Governor Abbott has reappointed Lonnie Grissom, Jr., Ivy Pate, and Jeanie Turk to the Lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA) Board of Directors for terms set to expire on July 28, 2027. The LNVA has a duty to conserve, control and utilize the waters of the Neches River and its tributaries including storm and floodwaters. It also authorizes the storing, controlling, conservation and distribution of storm and floodwaters of the Neches River and its tributaries, within and/ or without such district, for irrigation, domestic, industrial and municipal uses, and for hydroelectric power. The Authority may also sponsor and participate in an economic development program within the areas served by the Authority intended to strengthen the economic base and further the economic development of the state.
Lonnie Grissom, Jr. of Woodville is the owner and president of Golden Pine, Inc. He is a former board member for the Texas Forestry Association and former president of the Woodville Rotary Club. Grissom formally served on the Woodville Independent School District School Board. He joined the United States Army after graduation from Kirby High School and received an honorable discharge after 4 years of service.
Ivy Pate of Beaumont was a regional vice president of Christus Southeast Texas Health System until she retired last year. She is a former member of the American Hospital Association, Texas Hospital Association, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, and the Planned Giving Council of Houston. Additionally, she is a former member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont and the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, and is the 2015 Athena Leadership Award Recipient for Excellence in Leadership. Pate received a Bachelor of Arts from Lamar University.
Jeanie Turk of Sour Lake is the owner and broker of two REMAX offices. She is a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, and the Graduate Realtor Institute. Additionally, she is a graduate of Leadership Southeast Texas and current chair of the Hardin County W.C.I.D #1 Flood and Drainage Committee. Turk attended Louisiana State University and Lamar University.
