Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he has appointed Greg Wassberg and reappointed John Jenkins, Robert McFarlane, M.D., Will Rodgers, and Frank Steed, Jr. to the Trinity River Authority board of directors.
Their terms are set to expire on March 15, 2027, the governor’s office said. The authority oversees development and conservation of surface water resources of the Trinity River Basin.
Established by the Texas legislature in 1955, the TRA addresses water supply and conservation issues in the basin and is classified as a conservation and reclamation district, providing water and wastewater treatment services as well as recreational and reservoir facilities across 18,000 square miles.
The TRA is headquartered in Arlington and maintains regional offices throughout the Trinity River Basin in Texas.
Here are bios of the appointees, per the governor’s office:
Will Rodgers of Fort Worth is president of Pegasus Resources LLC, EnCap Minerals LLC, and Collins & Young LLC vice president. He’s a board member of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Edwards Family Charitable Giving and a member of Fort Worth Wildcatters and Exchange Club of Fort Worth. Rodgers received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.
Greg Wassberg of Grapeland is senior director of Topcon Healthcare. He’s a Pinewoods Fine Arts Association Board of Directors member, Masonic Lothrop Lodge No. 21, Crockett Texas Elks Lodge No. 1729, and First United Methodist Church of Crockett. He serves as the assistant chief of the Tejas Shores Homeowners Council. Wassberg received a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Houston.
John Jenkins of Hankamer is owner and operator of a rice farming business and cattle ranch. He is a board member of the Texas Rice Council and the American Plant Food Corp. and a member of the Texas Gatorfest Committee. Jenkins is chairman of the Anahuac National Bank board of directors and a former Anahuac Independent School District Education Foundation board member.
Robert McFarlane M.D., of Palestine is a cardiologist with Baylor Scott & White Cardiovascular Institute. MacFarlane was the owner and sole proprietor of The BigWoods on the Trinity from 1995-2015. He founded the Trinity Waters Foundation and served as its president for five years. McFarlane received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and is board certified in internal medicine and cardiology.
Frank Steed Jr. of Kerens was the chief executive officer of The Steed Consultancy and is now retired after more than 50 years in the restaurant industry. Steed is the former president and commissioner of the Navarro County Emergency Services District No. 1 and a board member and past chairman of the Corsicana-Navarro County Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the board of governors of the University of North Texas School of Hospitality and the Women’s Food Service Forum.
The governor’s office said the appointments are subject to confirmation by the Texas Senate.
According to the Trinity River Authority, board members are appointed for six-year terms. Every two years a group of TRA directors is eligible for reappointment or replacement, the authority said. By statute, three of its board members must be appointed from within Tarrant County, four from Dallas County, and one from each of the remaining 15 counties within its geographical jurisdiction: Anderson, Chambers, Ellis, Freestone, Henderson, Houston, Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Navarro, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker.
The remaining three appointees serve as at-large board members. The board holds six regularly scheduled meetings during the year.
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