Governor Abbott Names Aplin Chair and Appoints Galo to Parks and Wildlife Commission
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Anna Benavides Galo to the Parks and Wildlife Commission for a term set to expire February 1, 2027. Additionally, the Governor has named Arch “Beaver” Aplin as chair. The commission manages and conserves the natural and cultural resources of Texas and provides hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generation.
Anna Benavides Galo of Laredo is Vice President of ANB Cattle Co. and is a Co-Trustee of her family's mineral trust. She is a member of the board of directors of the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and the City of Laredo City Manager’s ad-hoc committee, board member of the Laredo Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs and the Angel of Hope Foundation. She is the past president of the board of directors of the South Texas Food Bank and United Day School, and she continues to serve on both boards. She is a former board member of the Laredo Center for the Arts, Border Cultural Promotion Foundation, Webb County Children’s Advocacy Center, and the City of Laredo Historic Preservation Committee. Additionally, she is a founding member and first treasurer of the Laredo Community College Education Foundation, and she was a board member and local chair of AVANCE. Galo received a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s University.
Arch “Beaver” Aplin of Lake Jackson is president and CEO of Buc-ee’s. He has served on the Parks and Wildlife Commission since November 2018. He is a member of the Houston Methodist Hospital President’s Leadership Council, lifetime Member of the Coastal Conservation Association and The 100 Club, and a board member of The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M. He is the former board president of the Brazosport Independent School District and a former member of the State of Texas Small Business Council, Lieutenant Governor's Transportation Advisory Board, and the Brazosport Center for Arts and Sciences Board of Trustees. Aplin received a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University.