Governor Abbott Appoints Eight To Trinity River Authority Board Of Directors
Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Christina Melton Crain, Tori Lucas, and Joe McCleskey and appointed Megan Deen, Jerry House, Steve Roberts, Dave Ward, and Cathy Altman to the Trinity River Authority Board of Directors for terms set to expire on March 15, 2023. The authority oversees development and conservation of surface water resources of the Trinity River Basin.
Christina Melton Crain of Dallas is the founder and president/CEO of Unlocking DOORS. She is a member of the American Correctional Association and the Texas Corrections Association. She is a former chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and serves as the prisoner representative on The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Institutional Review Board. She is a past director of the State Bar of Texas and past president the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. She is a life member of The University of Texas College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council, board member of the Center for Missing/Exploited Children-Texas Region, and a trustee of the Dallas Bar Foundation. Crain received a Bachelor of Arts in government from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law.
Tori Lucas of Terrell is Banking Center president for American National Bank of Texas. She serves on the board of the Terrell Chamber of Commerce, Terrell Economic Development Corporation, Kaufman County A&M Club, Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation, and the Social Science Club of Terrell. Additionally, she is a member of Kiwanis International and Lake Pointe Church. Lucas received a Bachelor of Science in industrial distribution from Texas A&M University.
Joe McCleskey of Trinity County is secretary and treasurer of Angelina Excavating Inc. He is a member of the Texas Forestry Association and the Texas Wildlife Association and a former member and former president of the local Texas Association of Builders. He is a member of the Lufkin Host Lions Club, board member of the Angelina County Youth Fair, chairman of the Angelina County Buyers Group and logistics coordinator for the American Cancer Society Cattle Barron’s Gala. Additionally, he is former secretary and treasurer of the National Wild Turkey Federation Pineywoods Chapter, former party chairman of the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center, former volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and former committee member of the Hudson ISD Advisory Board for Community Involvement.
Megan Deen of Fort Worth is the chief financial officer for the Fort Worth Zoological Association. She is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Additionally, she is a sustainer of the Junior League of Fort Worth, former committee member of the Harris Methodist Breakfast with St. NICUlas, and former volunteer for the March of Dimes Fort Worth. Deen received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from Texas Christian University.
Jerry House of Leona is the owner of Leona General Store and Steakhouse and the Pecan Grove Café in Leona. He retired after 39 years of serving as a United Methodist Minister. He is a member of the Texas Restaurant Association, Southwest Cattlemen’s Association, and the Friends of Fort Boggy State Park. House received a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University, a Masters in Divinity from Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology, and a Doctor in Ministry from the McCormick Theological Seminary at the University of Chicago.
Steve Roberts of Coldspring is of-counsel and a former partner at Eversheds-Sutherland LLP. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, College of the State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, International Association of Drilling Contractors, Maritime Law Association of the United States, and the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Additionally, he is a founder and founding board member of the Archway Academy, former board member of Cornerstone Recovery, and former administrative chairman of the West University Methodist Church. Roberts received a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Corrections from Sam Houston State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Dave Ward of Madisonville is owner of Dave Ward Investments and D&J Storage. He is a member and past president of the Madisonville Sidewalk Cattleman’s Association, president of the Madison County ISD Scholarship Foundation, former president of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of the Madisonville City Council and Madison County Economic Development Council. Additionally, he is a life member of the Madison County Fair Association and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, member Madison County Go Texan Committee, and past chairman of St. Joseph Foundation, Madison St. Joseph Health Center, Madisonville Building Standards Commission, Bryan Building Standards Commission, Houston Heights Historical Association, and the Madisonville Crime Stoppers.
Cathy Altman of Midlothian is an attorney and partner at Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal. She is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association, and Ellis County Bar Association. She is chair of the Midlothian Chamber of Commerce, vice-president of the Ellis County Women in Business, board member of the North Texas Commission, and serves on the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Construction Law. Altman received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky School of Law.