Governor Abbott Appoints Three To State Independent Living Council
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Eva Storey, Jim Batchelor, and Garry Simmons, Jr. to the State Independent Living Council for terms set to expire on June 20, 2022. The council develops the State Plan for Independent Living and serves as a resource to state and local organizations on Independent Living and related issues for persons with disabilities.
Eva Storey of Houston is president and CEO of Sign Shares, Inc. and The Capsule Group, Inc. Additionally, she is a licensed detective in the State of Texas. She previously worked as a translator for Doctors Without Borders in Armenia. Storey received a Bachelor of Science in visual communications and business from The Art Institute of Houston.
Jim Batchelor of Cooper is retired from the U.S. Army. He is a member of the Texas Traumatic Brain Injury Council. Additionally, he serves with the Civil Air Patrol and as the historian for American Legion Post 483. Batchelor received a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a Master of Science in border security and national security from Angelo State University.
Garry Simmons, Jr. of San Antonio has been a volunteer with the Texas State Independent Living Council for several years, serving as an advocate for accessible transportation. He has served as a consumer advocate in transportation for the State Independent Living Council's Accessible Transportation Summit project funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. Through his involvement in the project, he has helped plan three statewide accessible transportation summits in Austin, Waco, and McAllen to provide training and advocacy opportunities for public transportation consumers, providers, and planners.