Your Board Members

Mary Dennis

Chair | Mayor of Live Oak, Texas

Prior to Mayor Dennis’ election as the first African-American Mayor in Live Oak, she served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for several years and pursued two bids for a council seat. Ms. Dennis has served as Mayor for the City of Live Oak since 2010 and was re-elected as Mayor during the 2018 General Election. As Mayor, Mary desires to bring the city closer together across varied backgrounds and dedicates much of her time to participating in activities throughout the City and the Region. Mary believes government is about serving people by making City government more efficient and accessible.

Mary’s civic activities include serving on the Board of Directors for the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation, active participation in the Northeast Partnership, Honorary Commander Randolph Air Force Base, Randolph Metro Chamber, Bowden Charter of Business/Professional Women, National Council of Negro Women - Ruth Jones McClendon Chapter, Commissioner on the Mayor’s Commission for the Status of Women and San Antonio Commission on Literacy, City Public Service Citizen Advisory Committee (CPS), San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) Citizen Advisory Committee, Chairwoman of the Bexar County Suburban Cities Committee, alternate member for Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Treasurer of the Greater Bexar County Council of Cities, TML Board of Directors of the Finance Nominating Committee, Executive Board Director for the Texas Association of Black City Council Members (TABCCM), past Vice President of the Northeast Partnership, member of the Judson ISD Bond Committee, Chair of the Judson ISD Facilities Committee, member of the San Antonio International Council of Visitors and E-Rotary Club, Committee member of the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Committee member of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool and 2016/2017 President for the Texas Municipal League (TML). Mayor Dennis is looking forward to continuing to serve TML, all Regions and Live Oak community.

Mary is a Sam Houston High School graduate, attended Our Lady of the Lake University, and is a licensed mortician for Lewis Funeral Home. She has one daughter, Christina Bright, and three grandchildren: Cierra, Chase, and Christine. Mary epitomizes the power of persistence as well as the incomparable power of an abiding faith in God.

Bert Lumbreras

Vice Chair | Appointed Citizen Member

Bert Lumbreras retired on January 31, 2022, as the City Manager for the City of San Marcos, Texas. He has 40 years of experience as a City Manager or an Assistant City Manager. Bert began his career as City Manager in the City of Dilley. Following this, he was City Manager of Floresville, Alamo, and Uvalde, Texas. In 1997, Bert went on to become an Assistant City Manager in Waco, where he served for almost 10 years. In August 2006, he became an Assistant City Manager for the City of Austin and began his position as City Manager of San Marcos in August 2017.

Bert has been very active within various professional organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool and is active in the International City/County Management Association, where he served as the ICMA Mountain Plains Vice President and the Texas City Management Association, where he served on the Board of Directors from 2010-2014 and was President 2012-2013. Bert has also participated on numerous ICMA and TCMA committees throughout his career in city government. He is a member of the Local Government Hispanic Network, Texas Municipal League and numerous community and civic organizations.

Bert received a bachelor’s degree in political science, with a concentration in public administration, and a minor in geography and urban planning from Southwest Texas State University.

Bert is married to his wife over 40 years, Elvia, a former Elementary teacher and lifelong educator. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Victor A. Flores

City Attorney of Mission, Texas

Prior to leading the Mission City Attorney’s Office, Flores was City Attorney for the City of Brownsville, Texas, and assistant city attorney for the cities of Plano, Denton and McAllen, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and a Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Prior to practicing law, Victor Flores served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps and is an Iraq War Veteran.

Mr. Flores has dedicated his legal career to representing Texas municipal entities and continues his efforts in learning how to better serve local government. Currently, he is pursuing an Executive LLM in Litigation Management from Baylor Law School.

Over his career, he has been recognized for his commitment to the practice of municipal law and received various international and state accolades, including the State Bar of Texas – Government Law Council – Rising Advocate in Government Law Award; International Municipal Lawyers Association - Daniel J. Curtin Public Lawyer of the Year Award, and Texas City Attorney Association - Susan Rocha Award.

In addition, he has served on several professional and civic boards, including the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors, Texas City Attorneys Association Board of Directors, Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees, State Bar of Texas – Government Law Council, and Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors.

Mr. Flores is rarely far from his wife, Kristal, and their two young boys. Together they enjoy public service and appreciate the opportunity to serve on the TMLIRP Board of Trustees.

J.W. (Buzz) Fullen

Mayor of Henderson, Texas

At the October 2010 Board meeting, the Trustees appointed Mayor John W. (Buzz) Fullen from Henderson to the Board to fill Place 2. After serving four terms as Mayor, he was appointed to the Henderson Housing Authority. He is currently a Board member on the Northeast Texas Air Care Board, and previously represented Region 15 on the Texas Municipal League Board of Directors. Mr. Fullen is a retired businessman.

