Rep. Sherman Sr., Carl O.
Biography
Carl O. Sherman has been proven to be a transformational leader in faith, government, and business. A man of strong religious faith, Sherman presently serves in the role of Senior Pastor in the Church of Christ. He was elected in November 2018 to serve as a Member of the Texas House of Representatives. In the 88th Texas Legislature, he was reappointed to the Corrections committee for a third consecutive term and is excited to serve on a new committee, Land & Resource Management. Additionally, his colleagues elected him to serve as Co-Chair for the Dallas County Delegation (bipartisan) comprised of fourteen members.
Representative Sherman has a long history of advocating for his community and his service in the House is an extension of that for District 109, as well as all Texans. His legislative priorities are in the areas of education, including higher education, enhanced / strategic economic development, and helping all Texans prosper. This also includes social justice reform, legislation benefitting senior citizens, as well as, advocating for quality of life for all Texans.
Sherman’s work in the 86th includes serving on The Texas Commission on Judicial Selection (TCJS) which was created in 2019 by the 86th Texas Legislature to study and review the method by which statutory county court judges, including probate court judges; district judges; and appellate justices and judges are selected for office in Texas. He was selected as a Texas Legislative Black Caucus (TLBC) Freshman of the Year in the 86th session. In 2022, Representatives Carl Sherman and Jacey Jetton (Richmond) announced the formation of the Friends of Taiwan Caucus in the Texas Legislature for which they chair together. He proudly represents District 109 in Southern Dallas County, which includes the citizens of Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Ferris, Glenn Heights, Grand Prairie, Hutchins, Lancaster, Ovilla, Seagoville, and Wilmer.
In the 87th, Representative Sherman continued advocating for accountability and transparency and is the proud author of the Botham Jean Act (HB 929) which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. He authored HB 4182 which aided the University of North Texas in establishing an intercollegiate athletic program. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he successfully aided in securing $100 million funding for UNT Dallas via SB 52.
Both in session and during the interim, he has increased awareness in Human Trafficking issues, hosted a diaper drive in all of 2022, held townhalls to hear from teachers and students after increased mass school shootings, and hosted an annual Hope Summit which focuses on criminal justice reform such as school to prison pipeline and second chance hiring.
Sherman is a trailblazer in both local politics and public administration. He was the first African American Mayor of DeSoto, Texas in 2010, and was re-elected in 2013. Under his leadership, the city launched an aggressive new focus on generating economic development centered on attracting quality jobs to DeSoto. Sherman's smart growth philosophy included securing funds to ensure that access to quality, affordable housing and safe neighborhoods for every citizen remains at the forefront of economic development decisions. Under his watch, DeSoto became one of the first cities in Texas to outfit its police officers with body cameras. The city experienced a 40% increase in sales tax revenue and unemployment went from 9.7% to 5%. Sherman’s career experience also included serving as City Manager in both Ellis and Dallas Counties.
Sherman’s dedication and commitment to public service reach beyond the citizens of the Best Southwest area and include the North Texas region. In 2016, the Dallas County Commissioners Court appointed Sherman to the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) Board of Directors by to develop and maintain high-quality roadways in North Texas. In addition, he has been an executive member of the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition Board and the River of Trade Corridor Coalition.
A successful entrepreneur and businessperson, Sherman previously served as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of eTelcharge.com, an electronic payment processing company, and earned the AT&T Alex Award for a patent application. He strategically navigated the company onto Wall Street, where it traded on both the U.S. NASDAQ and the Frankfurt exchange in Europe. His studies of Business Management at Northwood University have made a significant impact to his successful career. The Dallas Urban League recognized Sherman as one of the Most Promising Leaders of the 21st Century and in 2017 the TxLBC recognized Sherman as an Outstanding Texan.
Sherman has served in the community as the first African-American in many capacities, including being the President of the DeSoto Rotary Club, Board Chairman of the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the business and government affairs committee, and Board Chairman of the Best Southwest Chamber of Commerce which is comprised of the mayors for the four partner cities – Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and Lancaster – and the associate cities of Balch Springs, Ferris, Glenn Heights, Hutchins, Midlothian, Ovilla, Red Oak and Wilmer.
Carl lives in DeSoto, TX, where he and his wife of 36 years, Michelle, raised their three sons and two daughters. His greatest joy comes from spending quality time with his family, which also includes eight adorable grandchildren.