Today Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced Phil Wilson is joining the Texas General Land Office's team to assist with the final push to complete the short-term housing programs. Wilson will continue in his capacity as General Manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) while lending his expertise on an interim assignment basis helping to eliminate any remaining roadblocks on the path to housing the remaining Hurricane Harvey survivors eligible for direct housing assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"Phil Wilson is an experienced leader and a great addition to the GLO team as we continue to work as quickly as possible to get Harvey victims back in their homes," said Governor Abbott. "Phil's successful track record of serving in critical roles at all levels of government gives me complete confidence that he is the right person for this job. I thank the GLO and Phil Wilson for their work in helping Texas communities recover, and I want to reassure all Texans that we will continue to use every resource at our disposal until the recovery is complete."
"I am proud to welcome Phil Wilson to the GLO's team and thankful of Governor Abbott's support of our final push of our housing recovery effort," said Commissioner Bush. "Hurricane Harvey devastated more than 41,000 square miles of Texas resulting in damage to homes in more than 40 counties. Thus far, more than 2,500 survivors have been housed in temporary units such as MHUs and trailers and the PREPS program has provided basic repairs to more than 10,000 homes through the Texas Rebuilds effort. Phil's leadership and expertise will add tremendous capacity as we work to complete the short-term housing and help local communities to finalize plans for more than $5 billion in long-term housing recovery funds."
Phil Wilson became LCRA's 11th general manager on Feb. 3, 2014. LCRA's general manager serves as the organization's chief executive officer and carries out LCRA Board policy, manages LCRA's relationships with its customers and stakeholders, appoints and directs executive staff, and oversees projects and operations that support LCRA's public service mission.
Prior to joining LCRA, Wilson served as executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), overseeing all operations of the agency. Before joining TxDOT in 2011, Wilson served as senior vice president of Public Affairs and as a corporate officer for Luminant, the largest electric generation company in Texas. In 2007, then-Gov. Rick Perry appointed Wilson to serve as the state's chief elections officer and chief international protocol officer in the position as Texas' 106th Secretary of State. Wilson also served as chair of the Governor's Competitiveness Council and on the Texas Border Security Council.
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