Governor Abbott Appoints Three To Coastal Water Authority Board Of Directors

Governor Abbott appointed Antonio Santana and Hannah Kaplan to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors for terms set to expire on April 1, 2027. Additionally, the Governor reappointed Mark Sjolander to the board for a term set to expire on April 1, 2026. The Authority is a conservation and reclamation district located within Harris, Chambers, and Liberty Counties, and has the power to transport and deliver water inside and outside the authority, to acquire and construct all necessary properties and facilities necessary for such purposes.

Antonio Santana of Mont Belvieu is the senior director in information technology at Xylem Inc. Santana received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix and an Executive Master of Business Administration in Strategic Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Hannah Kaplan of Houston founded Texas Sustainable Oysters in 2020 as one of the first oyster mariculture farms in Texas. She is the former chairperson for the Oyster Section of the Texas Aquaculture Association and a member of the Gulf Shellfish Farmers Association and Oyster South. Kaplan received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Rollins College.

Jon “Mark” Sjolander of Dayton is the owner and president of Sjolander Resources and Development LLC. He is the Chairman of the Liberty County Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, a director of the Liberty County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and member of the Trinity Valley CCA Board of Directors. Sjolander received a Bachelor of Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University.

These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.