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Management Team

 

David Collinsworth

General Manager/CEO

David Collinsworth

General Manager/CEO

The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors appointed David Collinsworth to the position of General Manager/CEO effective April 1, 2018. Mr. Collinsworth is the eighth general manager since its establishment by the Texas Legislature in 1929. He is a career BRA employee, with almost 25-years of service with the organization. Before his appointment to GM/CEO, Mr. Collinsworth worked in or managed nearly all aspects of the BRA, serving as regional manager for the Central and Lower Basins, business manager for the Central Basin and earlier managing water quality projects, laboratory management, and field operations.

As general manager, Mr. Collinsworth oversees more than 275 employees in multiple locations throughout the Brazos River Basin, while managing the System’s water supply, water treatment projects, and water quality initiatives under the direction of the 21-member Board of Directors.

Mr. Collinsworth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aquatic Biology and Chemistry from Southwest Texas State University. He currently serves on the Texas State University’s Advisory Council for the School of Science and Engineering and on the Texas Water Conservation Association Board of Directors. He has served on the Texas Utility Council of the American Water Works Association and the Inland Fisheries Advisory Committee of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

His wife, Tara, is a retired elementary school teacher. Mr. Collinsworth’s oldest daughter is an attorney and his youngest daughter works as an operating room nurse.

 

Aaron Abel

Water Services Manager

Aaron Abel

Water Services Manager

Aaron Abel joined the Brazos River Authority as a Senior Water Resources Planner in 2008. He was promoted to the position of Water Services Manager in April 2018.

Mr. Abel has 17 years experience in water resources, private consulting and research. Prior to joining the BRA, he worked as a hydrogeologist with two private engineering firms and as a research assistant. As Water Services Manager, he and his staff oversee the BRA’s daily water supply operations, provide water resources planning support to the organization, and project management.

Mr. Abel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s of Science in Hydrology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He lives in Waco with wife, Katy and their two daughters.

Brad Brunett

Lower/Central Basin Region Manager

Brad Brunett

Lower/Central Basin Regional Manager

Brad Brunett joined the Brazos River Authority as a Hydrologist/Planner in 1997. In his more than 20 years with the BRA, Mr. Brunett has served in several different positions including Water Services Manager, Hydrologist/Planner, Regional Business Development Manager, Hydrologist, and Senior Hydrologist. As the regional manager for the Central/Lower Basins, he manages a staff of more than 80 employees and is responsible for reservoir/dam operations, water & wastewater treatment and project development.

Mr. Brunett received a Bachelor of Science degree in Hydrology and Water Resources from Tarleton State University in 1994.

He and wife, Angie, live in Whitney and have three children – Kaley, a recent Texas A&M graduate, Cole, a senior at Tarleton State, and Brock, a Sophomore at Whitney High School.

Luke Collins

Chief Technology Officer

Luke Collins

Chief Technology Officer

Luke Collins joined the Brazos River Authority in 2020 as Cybersecurity Manager. He was promoted to his current position as Chief Technology Officer in 2022. Before joining the BRA, Luke served as a system engineer and co-founder of Katana global Technologies in Houston, training clients in cyber security awareness and security mitigation and prevention. He also served as system administrator for Data Stream Technologies. Luke received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from Baylor University.


Blake Kettler

Technical Services Manager

Blake Kettler

Technical Services Manager

Blake Kettler joined the Brazos River Authority in 2013. He has held the positions of Regional Customer Relations Business Manager for the Upper Basin and Reservoir Manager of Possum Kingdom Lake prior to being promoted to the position of Technical Services Manager in October 2019.

Mr. Kettler has 11 years experience in water resources and dam operations. Prior to joining the Brazos River Authority, he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District in the Programs and Project Management Division and the Three Rivers Region. As Technical Services Manager, he oversees capital improvement planning, project management, engineering services, construction management, and property administration for the Brazos River Authority.

Mr. Kettler received his Bachelor of Applied Arts & Science Degree in Industrial Occupations from Tarleton State University. He and his wife Amanda have one son, Hannon.

Jon King

Jon King

Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives Manager

Jon King

Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives Manager

Jon King joined the Brazos River Authority in 2016. He was hired as the Deputy Regional Superintendent for the Central and Lower Basin prior to being promoted to the position of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives Manager in April 2020.

He has 12 years’ experience in regulatory compliance and industrial operations. Before joining the Brazos River Authority, he worked for Luminant Power in Critical Infrastructure Protection. As Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives Manager, he is responsible for supporting regional and basin-wide initiatives, including strategic planning, project identification, management, and implementation.

Mr. King received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Texas at Arlington. He and with wife, Robin, live in Waco with their two sons.

