Governor appoints new LCRA directors
Lake Marble Falls. Staff photo
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed three new directors and reappointed two others to the Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors to serve six-year terms set to expire in February 2031. The appointments, announced April 29, still require official confirmation by the Texas Senate.
The board representatives for Burnet and Llano counties remain the same: David R. Willmann and Carol Freeman for Llano County and Nancy Eckert Yeary for Burnet County. They will be joined by the new appointees to dictate policy, direction, project approval, large expenditures, and rates for the LCRA and its coverage area.
The Board of Directors typically has 15 members, but one position is currently vacant. The board consists of one director representing each of the 10 counties directly served by the LCRA: Burnet, Llano, Travis, Blanco, Bastrop, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton, and Matagorda counties. Travis County has an additional representative. One general “at-large” position rotates among the remaining nine counties, currently a Llano County director. Completing the total are three representatives from the LCRA’s electric service area that lies outside of the authority’s 10 core counties.
The board is headed by a chair, currently Stephen F. “Steve” Cooper, who was reappointed by Abbott.
The LCRA provides electricity and manages much of the water supply for the counties along the Colorado River, stretching from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast and including many Highland Lakes communities and the city of Austin.
APPOINTMENTS
Biographies were pulled from April 29 media release by the LCRA.
NEW DIRECTORS
Curtis Ford, Travis County
Ford replaces outgoing Travis County Director Timothy Timmerman. The Austin resident is the founder and CEO of Media Choice LLC and licensed by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. He is also a member of the executive board of The Salvation Army.
Ford received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from West Texas A&M University, formerly West Texas State University.
Aden Lasseter, Blanco County
Lasseter replaces outgoing Blanco County Director Thomas Michael Martine. The Round Mountain resident is the owner of Lasseter Properties and Wildlife, majority owner of Inner Space Cavern, and co-owner of Caveman Wildlife. He is a lifetime member of the Exotic Wildlife Association and a member of the Texas Regional Bank Advisory Board, the Colorado River Land Trust Board of Directors, the Keystone Bank Advisory Board, and Lone Star Legacy.
Lasseter received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Baylor University.
Mark Mayo, Caldwell County
Mayo replaces outgoing at-large electric service area Director Michael L. “Mike” Allen of Kerr County. The Luling retiree served as the city manager for the cities of Luling and New Boston. He was also a board member of the TexAmericas Center and Four States Community Health Center and a representative for the Community and Military Affairs Committee. He is past president of Rates and Resources LCRA.
Mayo received a degree in applied science from Ranger College.
RETURNING DIRECTORS
Robert “Bobby” Lewis, Bastrop County
Lewis of Elgin was president of Elgin Veterinary Hospital Inc. until his retirement in September 2020. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Texas Equine Veterinary Association. He is a member and past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and past board chair and AAEP representative for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. He is a lifetime member of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, American Quarter Horse Association, and Texas Quarter Horse Association.
Lewis received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Margaret “Meg” Voelter, Travis County
Voelter of Austin is a former adjunct professor at Baylor University School of Law, an attorney at Cantey, Hanger, Roan and Autrey, and a member of the State Bar of Texas. In addition, she is an advisory director for Brenham National Bank and a member of UTeach Advisory Council and the Dell Children’s Women’s Trust. She has also served as president of the National Charity League-Hills of Austin Chapter and as a board member and mock trial coach for Regents School of Austin.
Voelter received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from Baylor University School of Law.
CHAIR APPOINTMENT
Stephen F. “Steve” Cooper, Wharton County
Cooper of El Campo is owner and principal of Emerald Ag Investments and TeSodCo LTD. He is president of the West Wharton County Hospital District, a member of the Texas Water Development Board Region P Planning Group, chair of the Texas A&M University System’s Chancellor’s Century Council, and an Endowed Century Club member. He is a member of the 12th Man Champions Council, Texas A&M Legacy Society, Texas A&M Association of Former Students Leadership Council, and Texas A&M College of Agriculture Development Council. He also mentors students in entrepreneurship and received the Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015.
Cooper earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University and is a member of the Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry.