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Oliver J. Bell

Director at Eckerd Connects

Mr. Bell leads a diverse labor relations consulting firm that values direct management-employee relationships, recognizes the dynamics of organizational change, trains leadership skills, and helps clients align stakeholder goals. Bell provides the firm’s strategic direction, coordinates business development, and interfaces with client counsel as needed. He advises senior leaders, directs strategic communications, and identifies proactive solutions to workplace/employee issues by focusing on consensus building and timely issue resolution. He has worked with union/union-free companies in North, Central, & South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. He has been involved in over 1,000 client scenarios including over 250 RC/RD elections, 600 mitigation campaigns, 900 situation assessments and audits, and too many leader and employee training sessions to count!

Mr. Bell founded the Texas Labor & Employee Relations Consortium for senior leaders to discuss emerging workplace trends and their impact on labor and employment law application. He is also leading an effort to encourage character training and development.

Mr. Bell’s earlier public sector board service includes serving as Chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice. Chairman Bell was responsible for the oversight of the $3.3 Billion, 40,000-employee Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Bell also served as Chairman of the Windham School District (WSD) Board of Trustees. WSD is the largest geographic school district in the state of Texas. To honor his service to the board, department, and district – TDCJ renamed the former Cleveland (TX) Correctional Facility – The Oliver J. Bell Correctional Unit – in March of 2020. Mr. Bell also served on the Board of Regents at Texas Southern University overseeing a student body of more than 10,000 scholars and a staff and faculty of 1,400 employees. Regent Bell chaired the Finance Committee and the Presidential Search Committee.

Mr. Bell is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. He is airborne ranger qualified and commanded a border mission Cavalry Troop with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment on the East-West German Border.