Mann appointed by Abbott to fill seat on LNVA board

By Chris Edwards
[email protected]

AUSTIN – Last week, Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of Woodville businessman Lee Mann to serve on the Lover Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors.

Mann was appointed to fill the unexpired six-year term left by the death of Woodville businessman Lonnie Grissom, who died in February, and was a long-time member of the board.

In a news release from Abbott’s office, the Lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA) exists to help conserve, control and utilize the waters of the Neches River and its tributaries, including storm and floodwaters.

The LNVA’s jurisdiction includes all of Tyler County, as well as Jefferson and Hardin counties and parts of Liberty and Chambers counties. It is governed by a nine-member board of directors, all of whom are appointed by the governor.

Mann’s term is set to expire on July 28, 2027, and he serves alongside another Tyler County resident, Caleb Spurlock, who serves as treasurer.

According to its website, the LNVA was created when the state legislature passed a Comprehensive Act in 1933. As a water conservation and reclamation district, the LNVA operates as a non-profit agency of the State of Texas, without the power to levy or collect tax revenue of any kind and is funded by the sale of both raw and treated water to municipal, industrial and agricultural consumers.

The LNVA is also the local sponsor for the Sam Rayburn Reservoir; B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir and the Neches River Saltwater Barrier, all of which are Corps of Engineers projects.

Mann, a Woodville native, is the owner and operator of Mann Furniture and Appliance, in Woodville, and has served in a variety of civic and volunteer service endeavors through his life. He currently serves as the president of the Rotary Club of Woodville and is on the Rotary District #5910 finance committee.

Mann also serves on the Woodville City Council and the Tyler County Development Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Abilene Christian University.