TDHCA Governing Board
Overview of the Governing Board
The policy-making body of the agency is a seven-member board, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Texas Senate. The members hold office for staggered terms, with the terms of two or three members expiring on January 31 of each odd-numbered year. Members must be registered voters and may not hold another public office. These are non-salaried positions and the Governor designates the chair.
TDHCA board meeting information is available on TDHCA’s Board Meeting Center page at https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/board/meetings.htm
- If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please visit Help for Texans.
- For general Department information, please visit the TDHCA's Overview.
- For Programs and Support information, please visit Programs Overview and Support & Services.
- To file a complaint, visit the TDHCA Complaint System.
Members of the TDHCA Board
| Mr. Leo Vasquez, Chair Term Expires: January 31, 2023 |
Mr. Kenny Marchant, Vice Chair Term Expires: January 31, 2025 |
| Mr. Brandon Batch Term Expires: January 31, 2027 |
Ms. Anna Maria Farias Term Expires: January 31, 2027 |
| Mr. Holland Harper Term Expires: January 31, 2023 |
Mr. Ajay Thomas Term Expires: January 31, 2025 |
Biographical Information
Leo Vasquez of Houston is a corporate finance and business management consultant. He is a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and former gubernatorial appointee and chairman of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation. He is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Texas Advisory Board (USGLC) and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Additionally, he is a former board member of Houston’s Greater East End Management District, the Harris County Appraisal District, Harris County Health Facilities Development Corporation and served as the Harris County Tax Assessor–Collector and Voter Registrar. Vasquez received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
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Brandon Batch of Midland received his degree in public relations from Texas Tech University. Upon graduation, Batch worked in Washington, D.C., as a senior legislative staffer for Texas congressman Michael McCaul. He advised the congressman on issues ranging from foreign policy and defense, to trade and tax policy. Batch is a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Institute for Scholars and a partner at the Austin-based restaurant Bird Bird Biscuit, which was named best new restaurant in Austin in 2018. After concluding a run for the 11th U.S. Congressional District in Texas, Batch was appointed by Governor Abbott to serve on the TDHCA governing board. He is also the business development manager for Ventura Management, a Midland-based oil and gas company, where he works to acquire mineral and royalty interests.
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Anna Maria Farías of San Antonio is retired. Most recently, she worked as the Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a U.S. Senate-confirmed position. In addition to many other professional leadership positions with the federal government, Farías served as the Executive Director of the Crystal City Housing Authority in Texas from 1993 to 2000. She resided in Crystal City Housing Projects growing up and she was one of the first Executive Directors to reside in the affordable housing community during the tenure of her leadership. Farías previously served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Women’s University Board of Regents where she served as Chairman in 2017. She was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. Farías received a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Boston University and a Juris Doctor degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. She also is a Fellow with the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
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The Honorable Kenny Marchant of Coppell has spent nearly 40 years as a leader in the community, most recently in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 24th Congressional District of Texas. He retired in January 2021. During his tenure, he served on numerous committees including the House Committee on Ways & Means – often referred to as the most influential committee because of its broad jurisdiction including tax policy, Social Security, trade, and Medicare. Prior to serving in Congress, Marchant served on the Carrollton City Council and was elected in 1984 as Mayor of Carrollton. In 1987, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives and made his reputation as a savvy, behind-the-scenes legislator and consensus-builder. In the process, he was named “Top Ten Legislator” and “Peacemaker” by Texas Monthly and “Legislator of the Year” by the Texas Municipal League. Marchant was Chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Investments, where he authored legislation strengthening oversight of credit unions, allowing interstate branch banking, enforcing state laws relating to corporate fraud, securing public investments, and allowing access to home equity. He also served as Chairman of the State Affairs Committee.
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Ajay Thomas of Austin is Executive Vice President and U.S. Head of Public Finance for FHN Financial, a division of First Horizon Bank. He is a member of the Board of Visitors for Southwestern University and an Advisory Board Member of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, Thomas previously served as a board member of the Texas Business Leadership Council. Receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University, Thomas was selected from the United States as a General Course Scholar to the London School of Economics and later earned his Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.
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Holland Harper of Paris is Chief Development Officer of Harrison, Walker and Harper, LLC, a project management, construction, and engineering company established in Paris in 1887. He is a member of the Design Build Institute of America, the American Institute of Constructors, and the Society of American Military Engineers. He is a member of the Paris ISD Career and Technology Education Advisory Board and the Texas A&M Commerce Engineering Board. Harper serves as Treasurer on the board of the Sulphur River Regional Mobility Authority. He served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, having received an honorable discharge in 2008. Harper received an undergraduate degree in International Studies from Austin College in Sherman and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M-Commerce. He also graduated from the Owner/President Management Program and the Graduate School of Design Executive Education at Harvard University.
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For more information contact Michael Lyttle at michael.lyttle@tdhca.state.tx.us.
