ABOUT OUR COMMISSIONER-ELECT
It is Dexter’s profound belief that each of us plays a role in changing the world around us.
Dexter’s experiences, relentless energy, and upbringing in Precinct 4 has set him up for success as our next county commissioner.
EDUCATION
Dexter is a product of Fort Bend ISD Schools, attending Hodges Bend Middle School and graduating from William B. Travis High School. Dexter matriculated to Boston University, where he studied Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Political Science. While on campus Dexter aimed to build community and advocate for the marginalized, as he served on the Admissions Student Diversity Board and was president of the Black Student Union.
Dexter is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he was initiated into the Sigma Chapter at Boston University on November 23, 2013.
CAREER
In his career, Dexter has been a key player in impacting great change in every organization in which he has served. Central to his cause is giving voice to and advocating for the most challenged among us.
Dexter discovered his purpose while serving as Student Body President at Boston University, where he expanded the services available to students, addressed public safety and quality of life issues, assisted the University in raising over $1 Bil., and advocated for affordable college education across the country.
Dexter also represented over 130,000 students in the Greater Boston Community as chair of the Boston Council of Undergraduate Student Presidents, addressing transportation and resource issues.
After Boston, Dexter became a member of the District of Columbia Public Schools team. There he established the Office of Student Affairs and created a leadership development program that elevated the voices of often forgotten children.
During his tenure as an appointee in the Obama Administration, Dexter focused on college access issues and supported the Administration's agenda on addressing harassment in our nation's schools.
Following his time in Washington, D.C. Dexter returned home to Fort Bend County committed to bringing his experiences back to better serve the community. Dexter was a district leader in Fort Bend ISD, where he empowered student leaders, administrators, and parents with the tools they needed to build stronger, more connected communities.
Dexter also served as an advocate for Fort Bend County as a board member on the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board, overseeing a budget of nearly $400 Mil in regional workforce development funds.
He continues his advocacy for our community's most vulnerable as a board member for Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
Following Winter Storm Uri, Dexter answered the call to serve the County more broadly as chief of staff to Fort Bend County Judge KP George. In this capacity he was part of making a lasting impact on Fort Bend County. Alongside Judge George, Dexter successfully fought for a non-profit grant program to support the great work of nonprofits, created a public-private partnership with Comcast for a rural broadband expansion program, and managed a diverse portfolio of initiatives key to well serving the needs of Fort Bend County residents.
Dexter has also worked and volunteered on a number of political campaigns, most notably serving on Secretary Hillary Clinton’s presidential advance staff during her 2016 bid for the White House and volunteering with Beto O’Rourke’s team during his 2018 Senate campaign.
FAMILY
Born in rural Louisiana to a teenage mother, and a biological father who was incarcerated for much of his childhood, Dexter Lorance-Navario McCoy went from a resource-deficient environment to the resource-rich Fort Bend County.
Dexter grew up in Mission Bend with his father, Kenneth Duane Thomas, and his mother Helen Thomas. When they moved to Texas, Dexter’s parents had recently graduated from college and were establishing their adult lives, all while raising Dexter, who was then nine years old. Following his parents’ example of grit and tenacity, Dexter learned about entrepreneurship early. Dexter started his first business, a lawn care service, at the age of 13. Dexter worked tirelessly on his customer service and management skills, learning to save and adjust business practices to meet the needs of his customers. Dexter’s family expanded after his parents gave birth to his sister Tira (16), and his two brothers Jacob (14) and Luke (7).
Dexter met his wife Chelsea when they were children singing together in the choir at the Fort Bend Church. Dexter knew from the first time he saw Chelsea that she would be someone special in his life.
The two dated briefly in high school before going their separate ways for college. During a business trip to Oakland, CA in 2017, the two reconnected in a chance encounter at the airport and have been inseparable since. The couple built their first home in Precinct 4’s Veranda neighborhood and recently welcomed their Goldendoodle Fitz into their new family.
