Gov. Abbott taps local for regional water board
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently appointed Texarkana businessman Mike Sandefur to the Red River Authority Board of Directors.
Sandefur said he is looking forward to working with the authority, which provides for the control, conservation and development of the watershed and water of the Red River and its Texas tributaries.
“I appreciate Governor Abbott’s confidence in appointing me to the Board of the Red River Authority,” he said. “The Red River is an important natural resource shared among four states, and the authority covers 43 Texas counties ranging from Texarkana to the Panhandle. Formed in 1959, the authority has a staff of about 30 and has a long history of water planning, operating drinking water systems, overseeing the Clean Rivers Program and administering the Region B Water Planning Group. Good water governance is important to our corner of Texas, and the authority has a solid record and continues to provide leadership in this area. I am pleased to be a part of it.”
Sandefur is CEO of various real estate and other entities, including Loblolly Land Co., Barkman Creek Land Co. and
Barkman Bluff Farms. He is a board member of the Texarkana College Foundation and previously served as president of the Texarkana College Board of Trustees and the Sulphur River Basin Authority Board of Directors. He also served as chairman of the Financial Advisory Committee of Bowie County and the Advisory Board of the Texarkana Salvation Army.
Sandefur was appointed to the board along with William “Wade” Porter of Amarillo and Joe L. Ward of Telephone for a term to expire Aug. 11, 2023.