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BRA board members share insight


Hand selected by the governor, the 21-member Brazos River Authority Board of Directors volunteer their time perfecting policies, programs and direction to guide develop, manage, and protect the water resources of the basin.

In these mini-profiles of the BRA board members, we hear from them on a few topics such as what makes water important and what fascinates them about the Brazos basin. In our second edition of Getting to Know You, we also find insight to their heroes and the jobs that launched their life into employment.


Bennis

Peter Bennis

Fort Worth

Why have you chosen to dedicate your talents to the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors?
I consider it a privilege to serve along with the others as a Board group in the oversight and leadership of an important water resource organization for the State of Texas.

What was your first job?
I sold Michelin tires, pumped gas, and changed oil at a small fuel and refinery jobber in Graham, TX for a fine man named Sherrell Smith.

What do you think most people don’t know about the Brazos River?
How complex and vast it is. It’s the largest geographic basin in the state.

Who is your hero?
My Mom, who raised four kids, mostly as a single mom.

Why is water important?
Besides the obvious, in Texas we have seen exceptional population growth, yet our water sources are limited. We have no easy water left and the costs are rising.

What fascinates you about the Brazos basin?
Besides its beauty and importance to the state, just how large it is and how much water flows through it.

Do you volunteer or participate in other organizations?
Not currently! Recent past: Independent Banker’s Association of Texas, Director, 2012-2018

What is your favorite quote?
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” - Proverbs 27:17
“At the end, it’s not the years of life that matter but the life in your years!” - Abe Lincoln


Zaccagnino

Salvatore A. Zaccagnino

Caldwell

Why have you chosen to dedicate your talents to the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors?
I didn't specifically request to be appointed to the BRA Board. I filled out a wide-ranging application to the Appointments Office expressing that I would like to be considered for "whatever positions might be available." In retrospect, I am pleased that I was appointed to the BRA Board.

What was your first job?
My "first job" was living and working on a farm near Buffalo, NY picking strawberries and beans during my High School summers. My first real job was as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force after graduating the US Naval Academy in 1960. Ironically, my first duty station was in Waco, TX at James Connally Air Force Base where I earned my Navigator Wings in 1961.

What do you think most people don’t know about the Brazos River?
Most people don't realize that the Brazos is the longest river in Texas; and that the Spanish name is "Rio de los Brazos de Dios” (River of the Arms of God.)

Who is your hero?
My heros were my mom and my dad. Dad never graduated High School; and yet, through constant parental guidance, love, and support, my brother, my sister, and I all graduated college.

Why is water important?
Water is the "Blood of Life" and you don't realize how important it is until a time of drought.

Do you volunteer or participate in other organizations?
I am very active in my community. I have been a member of the Caldwell Lions Club for over 25 years and has served in all leadership positions. I am the past vice president of the Burleson County Healthcare Foundation and have been a board member of the Burleson County Economic Development Council for more than 30 years.

What is your favorite quote?
It is most important to "know what you don't know."


Tallas

Jeffrey Scott Tallas

Sugar Land

Why have you chosen to dedicate your talents to the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors?
My belief that water and its preservation is so key now, and will continue to be for the future. When presented with this opportunity, I jumped at it.

What was your first job?
My first real job was working for the city of Sugar Land in the summers on a maintenance truck doing everything from cleaning up debris on streets to picking up excess limbs and trees. This was before big waste management companies were used.

What do you think most people don’t know about the Brazos River Authority?
The real mission. Most people think the land around is our main concern.

Who is your hero?
My Mom because of her attitude and fortitude through adversity and challenges in her life. She has always maintained a smile and a positive attitude.

Why is water important?
It’s the key to life. When we are sick, doctors say drink more water. It’s the key to our food supply. Our planet is made primarily of water.

What fascinates you about the Brazos basin?
The sheer size and complexity from the top to the bottom.

Do you volunteer or participate in other organizations?
Yes, quite a few. Rotary, YMCA, Literacy Council Of Fort Bend County, Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation, to name a few.

What is your favorite quote?
CS Lewis – Integrity is what you do when no one is watching.