Escalante is responsible for guiding the UNT System's facilities and campus master planning; acquisition, sale and management of real estate and buildings; selection of architects, engineers and contractors; management of new construction and major renovation projects; and oversight of System administrative policies, procedures and performance. Prior to coming to the UNT System, Escalante served as city manager for the city of Farmers Branch, overseeing a budget of $84 million, 564 city employees and a full range of municipal services. He coordinated the development of capital planning and the construction of numerous high-quality municipal facilities, including a city hall, justice center/police station/court facility and senior center. Escalante completed Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government Mid-Career Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government in 1997. He earned his Master of Arts degree in public Affairs (1978) and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (1974) from Northern Illinois University.