Governor Abbott Appoints Three To Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat and reappointed Tony Abad and Curtis Cleveland to the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) System Board of Regents for terms set to expire on August 31, 2027.
Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat of Harlingen has been an Account Executive for Schneider Electric, a Fortune Global 500 company, for six years. She previously worked for the Brownsville Economic Development Council for nearly six years, fulfilling various roles including Director of Business Recruitment and Director of Business Retention and Expansion. She has worked closely with secondary and post-secondary education institutions in collaborative efforts to help ensure an educated and highly skilled workforce. She currently serves as Board President of the Rio Grande Valley Linking Economic and Academic Development, Trustee of the Business Development Fund of Texas, and is a member of the Industry Advisory Committee for the Rio South Texas Economic Council. Additionally, she is the former Chairwoman of the Leadership Brownsville Board of Directors, former Board President of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Cameron & Willacy Counties, former Secretary and Co-founder of the Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos Brownsville/South Padre Chapter, and former member of United Way’s All In - Partners for Postsecondary Success Leadership Team, among other community service roles. De la Garza Putegnat received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Duke University.
Tony Abad of San Antonio is a liaison engineer for M7 Aerospace with over 30 years of experience in aircraft modification. He volunteers his time serving the needs of families through small group neighborhood groups and his church, First Baptist Church San Antonio. Abad received an Associate of Applied Science in Drafting and Design from TSTC Harlingen.
Curtis Cleveland of Waco is vice president of Central Texas Iron Works, Inc. He is the current chair of the TSTC Board of Regents and a member of the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy Executive Committee and TSTC Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of the Association for Good Government Board of Directors and Extraco Bank Advisory Board of Directors, an advisor for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the recent Sr. Warden of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Vestry. Cleveland received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University.