Governor Abbott Appoints Farías, Batch To Texas Department Of Housing And Community Affairs
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Anna Maria Farías and reappointed Brandon Batch to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) for terms set to expire on January 31, 2027. TDHCA is responsible for promoting and preserving homeownership, financing the development of affordable rental housing, supporting community and energy assistance programs, and other functions.
Anna Maria Farías of San Antonio is retired. Most recently, she worked as the Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a U.S. Senate-confirmed position. In addition to many other professional leadership positions with the federal government, she served as the Executive Director of the Crystal City Housing Authority in Texas from 1993 to 2000. She resided in Crystal City Housing Projects growing up and she was one of the first Executive Directors to reside in the affordable housing community during the tenure of her leadership. Farias previously served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Women’s University Board of Regents where she served as Chairman in 2017. She was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. Farías received a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Boston University and a Juris Doctor degree from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Brandon Batch of Midland is a business development manager for Ventura Management, LLC, an oil and gas company in the Permian Basin which acquires mineral and royalty interests and develops natural resources. Previously, Batch worked alongside his brother as General Manager and Partner of Austin-based restaurant Bird Bird Biscuit. He currently serves as chairman of the board for R.O.P.E. Youth, a Midland-based non-profit focused on assisting and developing at-risk youth. Batch is also a board member of the Borgen Project, a national organization working to reduce extreme global poverty. Having previously worked as a congressional staff member, Batch is a former Foreign Policy Fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. Batch received a degree in public relations from Texas Tech University.