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 Connie Corona

Connie Corona is Executive Director at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, overseeing the Market Analysis, Customer Protection, Infrastructure, Legal, Oversight & Enforcement, Rate Regulation, and Utility Outreach divisions. Connie was previously Director of the Competitive Markets Division. Prior to returning to the Commission in 2017, Connie served as Director of Regulatory Affairs at NRG. Her previous work at the Commission included development and implementation of state policies on the electric power industry, with a particular focus on the 1999 Texas Electric Choice Act, which introduced competition to the retail electric market.

Vice 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

Jennifer Hertsenberg, Treasurer

Jennifer Hertsenberg serves as the Operations Manager of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Jennifer joined the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners in 2007 and has led a number of department initiatives related to the licensing program, continuing education for chiropractic licensees and the development of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners first licensee outreach program. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in English at Texas State University in December of 2005.

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.

Elizabeth Taplin, Special Events Director

Elizabeth Taplin is the Manager of Agency Operations and Employee Services at the Legislative Budget Board, overseeing and ensuring effective and efficient delivery of services to support agency and employee success. Prior to serving in her role with the LBB, Elizabeth served in private sector and public sector human resources and operations roles. Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, and her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds SPHR and IPMA-SCP human resources certifications.

Anali Alanis, Membership/Outreach Director

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.