buckley
Audra Buckley is a land use consultant and preconstruction project manager based in Ennis, Texas, with an office in Dallas. She holds two BBAs (Administration and Marketing) and an MBA in Production and Operations Management from Angelo State University, and is a Texas Business Hall of Fame scholarship recipient.
She began her career as a city planner and later moved into the private sector, founding her own firm, Permitted Development, in 2010. With over 25 years of experience, Audra has guided residents, business owners, developers, and municipalities through zoning, permitting, and ordinance processes. She has also served as an expert witness for major projects like the LBJ expansion and the NTTA Tollway expansion.
Specialties: zoning analysis, application submittals, expert witness reports, eminent domain analysis, site plan review, Board of Adjustment applications, code writing, site acquisition research, preconstruction project management, and Tax Increment Financing applications.
Kenneth Govan
Kenneth Govan serves as the Area Manager for Customer Operation for Oncor. In this position, he works closely with elected officials as well as community, civic, business and professional organizations to build and maintain effective relationships for effective communications of industry and company initiatives which support safe, efficient and reliable electric delivery service.
Govan is a graduate of Jarvis Christian College with a BBA degree in Accounting and of the Dallas Baptist University with an MBA Degree in Finance. He holds Management Certificates in Advanced Value Added Marketing Strategies from Cox School of Business at SMU and Corporate Community Involvement from Boston College.
He currently serves as the Board Chairman of the Methodist Charlton Medical Center Advisory Board and of the Corner Stone Credit Union in Lancaster. He has previously served as Board Chair/President of the Duncanville Community and Economic Development Corporation, as well as 2012 Board Chair for the Best Southwest Partnership Regional Cooperative, 2005 and 2023 Board Chair of the Leadership Southwest organization, 2008 and 2012 Chairman of the Board for the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce, as well as the 2014 and 2015 Board Chairman of the Inland Port (Lancaster) Chamber of Commerce. Kenneth’s other board memberships include the Best Southwest Chamber Partnership and Education Foundation Board(s) in Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Lancaster.
Govan was elected the 2013 Outstanding Texan Award by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the 2007 “Volunteer of the Year” by the DeSoto Independent School District. In previous positions Kenneth worked in the Northeast Tarrant County and was featured in “Who’s Who of NE Tarrant County” article of the Dallas Morning News.
Dr. Whitney Strauss
Dr. Whitney Strauss is a trusted advisor, strategist, and speaker dedicated to helping organizations align people, purpose, and performance for lasting, systemic change. Her work centers on embedding human-centered leadership into strategy, culture, and community impact.
She is Co-Founder of Strauss Marcus Group, a consultancy that partners with organizations—especially in education, philanthropy, and community systems—to strengthen leadership, culture, and execution.
She also serves as Project Lead for the Dallas–Dallas County Food Plan Collaborative, guiding long-term strategy to improve food systems in North Texas. In 2026, she carried this work to the global stage—speaking on food systems, equity, and climate at London Climate Action Week's inaugural Food Day and at Climate Week NYC—building on prior appearances at SXSW and on numerous podcasts. She is also the host of the Dallas Food Future Podcast, which explores the people and ideas shaping the future of food in North Texas.
Locally, she serves as the Technical Panelist for Food Access on the City of Dallas Environmental Commission and leads grantmaking for the AdvoCare Foundation, working with organizations that expand children's access to physical activity, nutrition education, and healthy food.
Dr. Strauss holds a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies (Behavioral Science and Human Rights) from SMU, with research focused on community-driven food systems and food insecurity. She is a frequent guest lecturer at SMU, holds EQ-i 2.0 certification, and serves as an advisor with the International Association for Sustainable Economy.
She currently serves on several nonprofit and civic boards, including the Turtle Creek Chorale, TACA, the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health, and the Global Advisory Board of Asante Africa Foundation.
A published, award-winning author, Dr. Strauss is currently writing her next book, Food Is Not the Fix, which reframes food insecurity through a systems lens. In her spare time she is an avid runner and a two-time NYC Marathon finisher. She lives in Dallas with her husband and their two sons.
James P. Moon
James P. Moon, owner of the Law Offices of James P. Moon, P.C. in Red Oak, Texas, focuses in representing small- to medium-sized businesses in real estate, general business law, corporate finance and restructuring, mergers/acquisitions, start-up business development, capital fund-raising, and the representation of various businesses in state and federal licensed and regulated industries, with a significant portion of his practice, focusing on residential, multifamily, and commercial development.
In addition to his legal career, Mr. Moon has held leadership roles including Managing Manager of a merchant banking firm, COO of a printing company, and general partner in developing special districts for large real estate projects. He is a founding owner of a real estate tech company and serves as COO/General Counsel of Red Eagle Global Resources, focusing on Mexico and Central/South America. He is also Co-General Partner/General Counsel of a Texas-based private equity fund specializing in financial technology and electronic payment solutions. Mr. Moon is the founder, President, and CEO of a North Texas property management company and has served as General Counsel for companies including Totus Group, Horton Printing, and United Medical Supply.
Mr. Moon's multi-faceted experience in law, business, real estate, technology, and finance positions him to offer comprehensive support to The Carl Sherman Group, aiding in both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic growth.
Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., Esq.
Heriberto “Eddie” Morales Jr. is a lifelong resident of Eagle Pass, Texas, an attorney, small business owner, and State Representative for Texas House District 74. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and St. Mary’s School of Law, Eddie leads the Eagle Pass office of Langley & Banack, focusing on estate, real estate, business law, and government counsel. He also serves as City Attorney for Eagle Pass and Brackettville.
Since his election in 2020, Eddie has championed transparency, bipartisanship, and community-focused legislation, passing over 30 bills on issues like border security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Beyond public service, Eddie runs his family’s 34-year-old Piedras Negras Tortilla Factory and invests in real estate development to help grow his hometown.
Jaynie Schultz, Former City of Dallas Councilmember
Jaynie Schultz is a former Dallas City Council Member who represented District 11 from 2021 to 2025 and previously served six years on the Dallas City Plan Commission, including as Vice Chair. During her time on the City Council, she chaired the Workforce, Education and Equity Committee and served on committees focused on transportation, infrastructure, quality of life, ethics, and economic development issues. Her background in municipal governance, planning, and public policy provides valuable insight into local government operations, community development, and stakeholder engagement.
Beyond public service, Schultz is an accomplished entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than three decades of leadership in education, workforce development, and nonprofit organizations. As President of the Schultz Family Foundation, she helped launch numerous educational and leadership initiatives and played a key role in establishing the CityLab High School Foundation. She currently serves on several local and national boards, including the Dallas International STEAM Academy Foundation and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Her extensive network across government, education, business, and philanthropic sectors makes her a valuable strategic advisor on community partnerships, workforce initiatives, education-focused projects, and public-private collaboration.