Jeffrey Snyder

City Manager of Plainview, Texas

Jeffrey Snyder is the City Manager of Plainview, Texas. In July 2018, the Board of Trustees appointed Mr. Snyder to serve as the Trustee of Place 3. He is an active member of the Texas City Management and International City Management Association (ICMA), serving as the President of the Panhandle City Management Association and is a credentialed manager through ICMA.

Austin Bleess

City Manager of Jersey Village, Texas

Austin Bleess is proud to be the City Manager of Jersey Village. He was appointed as City Manager in March 2017. In his role he oversees all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the City, provides leadership and management to the approximately 150 employees, and administers a total operating budget of approximately $23 million.

Before coming to Jersey Village, Mr. Bleess served four and a half years as City Manager in Caribou, Maine and nearly three years as City Administrator in Winnebago, MN. He brings proven abilities in comprehensive planning, budgeting, personnel management, project management, economic development, and grant writing.

Mr. Bleess holds a Masters of Public Administration Degree from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Credentialed Manager through the International City Management Association (ICMA) since January 2017. He is certified as a Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator by Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI).

Mr. Bleess is an active member of ICMA and the Texas City Manager Association. He is currently Chair of the City Managers of Tomorrow Committee. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Cypress-Fairbanks and the Rotary Club of Caribou. He and his family are active in their local church and several other community groups.

Kim Meismer

Assistant City Manager of Kerrville, Texas

Kimberly currently serves the City of Kerrville as Assistant City Manager. She has been serving the citizens of Kerrville in various roles since 2007. She has over 25 years of public sector service, which includes serving the cities of Kerrville and La Porte.

Kimberly earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University.

Kimberly is a member of the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) and serves on the Ethics Committee as the Region 8 Representative. She is also serving a second year as the Chair of the Ethics and Integrity Award subcommittee.

She and her husband, Bruce, have three grown children and eight grandchildren with whom they love spending quality time.

Chris Coffman

City Manager of Granbury, Texas

After fifteen years of creating and owning a small business, Chris began his public service career in 1998. Chris Coffman has served as city manager in the Texas communities of Granbury, Sealy, Borger, the Village of Timbercreek Canyon and Panhandle. He also served as the Director of Local Government Services for the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission for four years and served as interim city manager for the cities of Fritch and Stratford. At his time of public service at the Council of Government, Coffman provided leadership in services provided to the Panhandle’s 26 counties and 62 cities.  His public management career has spanned 24 years and included experience with: comprehensive and strategic planning, implementation of a variety of capital improvements programs, utility management, economic development, airport management, and administrative leadership in regional collaboration on State of Texas programming in a variety of service areas including Region A Water Group and the Panhandle Regional Transportation Advisory Group that created the Panhandle’s first regional transportation plan.

Coffman is a 1997 Cum Laude graduate of West Texas A&M University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration. He also earned a Certified Public Manager designation through Texas Tech University, is a graduate of the Texas Municipal League’s Public Executive Institute, and is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course for Effective Public Speaking and Human Relations.  Serving as President of the Texas City Management Association has been one of his greatest highlights of public service.  He is a six-time Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and has served as president of the Panhandle, Sealy and Granbury Rotary Clubs.

Chris is married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, and they have two grown children and three grandsons from ages 3 to 6. In his free time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, water sports, and fishing.

Opal Mauldin-Jones

City Manager of Lancaster, Texas

Opal Mauldin-Jones is the first African American woman to be appointed to the role of City Manager for the City of Lancaster, Texas. As the only female ever named City Manager in the City of Lancaster, she is currently the longest-serving City Manager since the establishment of the Council/Manager form of government. Opal has been serving the residents of Lancaster in various roles since 2003. Prior to being named City Manager, she served the City of Lancaster as Community Relations Coordinator, Assistant to the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and Interim City Manager.

Opal is a lifelong learner, continuously committing herself to the advancement of education not only for the profession but for her community. Opal is an ICMA Credentialed Manager, a graduate of the Texas Certified Public Manager Program, and a 2014 graduate of Leadership North Texas. She has completed numerous certification and training programs including, in March 2021, becoming a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Teacher, Trainer, and Speaker. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters in Theology towards a Ph.D. in Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Opal currently serves on the TCMA Board of Directors as Director-at-Large and as Vice President-Elect, ICMA RC (becoming MissionSquare Retirement) Board of Directors, Best Southwest Partnership Board of Directors, and the North Texas Commission Board of Directors. Opal has received various awards and recognition throughout her career. In 2020, Opal was the only American to receive the Woman of Influence in Local Government award through the Municipal World magazine; a distinguished honor that recognizes the top influential women in local government. Opal is also an active member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Harlan Jefferson

Appointed Citizen Member

Harlan has over 30 years of experience in municipal government. In July 2022, Harlan ended his nearly 10-year tenure with the Town of Prosper and pivoted to consulting and other endeavors. He began his employment as the Town Manager for the Town of Prosper in January 2013, and previously served 15 years in the Town of Flower Mound as Town Manager, Deputy Town Manager/Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance. Prior to his service in Flower Mound, Harlan was Director of Fiscal Operations in the City of Denton where he also held the positions of Treasurer, Director of Treasury Operations and Risk Manager. He served as Assistant to the City Manager in Jackson, Michigan, briefly interrupting his service in Denton.

