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. Paul A. Braden Term Expires: January 31, 2023 |
| Ms. Leslie Bingham, Vice Chair Term Expires: January 31, 2019 |
Mr. Ajay Thomas Term Expires: January 31, 2025 |
| Mr. Brandon Batch Term Expires: January 31, 2021 |
Ms. Sharon Thomason Term Expires: January 31, 2021 |
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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Leslie Bingham of Brownsville is CEO of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville. Ms. Bingham is a board member of Brownsville Montessori Academy, and serves as co-chairperson of the South Texas Healthcare Sector Partnership. She is a past board member and treasurer of Easter Seals of the Rio Grande Valley, and has served as board member of the Children’s Museum of Brownsville. Additionally, Bingham was a member of the Texas Hospital Association’s Council on Policy Development. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Mississippi and a master of business administration degree from the University of Texas-Pan American.
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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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Paul A. Braden of Dallas is a partner and head of public finance for the United States at Norton Rose Fulbright. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar Foundation and the National Association of Bond Lawyers. He is a former gubernatorial appointee and chairman for the State Pension Review Board. Additionally, he is a volunteer at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, past board member of El Paso United Way and Prevent Blindness Texas – El Paso Chapter and a former grant panel volunteer for Dallas United Way. Braden received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dallas and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law.
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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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Sharon Thomason of Wolfforth is president of S Arthur Services in Lubbock. She is a member of the Lubbock Lemonade Day Board of Directors and former member of the Board of Directors for the West Texas Home Builders Association (WTHBA) and former chair of the WTHBA Developer’s Council. Additionally, she is former treasurer of the Society of Human Resource Management – Lubbock Chapter, former treasurer of the Murfee Elementary Parent Teacher Association and former volunteer for Texas Children’s Hospital. Thomason received a Bachelor of Business Administration from West Texas A&M.
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For more information contact Michael Lyttle at michael.lyttle@tdhca.state.tx.us.