Tiffany Malzahn

Environmental and Compliance Manager

Tiffany Malzahn

Environmental and Compliance Manager

Tiffany Malzahn began her association with the Brazos River Authority in 1996 as an intern while still a student at Baylor University. Following graduation, she was hired as an aquatic scientist doing field sampling through the basin. During her career with the BRA, Mrs. Malzahn has also served as a Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator, Quality Assurance Officer, Clean Rivers Program Manager, and Upper Basin Environmental Planner.

In her current position, she serves as the Environmental and Compliance Manager directing regulatory compliance, environmental programs, and wastewater laboratory staffs. Mrs. Malzahn also assists in the development and coordination of regional water supply projects.

She serves on the Senate Bill 3 Brazos Basin Expert Science Team, the Bureau of Land Management’s Regional Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan stakeholder group, and represents the BRA on numerous state environmental and regulatory advisory committees. Mrs. Malzahn collaborated with Texas Parks and Wildlife staff on a reservoir fishery project that won the American Fisheries Society’s 2014 Sport Fish Restoration Outstanding Project award.

She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Ecology and a Master of Science in Biology from Baylor University. She also received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is the author of six scholarly articles published in state and national publications.


Mike McClendon

Upper Basin Regional Manager

Mike McClendon

Upper Basin Regional Manager

Mike McClendon has managed the Upper Basin of the Brazos River Authority since August 2010, previously serving as the Customer Relations Business Manager. He is responsible for operations and maintenance of Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake and DeCordova Bend Dam at Lake Granbury; two of the three water supply reservoirs owned by the Brazos River Authority.

He is also responsible for business development and community relations efforts in the Upper Basin Region including property administration and conveyance, asset transfers and acquisitions, treatment plant operations, planning and development, and flood control projects.

Mr. McClendon holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Baylor University. He also holds an Associate’s Degree in Hazardous Materials Management from Texas State Technical College.

He and his wife, Gayla, live just outside Waco and have two children. Grayson is a student at Texas A&M and Grant is a sophomore at Midway High School.

Matt Phillips

Legislative & Governmental Affairs Manager

Matt Phillips

Legislative & Governmental Affairs Manager

Matt Phillips joined the Brazos River Authority from the office of State Senator Steve Ogden where he served as a legislative aide for five years.

Prior to joining Senator Ogden’s office Matt served as an assistant clerk for the Senate Finance Committee.

Matt also worked for two years as Director of Government Relations and Freshwater Protection at the Texas State Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit conservation organization.

He received his bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Government from The University of Texas. Matt and his wife Kari reside in Liberty Hill with their children, Sadler and Parker.

Robert Starnes

Security Manager

Robert Starnes

Security Manager

Robert W. Starnes joined the Brazos River Authority in 2019.

Robert graduated from Texas State University with an undergraduate degree in education.

Robert brings more than 30 years of law enforcement and protective security experience to the Brazos River Authority. Robert retired from the U.S. Department of State as a supervisory special agent where he specialized in international counterterrorism, counterintelligence, executive protection, and criminal investigations. Robert also worked as a state trooper for the Texas Highway Patrol.

He and his wife reside in Waco, Texas.


David Thompson

Chief Financial Officer

David Thompson

Chief Financial Officer

David Thompson joined the Brazos River Authority in August 2015 in the role of chief financial officer. Mr. Thompson returns to the Central Texas area from Northern Virginia where he worked with Ericsson/OCEUS, a telecommunications company selling to the US Federal Government.

Over his more than 19 years with Ericsson/OCEUS, Mr. Thompson worked in both the Plano, Texas and Reston, Virginia locations; positions held at the company included account CFO and vice president of Strategy, Pricing, Business Development and Business Operations. Prior to his employment with Ericsson/OCEUS, Mr. Thompson worked with Disctronics a Mitsubishi startup, and Texas Instruments.

Mr. Thompson is a certified public accountant who holds Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and finance from Texas Tech University. He brings over 38 years of financial management experience to the BRA.

Lauralee Vallon

General Counsel

Lauralee Vallon

General Counsel

Lauralee Vallon joined the Brazos River Authority from the city of Hillsboro where she served as City Attorney. Her position included a wide range of responsibilities including the administration of all civil litigation for the city. She also served as advisor to the City Council.

Prior to her employment with the city of Hillsboro, Vallon worked for Clay Dugas and Associates, the top-rated plaintiff’s firm in Beaumont/Orange and for the Orange County District and County Attorney’s office.

Mrs. Vallon received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas Christian University and her doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law. She and husband Jeff have four children.

Monica Wheelis

Human Resources Manager

Monica Wheelis

Human Resources Manager

Monica Wheelis joined the Brazos River Authority in 2004 as an HR Specialist and was promoted in 2006 to her current position as Human Resources Manager.

Monica graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Occupations. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification and more than twenty-five years of experience in Human Resources and Payroll administration.

She and husband Matt have two children and two grandchildren.