While employed with the Town of Prosper, he was an integral participant in bringing coveted grocery stores to Prosper longed for by residents and Council alike, for many years, in addition to Cook Children’s Hospital, Children’s Health Hospital and Texas Health Prosper, a part of the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, Super Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods. This only scratches the surface of the development that occurred after the Prosper Town Council selected Harlan as Town Manager. Under Harlan’s guidance, a new Fire Station was built in 2016, a new Town Hall/Multi-Purpose facility was constructed in 2018, a new Police Station was constructed in 2020, a third Fire Station is under construction and a fourth Fire Station is under design.

During his tenure in Flower Mound, he oversaw the development of a 158-acre mixed-use development that contained a hospital and medical office buildings. The development paved the way for a thriving medical presence in the area. He was instrumental in the development of several quality-of-life initiatives including parks and trails systems, a community activity center, athletic fields and other outdoor amenities.

On the transportation front, he helped secure more than $120 million from the Regional Transportation Council for roadway improvements in Flower Mound and had a role in over a half billion dollars of infrastructure improvements in Prosper. He shepherded a successful dedicated sales tax election for the establishment of a Crime Control District, a Fire Prevention District, street maintenance and park improvements. He helped create similar special Crime Control and Fire Prevention Districts in Prosper.

Harlan is the cofounder of a consulting firm that specializes in local government infrastructure and financial planning. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member in the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of North Texas.

Harlan earned Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of North Texas.

Randy Criswell

City Manager of Wolfforth, Texas

Randy Criswell is a Texas native, born and raised in Dumas.  Upon graduation from high school, he moved to Lubbock where he eventually graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Engineering Technology.  His career has spanned a period of over 35 years, with most of that spent in the public sector.  His service to the public has included a 23-year career with the City of Canyon (11 as City Manager) and 2 ½ years as City Manager of Mineral Wells.  He now serves as City Manager of Wolfforth.  

Mr. Criswell is a Certified Public Manager and is a member of the Texas City Management Association where he has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors, and as President of Region 1.  He has also served as the TCMA representative to the TML Board and has held a position on the TMLIRP Board of Trustees since 2014.    

He is married to the love of his life Janie, and together they have four grown children scattered from Texas to Washington state.  He is a Harley Davidson enthusiast, enjoys golf, the sun, travel and spending as much time as he can with Janie. 

“Serving on the TMLIRP Board of Trustees is an honor and a privilege, and the work of the Pool is something I take great pride in.  Texas is a unique and special state, and the TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool is the standard by which all Pools are measured.”

Allison Heyward

Place 6 Councilmember of Schertz, Texas

Councilmember Allison Heyward has served on City Council since 2018. She and her family have lived in Schertz since 2011.

Heyward earned a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Texas Southern University in 1990. Following college graduation, Allison worked as a substitute teacher in Houston ISD before joining the Contract Department of Phillips 66 Petroleum in Houston. After the birth of her children, her primary focus was on raising them and being available during her husband Ferrando's many deployments. Allison was a leader in both the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, in which her kids were actively involved. She also served as the Cub Scout Pack Committee Chair and received Cubscouter of the Year in 2005. She was the team mom for all the sports organizations her children were involved with, and she was also the Navy VAW 112 Spouse's Association Vice President.

Following the family's return from overseas, she served as the Logistics and Purchasing Coordinator for Bison Signs from 2008-2016, and from 2016-2018 she worked as a substitute teacher in Marion ISD before feeling the desire to serve on Schertz City Council. She is a 2020 graduate of the Chamber Leadership Core Program. She is a Certified Municipal Officer (CMO) as well as a member of the TMRS Advisory Board on Benefit Design.

Allison was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and spent weekends on the family farm in Raywood, Texas. After her husband retired from the US Navy, Allison decided the blend of city life and a small-town friendly atmosphere made Schertz the ideal place for the family to settle. Allison and her husband of 29 years are the proud parents of two children, Arianna, Jonathan, and son-in-law Tyler. She enjoys crafting, gardening, woodworking, and reading as well as spending time with her family.

Byron Black

Johnson County CAD

Mr. Black has more than 25 years in public service. He has served his community as Mayor of Burleson, a member of the Burleson City Council and a member of the Burleson School Board. Mr. Black served as president of Texas Association of School Boards. Mr. Black has participated in many civic activities in Johnson, Tarrant, and Somervell counties.

