Gov. Greg Abbott appoints three to TSTC Board of Regents

(WACO, Texas) – Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat and reappointed Tony Abad and Curtis Cleveland to the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) System Board of Regents for terms set to expire on August 31, 2027. 

Cleveland currently serves as chair of the nine-member board.

De la Garza Putegnat, of Harlingen, replaces Alejandro “Alex” Meade III, of Mission. Meade has served on the board since 2017.

“During the past two decades, TSTC has earned a national reputation for innovation and for placing its graduates in high-value jobs,” said Mike Reeser, chancellor & CEO of TSTC, “and these successes start with the Board of Regents. We thank Governor Abbott for providing TSTC with outstanding leadership.”

De la Garza Putegnat has been an account executive for Schneider Electric, a Fortune Global 500 company, for eight years. She previously worked for the Brownsville Economic Development Council for nearly six years, fulfilling various roles including director of Business Recruitment and director of Business Retention and Expansion.

She has worked closely with secondary and postsecondary education institutions in collaborative efforts to help ensure an educated and highly skilled workforce.

She currently serves as board president of the Rio Grande Valley Linking Economic and Academic Development, trustee of the Business Development Fund of Texas, and is a member of the Industry Advisory Committee for the Rio South Texas Economic Council.

Additionally, she is the former chairwoman of the Leadership Brownsville Board of Directors, former board president of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Cameron and Willacy Counties, former secretary and co-founder of the Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos Brownsville/South Padre Chapter, and former member of United Way’s All In – Partners for Postsecondary Success Leadership Team, among other community service roles.

De la Garza Putegnat received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from Duke University. 

Abad, of San Antonio, is a liaison engineer for M7 Aerospace with over 30 years of experience in aircraft modification. He volunteers his time serving the needs of families through small neighborhood groups and his church, First Baptist Church San Antonio.

He received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Drafting and Design from TSTC in Harlingen. 

Cleveland, of Waco, is vice president of Central Texas Iron Works Inc. He is a member of the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy Executive Committee and The TSTC Foundation Board of Directors.

Additionally, he is a member of the Association for Good Government Board of Directors and Extraco Bank Advisory Board of Directors, an advisor for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the recent Senior Warden of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Vestry.

Cleveland received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Tech University.

For more information, visit tstc.edu/about/board-of-regents.