Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Gov. Rick Perry today announced Carlos Rubinstein, Bech Bruun and Mary Ann Williamson will serve as the new full-time, three member board of the Texas Water Development Board pursuant to House Bill 4 of the 83rd Legislative Regular Session, effective Sept. 1, 2013. Rubinstein will serve as chair of the board. The new board will provide leadership, planning, and financial and technical assistance for the responsible development of water for Texas.
Rubinstein is a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), a position he has held since his appointment in August 2009. He is a member of the Texas Environmental Flows Advisory Group and is the Texas representative to the Western States Water Council, the Border Governors Conference Sustainable Development worktable, the Environmental Council of the States, the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, an independent federal advisory committee that assists the president and Congress on environmental infrastructure needs along the U.S. border with Mexico, and the Governmental Advisory Committee, which advises the EPA Administrator on environmental concerns regarding NAFTA, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Prior to his appointment, Rubinstein served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and as Rio Grande Watermaster.
He is also the past Texas representative to the Border Governors Conference Water worktable and a former city manager for the City of Brownsville. Rubinstein received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Pan American University. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2017, and will serve as chair of the board for a term to expire at the pleasure of the governor.
Bruun is currently serving as Director of Governmental Appointments for the Office of the Governor, and previously served as the government and customer relations manager for the Brazos River Authority. A native of Corpus Christi, he also served as chief of staff to State Representative Todd Hunter (District 32). Bruun is former general counsel to the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, past executive director of Texas Victory 2008, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Knights of the Austin Symphony, and the Onion Creek Club Board of Governors. He received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2015.
Williamson is owner of MKS Natural Gas Company. She is a board member and current chair of the Texas Lottery Commission, a board member of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, and a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. She is also a member of the Austin Colony Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and past president of the Weatherford Independent School District Community Education Advisory Council. Williamson received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University. Her term will expire Feb. 1, 2019.
