BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Walter Negley
Chairman Emeritus
Walter Negley, STPRA founding board chairman, is president of two heavy industrial product manufacturing concerns based in Houston, Texas. Other business affiliations include past board member of Highland Resources, a family-owned real estate company founded by Herman and George R. Brown, and the A. S. Gage Ranch, founded by family members in Brewster and Presidio Counties in West Texas in 1883.
Walter has served as a director of the Brown Foundation, which was founded in July 1951 and has awarded more than $1.1 billion in grants. He has also served as a board trustee for the Kinkaid School, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Neuhaus Center, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Walter graduated from Trinity University in 1977 with a B.A. in Economics and attended the MBA program at the University of Texas at Austin. Walter grew up in San Antonio and now resides in Houston with his wife, Suzette, and three daughters.
Berdon Lawrence
Chairman Emeritus
Berdon Lawrence is President of L3 Partners, LLC, which manages the assets and investments of his family. He is Chairman Emeritus of Kirby Corporation, a tank barge company moving petrochemicals and petroleum products on the inland waterways. Kirby operates 900 tank barges and 200 towboats, and provides employment for over 3,100 people. Kirby Corporation is headquartered in Houston.
Lawrence is the past Chairman of the Waterways Council, past Chairman of the Inland Waterways Users Board, past Chair and member of the American Waterways Operators, Clean Channel Association, National Waterways Council and Texas Waterways Operators. He is a member of the Houston Maritime Association and the Texas World Presidents’ Organization.
Lawrence is on the Board of the Kinkaid School and a member of the M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors. He is a member of the Tulane University Business School Council, the Galveston Bay Foundation, the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas and a member of St. Martins Episcopal Church.
He received a BBA degree in 1964 from Tulane University and an M.B.A. the following year, also from Tulane.
Lawrence owns the Laborcitas Creek Ranch which is located In Brooks County on Highway 285, west of Falfurrias.
W.W. "Whit" Jones III
Chairman
A South Texas native, Whit currently helps operate his families ranch in Jim Hogg County. Whit serves as a director of the First National Bank of Hebbronville, is on the Appraisal Review Board for Jim Hogg County, is a director of Texas Wildlife Association and serves on their executive committee. He is a member of the Wildlife Committee of Texas and a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. STPRA member since 2011.
Eric Opiela
President
Eric Opiela is a 5th generation Texan, rancher and attorney. He currently chairs STPRA’s Eminent Domain Subcommittee and has worked to implement our legislative agenda for the past two legislative sessions. His law practice focuses is on representing landowners in property and administrative law matters before government agencies. He ranches in Karnes, Bee, Live Oak, and Wilson counties. Eric is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas School of Law, and has represented South Texas on the State Republican Executive Committee, where he currently serves as Associate General Counsel.
Gail Hoffman
Vice-President
Gail Hoffman, along with her husband, Bruce, has been a member of STPRA since its inception. She and Bruce have distinguished themselves with many years of service to our organization that have included hosting gatherings, helping our staff in conducting events, and representing STPRA at numerous functions across the state.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Gail has had an impressive career as a professional and in leadership roles in civic and professional organizations in South Texas. Most recently professionally, Gail was the executive director of Images for Conservation Fund Pro Tour of Nature Photography and is currently a consultant in event planning and coordination for various area organizations.
Among her accomplishments are serving as executive director of the Associated General Contractors of the Coastal Bend for 12 years and leading the boards of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, the Alice/Jim Wells County Economic Development Corporation, the Corpus Christi Economic Development Corporation, Leadership Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi Downtown Rotary Club, and the Alice Rotary Club. She has also been named the Corpus Christi Businesswoman of the Year and Outstanding Alumni of the Year of Leadership Corpus Christi.
James Clement, III
Secretary
James Clement III is a Texas rancher and the Senior Vice President of Grass and Rangeland at EarthOptics, a leader in soil measurement and mapping. With a family legacy of over 400 years in ranching and 20 years of experience in the industry and AgTech, he is dedicated to sustainable agriculture. He also proudly served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and continues to serve in the reserves. James is passionate is advancing practices that benefit and protect our land for future generations.
Mark Alvarenga
Treasurer
Mark Alvarenga, an Arlington, TX native, has been with IBC-Zapata for 11 years after graduating from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with a B.S. degree in Business. In 2005, he was hired as an Operations Coordinator for IBC and has since been promoted to Corporate Sales Manager and is also the 1st Vice President of Sales. Alvarenga is an active member of the community. He has served on the Board of the Boys & Girls Club in Zapata for nine years and has also served as Vice President of the Board for the past 2 years; Vice President of the Executive Committee Board for Zapata for United Way Laredo; and a volunteer for the Lady Giants Softball Club. He is married to Rachel Medina Alvarenga and together they have three daughters, ages 8, 6, and 4.
