jones swenson auction news & information

George was born in Dallas, Texas and reared in Rockwall were both his grandfather and father made western saddles and tac for 75+ years (G.H Vaught & Son). His mother was Rockwall’s first County Auditor. In those days, Rockwall was the county seat of Rockwall County with a population of about 1,000 persons.

In 1965, George was in the last graduating class of Rockwall High School while his father was in its first graduating class in 1936. Graduating at 17 with a class of 50 seniors out of 150 high school students, the first thing George did was to get his Ordinary Seaman’s papers and begin shipping out on oil tankers during the summer months. During the winter months, he attended what was then known as North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) in Denton. Upon receiving a BA degree in Biology in 1970, he continued in graduate school and received a MS degree in 1972.

George was off to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to get his PhD when he was offered a job in Atlanta, Georgia for a whopping $9,600 per year (Wow!), so he dropped out of school, moved to Atlanta, and became an environmental consultant. He moved back to Texas (Austin) in 1974 and joined a local environmental company. Except for a short tour with that company in Dallas from 1978 to 1980, he has resided in Austin ever since.

Upon moving back to Austin in 1980, he bought a home and a couple of acres outside of Oak Hill which was then about 20 miles west of town where he resides there today. In 1987, he co-founded Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. George’s loving partner in life is Myra Vaught, and they are blessed with two beautiful daughters, Marguerite (22 years) and Vanessa (25 years). His biggest enjoyment above all else focuses on family events whether it be work or play.

George was raised in East Trinity Masonic Lodge No. 157 in Rockwall in 1972 upon turning 21. In 1983, he went before the Scottish Rite Bodies in Austin, and then walked the “HOT” sands to become a Shrine Mason at Ben Hur Temple. He was in the Temple’s clown unit (“SREKOJ”) for a number of years, clowning at local parades, Shrine Circus, nursing homes, and Shrine Children’s and Burn Hospitals in Houston and Galveston. “No man stands taller than when he stoops to help a child”. Needless to say, George is extremely delighted that the Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital is TAA’s philanthropy of choice.

Beginning is 1994, George and Myra sold antiques and collectables in Fredericksburg, Texas for a number of years as a part-time source of family income (Ha!). Their retail goods came from auctions throughout Central Texas, but more especially from Austin Auction Company. As a result, George got to know many auctioneers in Central Texas and fell in love with our industry. He is proud to included Jim Sample, Scott Swenson, Tommy Traylor, Ross Featherston, Mike Jones, Jim Swigert, Ernie Croucher, and Don Hill among his mentors in the Texas auction industry as a direct result of TAA membership networking opportunities. He graduated from the Texas Auction Academy in February 1998 and received his Texas State Auctioneer License that May. In June 1998, he and Myra attended their first TAA annual meeting in Waco. Since that time, he has chaired committees pertaining to Professional Auctioneer Education, Public Education, and Regulation, regularly prepared articles for both TAA and NAA publications, and authored proposed Texas State Legislation governing auctions in Texas.

Since becoming a member of TAA in 1998, George has been a very active participant in our great association. His participation and accomplishments include:

1. 1998 Rookie Auctioneer Champion.
2. 1998-2000 Regular guest attendee at TAA Board meetings
3. 2000 Elected to the TAA Board of Directors.
4. 2001 Chaired committee to organize and performed the first ever survey of Texas licensed auctioneers on behalf of TAA with respect to Texas auctioneer business practices in order to develop specific information about the significant contribution of our industry to the Texas economy which was shared with Texas auctioneers and the general public.
5. 2002-2003 Worked closely with Jim Sample and Jim Swigert in support of HB 135 pertaining to auctioneer pre-application requirements and continuing education and provided testimony before Texas Legislative Session hearing committee.
6. 2002-2004 Chaired committee managing the TAA’s TDLR Grant for preparation, publication, and distribution of the current version of the infamous “Green Book”.
7. 2003-2005 Participated in Town Hall Meetings in Abilene, Austin, Brenham, Conroe, and Nacogdoches and performed meeting presentations on Environmental Site Assessments for Real Estate Transfers, Sale of Wildlife at Auction, and Benefit Auctions.
8. 2003-2007 Participated in various TDLR meetings pertaining to review/revision/updating of the Texas auctioneer license examination.
9. 2003 Re-elected to the TAA Board of Directors.
10. 2003 State Senior Champion Auctioneer.
11. 2004 Appointed to the Texas Auctioneer Education Advisory Board by the TDLR Commission.
12. 2005 Authored the draft of HB 2152 proposing the regulation of Internet Auctions in Texas.
13. 2005 Awarded TAA Leadership Award.
14. 2005 Second Runner-Up, State Champion Ringman Contest.
15. 2005 Elected TAA Second Vice President.
16. 2003-2006 Chaired first Continuing Education Committee.
17. 2006 Elected TAA First Vice President.
18. 2007 Elected TAA President Elect.
19. 2007 Appointed by TAA Board of Directors as Texas’ first representative for the NAA’s Auction Action Network.
20. 2006-2007 Chaired committee for TAA’s 50th Anniversary Party in Corpus Christi.
21. 2006-2007 Chaired committee for TAA’s setting the first ever Guinness World Record™ for the “Largest Number of Auctioneers Bid Calling Simultaneously” at TAA’s 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Corpus Christi.
22. 2007 Received the NAA Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) designation at its first class held in Seattle, Washington.
23. 2007 Presented Benefit Auction CE Seminar at TAA annual meeting in Corpus Christi.
24. 2008-2009 Future President of TAA.

George has worked with Scott Swenson (Swenson Auctioneers, Inc) since meeting Scott as an instructor at the Texas Auction Academy in 1998.   Today, George is both a Texas licensed auctioneer and realtor.  He continues to work with Scott as Vice-President of Sales for United Country-Jones Swenson Auction Marketing, Inc., a real estate and commercial/personal asset auction, appraisal, and liquidation company based in Texas and offering professional, turnkey auction services throughout the nation (http://www.jonesswenson.com/).  George is responsible for auction procurement and client development. He is one of the firm's lead auctioneers and has experience with a variety of auctions, including business liquidations, asset recovery, real estate, estates/antiques, and charity/benefits.