The State Agency Council

The State Agency Council, formerly the State Agency Liaison Group, was established in 1983 by Governor Mark White. On March 30, 2016, Governor Greg Abbott signed Executive Order 1, which allows the Council to continue with its charge.

The State Agency Council provides support to the Governor’s Commission for Women and offers professional development training to its members. The Council also presents the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards.

Appointments are made by the head of each state agency every two years at the request of the Governor. Agencies appoint no more than two members to serve a two-year term. The executive director of the Governor’s Commission for Women appoints the executive board members. 

Executive Board Members

Chairwoman Mandy Meesy

Mandy is the Associate Commissioner of Enforcement at the Texas Department of Insurance where she manages a team of attorneys, investigators, and support staff. Her section investigates and litigates alleged law and rule violations by insurance agents, insurers, HMOs, and other licensed and unlicensed entities.
Prior to joining the state in 2007, Mandy worked at a small commercial litigation firm in Dallas. Mandy earned her BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and her JD from SMU Dedman School of Law, where she was elected to the Barristers. Mandy has been Board Certified in Administrative Law since 2013. Outside of the office, Mandy enjoys traveling with her husband and three daughters and watching her daughters play soccer and dance

Vice Chairwoman Anali Alanis

Anali serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) where she is responsible for TMRS' Services, Information Services, Communications, and Human Resources departments. Anali joined TMRS as its first-ever Chief Quality Officer in October 2023 where she led TMRS' quality initiatives and all organization-wide process improvement projects. In February 2020, Governor Abbott appointed her to the TMRS Board of Trustees where she served as Chair of the Budget and Compensation Committee and Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee on Benefit Design.
Prior to joining TMRS, Anali was the Interim City Manager of the City of Pharr. During her tenure, the city earned the Governor's Texas Award for Performance Excellence that recognizes exceptional performance in all areas of organizational management. Pharr is only the third city in Texas to receive this award.
Anali holds a BA in Applied Technology Management from South Texas College and a MPA from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is a Certified Public Manager. Anali is the Chief Service Officer of the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) where she is responsible for TMRS' Benefit Administration, Communications, Education Services, Member and City Services, and Plan Design and Funding departments. Anali joined TMRS as its first-ever Chief Quality Officer in October 2023 where she led TMRS' quality initiatives and all organization-wide process improvement projects and had responsibility for the Human Resources, Internal Audit, and Project Management functions. In February 2020, Governor Abbott appointed her to the TMRS Board of Trustees where she served as Chair of the Budget and Compensation Committee and Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee on Benefit Design.
Prior to joining TMRS, Anali was the Interim City Manager of the City of Pharr. During her tenure, the city earned the Governor's Texas Award for Performance Excellence that recognizes exceptional performance in all areas of organizational management. Pharr is only the third city in Texas to receive this award.
Anali holds a BA in Applied Technology Management from South Texas College and a MPA from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is a Director of the Quality Texas Foundation and a Certified Public Manager.

Brenda Skiff, Board Secretary

Brenda Skiff serves as the Executive Assistant to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. Prior to the formation of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council in 2020, Brenda joined the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists in 2002 as the Public Information Officer engaging with the general public, insurance companies and licensee throughout the State of Texas and beyond. As a daughter of retired military parents (Air Force), she has lived throughout Europe and the United States, but is originally from Waco TX. Brenda and her husband, Joe, have two kids, Joey and Vicki along with grandkids, Miles and Lane.