Posted: January 30, 2008
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Tammy Beutnagel, [830] 379-5822 or email
SEGUIN - At the December board meeting in Seguin, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) Board of Directors elected new officers for 2008. Myrna P. McLeroy from Gonzales County will serve as chair, Clifton L. Thomas of Victoria County will serve as vice-chair and T.L. Walker of Comal County will serve as secretary/treasurer.
McLeroy of Gonzales, Texas was appointed to GBRA's board in 2001 to represent Gonzales County by Governor Rick Perry. McLeroy operates a farm that has been in her family since 1885 and is owner of the McLeroy Land Group in Gonzales, which conducts mineral title searches and negotiates oil and gas leases for various companies. McLeroy attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Houston. Her community activities include serving as a director of the Torch of Freedom Foundation, a commissioner of the Housing Authority of Gonzales, a member of the Empowerment Board of Gonzales, chair of the Gonzales County Republican Party since 1990, a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen since 1978 and a member of the Gonzales County Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.
Thomas of Victoria was appointed in 2004 by Governor Perry to represent Victoria County. He is founder and CEO of C.L. Thomas, a wholesale and retail corporation. Thomas also serves on the DeTar Hospital Board of Directors and Wells Fargo Bank Board and is a Texas A&M graduate.
Another appointee of Governor Perry, Walker was appointed in 2006 to represent Comal County of New Braunfels. Walker received a commercial banking degree from the American Institute of Banking and a graduate degree in commercial banking from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He is a former member of the American Institute of Banking, the Bank Administration Institute, the American Bankers Association and the Texas Bankers Association. Walker also serves as the Comal County representative on the South Central Texas Water Advisory Committee. He is a board member and past president of the New Braunfels Industrial Foundation, member and former director of the Comal County Community Fund United Way, and committee member and past board member of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. Walker is a retired Wells Fargo executive.
New Appointees
Arlene N. Marshall of Port Lavaca and James "Jim" L. Powers of Dripping Springs became the newest members of the (GBRA) Board of Directors, with Frank Pagel of Tivoli who was reappointed by Governor Perry. The appointees were administered the oath of office at the January (GBRA) board meeting.
Marshall, a former County Judge for Calhoun County, will represent the Calhoun County position for GBRA. She serves as president of the Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation. Marshall received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Houston. She is also a director for the Workforce Solutions of Golden Crescent Board, the University of Houston-Victoria President's Regional Advisory Council, the Victoria College Foundation Board, Victoria College Calhoun County Center Advisory Board, the Trinity Shores Board and was 2006-07 president of the Port Lavaca Noon Day Rotary Club. Marshall fills the place formerly held by Stephen F. Wilson, DVM of Port Lavaca with a term to run through February 2011.
Powers, a former Hays County Judge, will fill the Hays County position. Powers is a business consultant for Stellargy Services LLC, in Austin. He attended Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. Prior to becoming county judge, Powers was the director of Family and Marriage Resources, and along with his partners, owned several Popeyes Restaurants and convenience stores in the Austin area.
During his tenure as Hays County Judge, Powers served on the CAMPO Board Executive Committee, Co-Chaired the Executive Committee for the Regional Water Quality Planning Board, and led the negotiations with LCRA and GBRA in bringing surface water to Hays County. In addition, Powers procured the 2nd largest grant in the nation from the federal government for conservation planning and protection of native wildlife and water quality to create the Habitat Conservation Plan.
Powers fills the place formerly held by Jack R. Gary of San Marcos with a term to run through February 2014.
Frank J. Pagel of Tivoli has been reappointed to represent Refugio County. Pagel, a former instructor pilot for the United States Air Force, graduate of Texas A&M University and third generation farmer, has been involved in agricultural production since 1957. Pagel also served as county chairman of the Refugio County Republican Party since 1996 and is a member of the Texas A&M Century Club and Former Students Association. Pagel's term will end in February 2013.
GBRA is governed by nine directors, appointed by the Governor of the State of Texas and confirmed by the Senate. The 10 counties in GBRA's statutory district are represented on a rotating basis. Each director serves a six-year term with three directors appointed or re-appointed every two years.
The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun, and Refugio counties.
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