Governor Greg Abbott announced on Apr. 2 a series of appointments and reappointments to several key Texas boards and committees, selecting individuals to serve terms ranging from two to six years.
The announcement includes positions related to criminal justice, health care, education, water management, and historical preservation. These appointments play a role in shaping policies that affect the daily lives of Texans in areas such as public safety, special education services, natural resource management, and access to information.
Abbott appointed Blake Harris, Ph.D., Stacey Mathews, Nelda Cacciotti, Trent Marshall, and Casey O’Neal, Ph.D. to the Advisory Committee to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments. The committee advises on matters related to offenders with medical or mental impairments. Brandon Cantazaro, M.D., Robert Suter, D.O., Robert “Bobby” Greenberg, M.D., and Divyansu Patel, M.D. were named to the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee; Greenberg will continue as chair. This committee develops statewide policies for health care delivery within the criminal justice system.
For water resources oversight in Texas river basins, Gary Krause and Eliza Santos McElhaney were appointed—and Mark Moczygemba along with Chasey Sanchez were reappointed—to the Nueces River Authority Board of Directors. Philip George was selected for the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority Board of Directors.
In education-related roles: Rebecca Faulkner; Felicia Penn; Kristen Tuttle Urbanovsky; Claudia Cavazos; April Estrada; Amy Litzinger joined or continued service on the Special Education Continuing Advisory Committee. Alfonso Charles was reappointed Presiding Judge of the Tenth Administrative Judicial Region for another four-year term. Aaron Kinsey will continue as Chair of the Texas State Board of Education until April 2028.
Monte Monroe and Leslie Recine were named commissioners at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission—an agency responsible for archives management; library support; public records access; reading programs.
According to the official website, Governor Abbott’s office has contributed toward leading job growth in Texas as well as record employment levels across the state. The office is based in Austin at the State Insurance Building according to the official website. In addition,the official website reports that Governor Abbott was listed among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024.
The governor’s office focuses on job creation initiatives alongside economic opportunities expansion while also working toward improvements in education policy—emphasizing individual liberties protection and parental empowerment—as well as security along southern borders according to the official website. Greg Abbott has led this office since his election in 2014 according to the official website, providing statewide authority over various services throughout Texas according to the official website.
