about us
created in 1959
The Red River Authority of Texas was created in 1959 by Acts of the 56th Legislature as a conservation and reclamation district, a political subdivision of the state, a body politic and corporate under Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution.
During the 2018-2019 Legislative Session, under the 86th Legislature, the Authority was reviewed by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. One of the recommendations that derived from the review included codifying the Authority under state law. Effective April 1, 2023, the Authority’s codification became effective under the Special District Local Laws Code, Chapter 8510.
Within its Legal Territorial Jurisdiction, the Authority provides stewardship for the water resources in which its legislative charges shall be administered in all of any partial county lying within the watershed of the Red River in Texas. The total complement is 43 Texas counties. Although the Authority’s enabling legislation includes the Canadian River Basin counties of Lipscomb, Hartley and Hutchinson as part of the Authority’s legal jurisdiction, these counties are not part of the three regions.
Within its Legal Territorial Jurisdiction, the Authority provides stewardship for the water resources in which its legislative charges shall be administered in all of any partial county lying within the watershed of the Red River in Texas. The total complement is 43 Texas counties. Although the Authority’s enabling legislation includes the Canadian River Basin counties of Lipscomb, Hartley and Hutchinson as part of the Authority’s legal jurisdiction, these counties are not part of the three regions.
governing body
The governing body shall be composed of a board of nine directors, all of whom shall be property taxpayers, legal voters of the state, and residents of a county within the Authority’s territory. The Directors shall serve six-year staggered terms upon appointment of the Governor and confirmation by the Senate. From the Directors the Governor will appoint a President, and the Directors will elect from their membership a Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer. The Directors may also elect an Assistant Secretary. The Board of Directors meet regularly on the third Wednesday of January, April, July and September of each year. Special Board meetings may be called, if necessary.
jerry bob danel
president
Hometown: Truscott, TX
Tenure: 06/23/2008 to 08/11/2027
Jerry Bob Daniel is a self-employed rancher and real estate investor. He is co-founder with his wife, Eugenie Daniel, of the Circle Bar Ranch located in Knox County. He is a director of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, serving as member and former chair of the Cattle Health and Well Being Committee. He is also a member of the National Cattlemen Beef Association and serves on the Agriculture Policy Committee. Additionally, he is Vice President of the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Co. Board of Directors and is the Finance Committee Chairman. Daniel received an associate degree from Vernon Junior College.
conrad j. masterson jr.
vice president
Hometown: Cee Vee, TX
Tenure: 10/26/2021 to 08/11/2027
Conrad Masterson of Cee Vee is a retired technology executive and investor. He was previously the Founder and CEO of Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas, CEO of Commerciant, Vice President of Houston Technology Center, and managing director of ROI Group. He previously served as President of the Technology Executives Roundtable and a member of the Institute of Management Consulting. He was with Ford Motor Company in his early career, where he held management positions in corporate finance and systems. Masterson received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from The University of Oklahoma.
michAEL r. SANDEFUR
Secretary/Treasurer
Hometown: Texarkana, TX
Tenure: 07/26/2018 to 08/11/2023
Mike Sandefur is CEO of various real estate and other entities including Loblolly Land Company, Barkman Creek Land Company, and Barkman Bluff Farms. He is board member for Texarkana College Foundation, and previously served as president of the Texarkana College Board of Trustees and the Sulphur River Basin River Authority Board of Directors, chairman of the Financial Advisory Committee of Bowie County and the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army in Texarkana. Sandefur received a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Accounting, and a Master of Business and Public Management from Rice University.
mary lou bradley
Assistant Secretary
Hometown: Memphis, TX
Tenure: 12/06/2019 to 08/11/2025
Mary Lou Bradley is president of Bradley 3 Management Corporation. She is a member of Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and the American Angus Association. Bradley received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Midwestern State University.
stephen a. thornhill
Director
Hometown: Denison, TX
Tenure: 09/05/2014 to 08/11/2025
Stephen A. Thornhill of Denison is a Senior Vice President-Investment Officer with Wells Fargo Advisors and is president of Thornhill Oil & Gas, Inc. He holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor(Sm) professional designation at Wells Fargo Advisors in Sherman, Texas as well as the Series 7,31, 63 & 65 securities registrations along with an insurance and variable annuity license. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, past president and current member of the Petroleum Engineers Club of Dallas, secondary committee advisor for Southwestern Engineering Scholarship Fund, and a Deacon at Parkside Baptist Church. Thornhill received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and Environmental Studies in 1980 from Baylor University in 1980 and a Master of Science in Geology from Baylor University in 1982.
Employer Compliance Statement:
Investment and Insurance Products are:
• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate
• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
PM-10172025-6558859.1.1
jerry dan davis
Director
Hometown: Wellington, TX
12/06/2019 to 08/11/2023
Jerry Dan Davis of Wellington is an owner and operator of a farm and ranch operation located in Collingsworth, Childress, and Hall counties. He formerly served on the Wellington ISD School Board, Collingsworth County Library Board, Panhandle Peanut Growers Association, Farmers Co-Op Gin Board, and the Collingsworth County Agricultural Advisory Board. Davis received a bachelor’s degree in general agriculture from West Texas A&M University.
joe l. ward
Director
Hometown: Telephone, TX
Tenure: 07/26/2018 to 08/11/2023
Joe L. Ward of Telephone is a full time rancher, and operates a Santa Gertrudis cow-calf operation. He has interests in an insurance consulting business, redevelopment projects in downtown Bonham and investments in land and family-owned restaurants. He is a board member for the Fannin County Multi-purpose Complex, volunteer for the Telephone Volunteer Fire Department, director for the Bigbee Cemetery, and member of the Telephone Baptist Church. He is also a former gubernatorial appointee to the State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and formerly served on the Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce Board of directors. Ward served in the Army National Guard from 1969 – 1971 and served in the Air Force National Guard from 1971 – 1976. Ward received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University.
Tonya D. Detten
Director
Hometown: Panhandle, TX
Tenure: 05/03/2022 to 08/11/2025
Detten of Panhandle works in Labor Relations at the Pantex Plant. Detten has a B.A and an M.B.A from West Texas A&M University in Canyon and holds a Project Management Professional certification. She has served on numerous boards of community organizations in the Amarillo area and recently completed a six-year term as a lay member on the Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas. Detten has been a member of the Highland Park School Board for 16 years.
vacant
Director
Vacancy
fabian a. heaney
General Manager
Hometown: Wichita Falls, TX
Fabian Heaney previously served as the Assistant General Manager of the Authority for five years. Prior to the Authority, Fabian worked for the City of Houston for over 26 years in Drinking Water and Utility Operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has a Class A Water License and a laboratory Technical Manager designation from the State of Texas. Fabian represents the Authority as a committee member of the Red River Valley Association, Nortex Regional Planning Commission, and Region B Regional Water Planning Group. He is a current volunteer with the Knights of Columbus No. 7371, and a former volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America 3T0, where he earned his Eagle Scout award.