Governor Abbott Appoints Seven To One-Call Board Of Texas
Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed William “Bill” Geise and Joseph Costa, and appointed George Spencer and Joseph “Joe” Berry to the One Call Board of Texas for terms set to expire on August 31, 2020. Additionally, he appointed Marcela Navarette, Lester “Les” Stephens, and Manish Seth for terms set to expire on August 31, 2021. The board has authority over “Call Before You Dig” systems that notify the underground facility operators for excavation plans so pipelines and utility lines can be marked to prevent accidents.
William “Bill” Geise of Austin is retired and formally served as Director of the Gas Services Division for the Texas Railroad Commission. Geise received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.
Joseph Costa of DeSoto is the Chief of Police for the DeSoto Police Department. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, North Texas Police Chief’s Association, Texas Police Chief’s Association, and the Regional Organized Crime Information Center Executive Board. Costa received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from St. Bonaventure University and a Master of Arts in criminal justice from Boston University.
George Spencer of Austin is Associate Vice President for AT&T. He is a member of the Texas eHealth Alliance Board of Directors and the Texas Technology Consortium Board of Directors. Spencer received a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University.
Joseph “Joe” Berry of Pearland is Director of Damage Prevention at CenterPoint Energy. He is a member of the Common Ground Alliance and the Southeast Damage Prevention Council. Berry received a Bachelor of Arts in management from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston.
Marcela Navarette of El Paso is Vice President of Strategic, Financial, and Management Services for El Paso Water Utilities. She is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, Government Finance Officers Association, and the American Water Works Association. She serves on the Board of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, BorderPlex Alliance, Medical Center of the Americas, The Hospitals of Providence East Campus, and Evolve Federal Credit Union. Additionally, she serves as chair of the United Way of El Paso. Navarrete received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from The University of Texas at El Paso.
Lester “Les” Stephens of New Braunfels is Fire Chief for the City of San Marcos. He is a member of the Hays County Fire Chiefs Association and of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Additionally, he is 3rd Vice President for the Texas Fire Chiefs Association. Stephens received an Associate of Applied Science in fire protection from Tarrant County Junior College and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Texas State University.
Manish Seth of Missouri City is partner at abip P.C. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Additionally, he is a board member of the Cullinan Park Conservancy. Seth received a Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters in Professional Accounting fromTthe University of Texas at Austin.