Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been busy. In a sweeping round of appointments and reappointments spanning more than a dozen boards, commissions, and agencies, Abbott has reshaped — or reinforced — the leadership structures overseeing everything from oyster farming to public education funding.
The moves, which touch nearly every corner of state government, signal Abbott’s continued effort to install trusted figures across the bureaucratic landscape ahead of a new governing cycle. Some of the picks are fresh faces. Many are familiar ones getting another turn. All of them carry real policy weight.
Law, Land, and Livestock
Start with the basics. Abbott named David Broom as District Attorney of the 2nd Judicial District in Cherokee County, with a term running through December 31, 2026. It’s a targeted appointment — one county, one office — but it’s the kind of on-the-ground legal leadership that shapes how justice actually gets delivered outside the major metros.
On the agricultural side, Abbott moved to shore up oversight of the state’s livestock health infrastructure by appointing Ben Scholz and reappointing Jimmie Ruth Evans, Barret J. Klein, Joe Leathers, and Thomas Oates to the Texas Animal Health Commission — all for terms expiring September 6, 2031. That’s a long runway, and a clear sign of confidence in the existing team’s direction.
Meanwhile, Nelda Luce Blair was reappointed to the Public Safety Commission for a term expiring January 1, 2032. Quiet appointment, significant portfolio.
Water, Wildlife, and the Coast
Not every board makes headlines — but the Angelina and Neches River Authority does essential work that millions of Texans depend on without ever knowing it. Abbott reappointed Jody Anderson, Kimberly McRae Childs, and Thomas Murphy to its Board of Directors for terms expiring September 5, 2029, with Anderson stepping up as president. As the board’s own mandate makes clear, it “constructs, maintains, and operates in the valleys of the Neches River and its tributaries” — according to the official announcement.
Over on the coast, Eric Davis was reappointed to the Commercial Oyster Mariculture Advisory Board for a term expiring February 1, 2031. Bradley Lomax was named chair for a second term — a continuity play in an industry that’s been navigating both environmental pressures and growing commercial demand along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Education, From Cradle to Career
Some of the most consequential appointments in this batch are the ones tied to education — and there are several. Abbott reappointed Gilbert Burciaga, Marcella Burke, Brad Curlee, and David Eyler to the School Land Board, which manages the acquisition, sale, and mineral leasing of lands tied to the Permanent School Fund. That fund, the announcement notes, “contributes billions of dollars each year to public education in Texas.” Billions. Their terms run through August 29, 2027.
On the early childhood end of the spectrum, Abbott made a flurry of moves on the Early Childhood Intervention Advisory Committee. He reappointed Rachel Bowden, Cynthia Lee, and Allison Wilson, and added Rebeca Ciesielski, Susana Perez, and Jennifer Villarreal — all for terms through February 1, 2031. Mandy Young and Alan Schoolcraft also joined, with terms expiring February 1, 2029. The committee advises the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on policies shaping the statewide ECI system, which serves children with developmental delays and disabilities from birth through age three.
Then there’s higher education. Abbott appointed Frank Denton and reappointed Kathy Powell Stewart and Ron Widup to the Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents through August 31, 2031. And for the Texas State University System Board of Regents, he appointed John Weisman and reappointed Charlie Amato and Bill Scott for terms expiring February 1, 2031.
Jobs, History, and the Texas Brand
Two appointments stand out for their ideological texture. The first: Abbott tapped Brent Taylor and Megan Mauro as co-chairs of the Texas Jobs Council, alongside ten additional members including Tony Bennett and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. It’s a high-profile economic advisory body, and the co-chair structure suggests Abbott wants broad input — or at least the appearance of it.
The second is the Texas 1836 Project Advisory Committee, where Abbott reappointed Don Frazier — who continues as chair — and Greg Sindelar, and brought in Ernesto Rodriguez III as a new member, all through September 1, 2027. The committee was established, per its own mandate, “to promote patriotic education and increase awareness of the Texas values that continue to stimulate boundless prosperity across this state.” Whether one reads that as civic celebration or political messaging probably depends on which side of the aisle you’re sitting on.
Taken together, the appointments reflect a governor who’s playing a long game — locking in aligned leadership across agencies whose decisions will ripple through Texas long after the next election cycle. The names change occasionally. The direction, it seems, stays the course.
