Governor Abbott Appoints Five To Texas Department Of Housing And Community Affairs

May 3, 2017 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Paul Braden and Leo Vasquez to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) for terms set to expire on January 31, 2023. He also reappointed J.B. Goodwin and appointed Sharon Thomason for terms set to expire January 31, 2021 and appointed Asusena Reséndiz for a term set to expire January 31, 2019. TDHCA is responsible for promoting and preserving homeownership, financing the development of affordable rental housing, supporting community and energy assistance programs.

Paul Braden of Dallas is a partner and head of public finance for the United States at Norton Rose Fulbright. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar Foundation and the National Association of Bond Lawyers. He is a former gubernatorial appointee and chairman for the State Pension Review Board. Additionally, he is a volunteer at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, past board member of El Paso United Way and Prevent Blindness Texas – El Paso Chapter and a former grant panel volunteer for Dallas United Way. Braden received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dallas and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law.

Leo Vasquez of Houston is executive vice president of Cadeco Industries and related companies. He is a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and former gubernatorial appointee and chairman of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation. He is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Texas Advisory Board (USGLC) and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).  Additionally, he is a former board member of Houston’s Greater East End Management District, the Harris County Appraisal District, Harris County Health Facilities Development Corporation and served as the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar. Vasquez received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

J.B. Goodwin of Austin is CEO of JBGoodwin Realtors. He is a member of the National, Texas and Austin associations of Realtors, a certified relocation professional through the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council and past president of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. He is also past co-chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council and a past board member of the Austin Symphony and Brackenridge Hospital Foundation. Goodwin received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Sharon Thomason of Wolfforth is president of Lubbock Land Company. She is a member of the Lubbock Lemonade Day Board of Directors and former member of the Board of Directors for the West Texas Home Builders Association (WTHBA) and former chair of the WTHBA Developer’s Council.  Additionally, she is former treasurer of the Society of Human Resource Management – Lubbock Chapter, former treasurer of the Murfee Elementary Parent Teacher Association and former volunteer for Texas Children’s Hospital. Thomason received a Bachelor of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University.

Asusena Reséndiz of San Antonio is the director of economic development for Brooks City Base. She is a member of the Americas Competitiveness Exchange, the U.S. Global Coalition Texas Advisory Committee. San Antonio Manufacturers Association, the San Antonio Real Estate Council and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Additionally, she is a former trustee of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, former co-chair for the Fort Worth Sister Cities with Toluca, Mexico Exchange Program, and former chair of the Spotlight Mexico Economic Development Task Force. Reséndiz received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.