Governor Greg Abbott has appointed James Abell, Jeff Hildebrand, and Bobby Patton to the Parks and Wildlife Commission for terms set to expire on February 1, 2025. Additionally, the Governor reappointed Anna Benavides Galo for a term set to expire on February 1, 2021, and named Reed Morian chair of the commission.
James Abell of Tyler is president, CEO, and co-owner of Maverick Well Service, LLC and vice president of business development and co-owner of Artesia EcoScience, LLC. He is a former board member of the East Texas Oil Museum and former board president of the Meadowbrook Country Club. Abell received a Bachelor of Science in agricultural development from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration in energy management from the University of Oklahoma.
Jeff Hildebrand of Houston is the executive chairman and founder of Hilcorp Energy Company. He is a member of All American Wildcatters, National Petroleum Council, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Houston Geological Society, and the Texas Independent Petroleum Royalty Owners Association. He is a director of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Central Houston Civil Improvement, and the Central Houston, Inc. Additionally, he is a member of the Houston Police Foundation Board of Directors and The University of Texas at Austin Engineering Advisory Council, a trustee of the Texas Foundation for Conservation, and a former gubernatorial appointee on the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Hildebrand received a Bachelor of Science in geology and a Master of Science in petroleum engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
Bobby Patton of Fort Worth is president of Texas Capitalization Resource Group, Inc. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, The University of Texas (UT) Development Board, UT Marine Science Institute, and the UT Liberal Arts Advisory Council. Additionally, he is a director of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and former chairman of the PGA Tournament Committee for Charles Schwab. Patton received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin, a Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s Law School, and a Master of Laws from the Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Anna Benavides Galo of Laredo is vice president of ANB Cattle Co. and is a co-trustee of her family’s mineral trust. She is the past president of the board of directors of the South Texas Food Bank and United Day School, and she continues to serve on both boards. She is a former board member of the Laredo Center for the Arts, Border Cultural Promotion Foundation, Webb County Children’s Advocacy Center, and the City of Laredo Historic Preservation Committee. Additionally, she is a founding member and first treasurer of the Laredo Community College Education Foundation, and she was a board member and local chair of AVANCE. Galo received a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s University. A descendant of Laredo’s founder, Don Tomás Sánchez, she is married to Webb County Commissioner John Galo. Their son, John Roman, is a freshman at the Garcia Early College High School in Laredo.
Reed Morian of Houston is president and CEO of DX Service Company and DX Holding Company. He sits on the board of directors for Great Northern Properties, GP Natural Resource Partners, Natural Resource Partners, and Western Pocahontas Properties. He is a member of the board of trustees for the Texas Heart Institute, Free Enterprise Education Center, and the Bayou Preservation Association. Additionally, he is a director of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and former chairman of the Houston Parks Board and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Morian received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma.