SJRA's Board Recognizes Reed Eichelberger and Announces New General Manager
|
|
Recognizing Reed Eichelberger's years of service to the San Jacinto River Authority
 | |
Reed Eichelberger
|
During his 16 years of service to the San Jacinto River Authority, Reed Eichelberger has earned the respect and admiration of water industry professionals, elected officials and co-workers. For the past six years -- arguably the most dynamic and complicated in the organization's history --Eichelberger served as SJRA's general manager. He is credited with transforming a "business as usual" water district into a driving utility force that will serve the needs of Montgomery County for the next 40 years.
Eichelberger retires on October 12, 2012. His accomplishments during his tenure as General Manager are too numerous to inventory; however, some of the highlights include:
- successful application to the TCEQ to secure additional water rights from wastewater return flows from the Woodlands and additional storage and water rights in Lake Houston and the lower river basin;
- managed recovery and repair efforts following damages to the Lake Conroe Dam caused by two major hurricanes;
- initiated the concept of a Montgomery County-wide groundwater reduction program to ensure equal access to surface water at the lowest uniform cost throughout the County;
- concluded negotiations with the City of Houston for the purchase of the City's water in Lake Conroe for use in Montgomery County;
- established the GRP Division of the Authority and oversaw the negotiation and execution of some 85 long-term GRP contracts; and
- directed the preliminary design phase of the new surface water treatment and delivery program.
Eichelberger leaves an enduring legacy of consistent professionalism, solid expertise, a sense of fairness, and visionary leadership. The SJRA Board of Directors congratulates him on his distinguished service.
 | |
Recognizing Reed Eichelberger's years of service to the San Jacinto River Authority at the Board of Directors meeting October 11, 2012. (Pictured: Reed Eichelberger, left, and Board President Lloyd Tisdale, right.)
|
|
 | |
Jace Houston
|
SJRA's Board Announces New General Manager
The San Jacinto River Authority's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Jace Houston as the Authority's new General Manager. Houston has served as Deputy General Manager since 2007, and his leadership capabilities, integrity, and comprehension of complex water issues have earned the respect of local, regional, and state water industry representatives. In addition to his hands-on participation in critical strategic SJRA planning efforts as Deputy General Manager, he brings strong public communication skills and a solid technical and legal background to the assignment, reinforced by his experience collaborating with key public and private sector leaders and stakeholders to identify and secure sustainable water supplies for the region.
During the 15 years he has been involved with Texas water issues, Houston has built solid relationships with industry leaders and policy makers, including legislators and legislative staff, river authority and groundwater management district executives and personnel, state agency administrators, as well as water industry consultants and professionals. Prior to joining SJRA, he served as General Counsel for the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District. Houston also served as legal counsel and policy analyst for the Waste Policy and Regulations Division at the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now TCEQ) and worked at the Texas Capitol for State Representative Robert Saunders. He has held positions of increasing responsibility with the Region H Water Planning Group, the Trinity-San Jacinto Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder committee, and the Texas Water Conservation Association.
Houston earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering, magna cum laude, from The University of Texas at Austin, and he received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, having concentrated in Environmental Law.
|
|
|
Contact:
|
Michelle Simpson, San Jacinto River Authority
1577 Dam Site Rd, Conroe, TX 77305 | 936-588-3111
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