Mr. Black was recognized in 1996 as 'Burleson Citizen of the Year'. He is interested in cooperative efforts at all government levels.

Mr. Black currently serves as chairman of Johnson County Central Appraisal District and as a board member of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool. Additionally, Mr. Black is also serving on the Impact Fee Committee for the City of Burleson and the Burleson City of Character Council. In the past, Mr. Black has served the Area Metropolitan Ambulance Authority (MedStar), First Financial Bank Board, Victim Relief Ministries of Johnson and Somervell Counties, and the Chisholm Trail 100 Club Board.

Mike Land

City Manager of Coppell, Texas

Mike began serving as the City Manager for Coppell, Texas in April of 2017 after serving as Deputy City Manager since 2012. Prior to working with the City of Coppell, Mike served as the Town Manager for the Town of Prosper, Texas. He was previously the City Manager for the City of Gainesville, Texas, Executive Director of the Southwestern Diabetic Foundation and the Community Development Director of the City of Gainesville, Texas.

Mike worked in Sarasota and Orlando, Florida, as a Project Manager for a land planning firm and in Tavares, Florida, as the City's Planning and Zoning Director. While in Sarasota, Mike served as Chairman of Sarasota County's Affordable Housing Task Force. Mike has also served as Chairman of the Northern Collin County Leadership Program Executive Committee and has served on the Certified Public Manager Advisory Committee member for the CPM program offered through Texas State University. He was recognized as one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century by the Collin County Business Press and is a graduate of the North Texas Commission’s Leadership North Texas program.

Mike received a Bachelor of Environmental Design and Master of Science in Land Development from Texas A&M University. He is a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association, a Certified Public Manager through the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University, a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute through the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and earned his Project Management Certificate from Duke University.

Mike's professional activities have included serving on International City/County Management (ICMA) Small Cities Advisory Committee, ICMA’s Advisory Board on Graduate Education, Texas A&M University's Development Industry Advisory Council, Campaign Chairman and President for the Cooke County United Way, School Board Trustee for the Gainesville Independent School District, Past President of the Texas City Management Association and served on the International City and County Manager Board of Directors as Vice President for the Mountain Plains Region. Mike currently serves on the Texas Women’s Leadership Institute Advisory Board and the UTA MPA Advisory Board and the C5 Texas Youth Foundation Board of Directors.

Mike and his wife Lisa live in Coppell. They have three daughters and four grandchildren

Rickey Childers

Appointed Citizen Member

Rickey Childers retired after 35 years in local government service in 2012. Mr. Childers served as the City Manager of Lancaster for four years and Longview for seven years. Mr. Childers also served as Assistant City Manager in the cities of Abilene and Carrollton, and Deputy City Manager in Arlington.

Mr. Childers is an active member in both the International City/County Management Association and Texas City Management Association. He previously served as TCMA President in 2005 and as a Director at Large, and was a member of the Executive Board of the International City/County Management Association. Mr. Childers currently serves on the International City/County Management Retirement Corporation (ICMARC) Vantage Trust Board of Directors, a position he has held since 2004.

Bennett Sandlin

Executive Director of the Texas Municipal League

In October of 2010, Bennett Sandlin became Executive Director of the Texas Municipal League. Prior to that, he was the League's General Counsel. As the General Counsel, he helped Texas cities with economic development, budgeting, finance and tax issues, including the Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax and the Economic Development Sales Tax. Mr. Sandlin authored the Revenue Manual for Texas Cities and was an instructor in public funds investment training. Mr. Sandlin is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has previously worked at the Municipal Affairs Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office.

Place 12

Vacant

Michael Smith

City Manager of Jacksboro, Texas

Michael Smith is currently the City Manager of Jacksboro, Texas. Mr. Smith joined the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Board of Trustees as the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool Representative Ex-Officio in July of 2014.

Jeff Thompson

Executive Director, Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool

Jeff Thompson was appointed as Executive Director of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool) effective in October, 2016 after serving as the Pool's Deputy Director since 2012. He also served as Assistant Director of Risk Management Services for the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC), Director of the National League of Cities Risk and Information Sharing Consortium (NLC-RISC) and as a Vice President of the National League of Cities Mutual Insurance Company. Mr. Thompson has a BS in Finance and Risk Management/Insurance from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, as well as a Masters Degree in Public Administration from USC. Mr. Thompson also served as an adjunct professor of insurance and risk management with the Moore School of Business at USC for seven years prior to coming to Texas, and is a frequent speaker on risk pooling and risk management for public entities. Currently, Mr. Thompson serves as the Chair of the Political Subdivision Workers' Compensation Alliance, and sits on the Board of the NLC Mutual Reinsurance Company.