Last Updated on February 1, 2024
Derek Boese, JD, PMP General Manager
The San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) is closing out 2023, saying “Thank you for your service” to two of our elected board members. Hector Morales and Deb Bolner Prost have held Bexar County at-large positions on the Board of Directors for 18 and 6 years, respectively. Hector, first elected in 2005, served on the Board through transformational projects such as the Museum Reach and Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation projects. Deb Bolner Prost, elected in 2017, applied her professional acumen in communications to uplift the River Authority’s branding and public communications through her time on the Board. She also led the Board’s Utilities Task Force during a time of enormous development growth within our service area. I thank Hector and Deb for welcoming me to the River Authority and their leadership since I joined the River Authority in 2021.
Hector Morales and Deb Bolner Prost
As the River Authority turns its attention to 2024, we welcome two new board members recently elected in November. Liza Barratachea won a four-year term, and Patrice Melancon won a two-year term. Liza and Patrice bring diverse public experiences to the Board of directors. Liza has worked with local, state, regional, and federal elected officials and crafted public policy throughout her career. Patrice was employed by the River Authority as the Engineering Manager for three years in addition to serving in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Brigadier General in 2021. They were officially sworn in at our January 8 board meeting this week.
As the River Authority welcomes our new board members, we are also initiating strategic planning where we’ll chart priorities for the next 3-5 years and beyond. In the past two years, we have transitioned to a new board chairman, Mr. Jim Campbell. I have joined the River Authority as the new General Manager, and we have emerged from a global pandemic. Over this time, we have continued to deliver valuable, safe, clean, and enjoyable public projects, and now is the time to look forward to determining how we can make the San Antonio River Basin the safest, cleanest, and most enjoyable in Texas.
Derek
