AUSTIN — AUSTIN - Today Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush announced the names of inaugural members of the Commissioner's Coastal Resiliency Advisory Group (CCRAG). This 15-members regional advisory group consists of representatives from local government, business and industry leaders, each serving two-year terms.

"This coalition of regional leaders is an important element of my plan to make coastal protection a priority both during the upcoming legislative session and for the long-term," Commissioner Bush said. "Texas' beaches, marshes and islands are a symbol of Texas’ rich heritage and ensuring that we build, maintain and protect our coast is one of my top priorities. With input from those who live and work in Texas’ coastal community, we will be better equipped to make decisions regarding both economic activity and wildlife preservation."

Coastal Bend Appointees:
Burt Mills, Aransas County Judge
Jeffrey Pollack, Transportation Planning Director for the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization
Aaron Horine, Senior Coastal Engineer at Coast & Harbor Engineering

South East Texas Appointees:
Jeff Branick, Jefferson County Judge
Jim Sutherlin, Texas Chenier Plain Conservation Specialist
John Durkay, General Counsel at Industrial Training Safety Council

Houston/Galveston Appointees:
Nate McDonald, Matagorda County Judge
Gary Nelson, Chambers County Commissioner
Roger Quiroga, Director of Economic Development & External Affairs for the Port of Galveston 

Lower Rio Grande Valley Appointees:
David Garza, Cameron County Commissioner
Ron Mills, Port Mansfield Director
John Wood, JWA Realty

Golden Crescent Appointees:
Roger Galvan, Calhoun County Commissioner
Joe Brannan, Executive Director of the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission
Charles R. Hausmann, Calhoun Port Director 

Three members were selected from each of the five coastal regions of the Regional Councils of Government (COGs). These regions include the following counties:

Region 15: Hardin, Jefferson and Orange
Region 16: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, Wharton
Region 17: Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Victoria
Region 20: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleburg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio
Region 21: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy

Of the three members from each region, one is an elected or government official from a county or municipality. The second is a representative from a coastal conservation or regional planning organization. The third is a representative from a regional port or member of the coastal business community. The Regional COGs made one recommendation for each of the three representatives for their respective regions as well as conduct the application process. 

Meetings of the Coastal Resiliency Advisory Group will be held quarterly at a location in a different coastal region on a rotating basis. The first meeting is scheduled for mid August in Corpus Christi to provide a general overview of coastal protection. Moving forward, the group will review and evaluate the effect of state policies and programs and make recommendations to the Commissioner on matters relating to coastal resiliency and recovery. The group will also recommend policies to the Commissioner for the use, allocation, or distribution of funds that include identification of statewide priorities and issues relating to applications for financial assistance. The group will consider issues such as evaluation criteria for providing financial assistance and recommend to the Commissioner special studies and projects to further the effectiveness of coastal resiliency and recovery.

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