Governor Greg Abbott Appoints Seven To Housing And Health Services Coordination Council
Governor Abbott has appointed Diana Delaunay, Jennifer Gonzalez, Ph.D., and Derrick Neal and reappointed Kenneth Darden to the Housing and Health Services Coordination Council for terms set to expire September 1, 2021. Additionally, he appointed Donna Klaeger and reappointed Michael Goodwin and Doni Green for terms set to expire on September 1, 2025. The council works to increase state efforts to offer service-enriched housing through increased interagency coordination.
Diana Delaunay of Arroyo City is senior branch administration officer for Texas Regional Bank. She is a member of the Tip of Texas Family Outreach Board of Directors and the Rotary Club of Historic Brownsville and a volunteer financial literacy instructor for Brownsville Independent School District Adult Education. Previously, she served as president of Brownsville Crime Stoppers and director of Brownsville Chamber of Commerce. Delaunay is a graduate of Brownsville Leadership Class XIX.
Jennifer Gonzalez, Ph.D. of Dallas is the senior director of population health at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas, and serves as an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas School of Public Health. She is a member of the National Academies Forum on Global Violence Prevention and the North Central Texas Council of Governments Policy Development Committee and research sub-committee chair for the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board. She maintains an active research portfolio with the goal of improving the health of disadvantaged adults, including homeless adults and those that come into contact with the criminal justice system. Gonzalez received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology from the University of Florida. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the University of Florida.
Derrick Neal of Georgetown is Executive Director for Williamson County Cities and County Health District. He is Immediate Past President of Texas Association of City and County Health and a member of the National Association of City and County Health. Additionally, he is a member of the American Public Health Association and the National Network of Public Health Institutes. Neal received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Jackson State University and a Master of Public Administration in Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Kenneth Darden of Livingston is Senior Pastor for Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. He is founder of several ministries and non-profit organizations like Abundant Light of Livingston job training and placement. Previously, he served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity and as a board member for the NAACP. He is president of Community Uplift and a member of the Angelina Neches River Authority. Darden received a Master of Business Administration from Massey Business School, attended Union Theological Seminary, and completed Chew Theological Seminary in 1986.
Donna Klaeger of Horseshoe Bay is executive director of Community Resource Centers of Texas, Inc. She previously served as Burnet County Judge, treasurer and chair of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and chair of Capitol Area Planning Council of Governments. She was instrumental in the development of the Community Resource Centers of Texas, The Highland Lakes Legacy Fund, and the Highland Lakes Leadership Program. She is currently a member of the Austin Area Research Organization, a lifetime member of the Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Highland Lakes Service League.
Michael Goodwin of Boerne is a Multifamily Housing Consultant, with 33 years of experience in Affordable Housing Management, Ownership, and Development. He previously served as the president and director of the Southwestern Affordable Housing Management Association and as vice president of the National Affordable Housing Management Association. He serves as the director and vice president of the Cibolo Ridge Estates Home Owners Association. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy, after 20 years of service. Goodwin received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Financial Management from the United States Navy Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California.
Doni Green of Bedford is director of aging programs for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. She is a member of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Texas Coalition of Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and the Texas Senior Advocacy Coalition. Green received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Coe College and a Master of Science in Gerontology from Baylor University.