Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed two new members and reappointed one existing member to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors. Antonio Santana and Hannah Kaplan will serve new terms set to conclude on April 1, 2027. Jon “Mark” Sjolander has been reappointed for a term ending on April 1, 2026. The Coastal Water Authority is a conservation and reclamation district operating within Harris, Chambers, and Liberty Counties. It is tasked with transporting and delivering water both inside and outside its jurisdiction, and also has the authority to acquire and construct necessary properties and facilities.

Antonio Santana resides in Mont Belvieu and serves as the senior director in information technology at Xylem Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix and an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Hannah Kaplan, based in Houston, founded Texas Sustainable Oysters in 2020, establishing one of Texas's first oyster mariculture farms. Her background includes serving as chairperson for the Oyster Section of the Texas Aquaculture Association and membership in the Gulf Shellfish Farmers Association and Oyster South. Kaplan obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Rollins College.

Jon “Mark” Sjolander from Dayton owns and presides over Sjolander Resources and Development LLC. He is also the Chairman of the Liberty County Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, serves on the Liberty County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and is a member of the Trinity Valley CCA Board of Directors. Sjolander earned a Bachelor of Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Each of these appointments awaits Senate confirmation.