Othal E Brand, Jr.
Businessman and elected official, Othal E Brand, Jr. has lived in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas for over 64 years. He graduated from Texas Christian University in 1976. Mr. Brand worked for the family business, Griffin & Brand and Trophy International for over 30 years. The companies were the largest grower and shipper of fruits and vegetables in the state of Texas and the largest grower of onions in the world. We had farming operations on property directly on the Rio Grande River, as well as in nine states in the United States, and in the countries of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. In 1996, Mr. Brand started Rioplex Wireless, an internet service provider in the Rio Grande Valley. He remains its president today. From the year 1998 to the present. Mr. Brand has run O.E. Investments, a communications company located in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Brand has served in public office for 16 years, as an elected official for Hidalgo County Water Improvement District No. 3. He has served as president and general manager for 13 years and still serves in the same capacities today. The District’s headquarters is in McAllen, Texas, and its main facilities, including pump station, are located on the embankment of the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo, Texas. Mr. Brand also serves as a board member of Valley Baptist Mission/Education Center in Harlingen, Texas. He has served on the board of trustees for 16 years of which 13 of those years as chairman. He has been a charter family member of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas for 62 years.
Alice G. K. K. East
Alice G. K. K. East is a longtime rancher from Brooks, Kenedy, and Hidalgo Counties. She oversees the business portion of her family’s ranch, which she shares with her two siblings. Alice has served on the boards of Alice National Bank, the Valley Land Fund and the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg. She currently serves as advisory director of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen. She is active in the Linn-San Manuel Improvement Corporation, which raises money for the local school, fire department, church, and gives scholarships and funds tuitions for students to attend trade schools. Alice has served on the board of the South Texans’ Property Rights Association from 2013-2019 and as an advisory board member in 2020. She will be serving as a director again in 2021.
Adalberto Garza, DVM
Adalberto Garza was born to founding families of Starr County; He is a doctor of veterinary medicine and graduated from TX A&M University. He practiced veterinary medicine for 37 years as a general practitioner, and focused predominantly on equine; He is now retired and lives in Edinburg. He manages and operates his family commercial cattle operation and is also involved with energy and other investments.
Frank Massey
Franklin (Frank) Massey grew up deeply rooted in farming and ranching. His family-owned ranches in Kerr and Kendall Counties of Texas. He attended public schools in the San Antonio area, attended San Antonio College and attended TAMU. Frank worked for a major supermarket chain during high school and college working his way up to store manager. He went to work for a Fortune 500 Food Company…worked his way to District Manager for South and Central Texas. Additionally, he became Military Sales Manager for the continental U.S. and overseas markets. This career spanned 20+ years. As an executive in the South Texas area food business, Frank was involved in the creation of the San Antonio Food Bank in the 1980s.
Upon early retirement, Frank moved to Port Aransas, Texas, where he started a building and remodeling business involving commercial and residential projects. Simultaneously, he and an old friend co-founded a roofing company in cooperation with major insurance companies providing managed repair and construction in the Coastal Bend, San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country areas.
Today, Frank and his wife Ginger reside on their ranch in Bee County where he raises registered cattle with ranching operations in Bee and Kendall Counties. He is involved with Texas Farm Bureau and completed their AgLead-Farm-Lead program 2019-2022. He is a director/business manager and Deacon at Mineral Baptist Church. He is President of Mineral Cemetery Association, President of Bee County Wildlife Management Association, Chairman Bee County Appraisal Review Board (6 yrs), Board Member State Beef Cattle Commodity Committee for Texas Farm Bureau, Board Member Bee County Beef and Forage Committee-TAMU, Member Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, International Brangus Breeders Assn, STPRA (5 yrs), Chairman Elections Committee-San Patricio Electric Coop, TFB Leadership for Legislative issues in Austin and Washington, D.C. Frank worked as a Campaign Advisor to Texas District 27 Senator Adam Hinojosa in 2022 and 2024, and is an active advisor for South Texas Helping Hands of Pettus, Tx (local area food bank and outreach services).
James McAllen Jr.
James McAllen Jr. is currently serving on the board of South Texas Property Rights Association, Linn San Manuel Community Improvement Committee, Red Sands Groundwater Conservation District, Guadalupe el Torrero Foundation, and Texas A&M-Kingsville Foundation James attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth Texas, graduating with a degree in Business Finance and Fine Art. James is married to Katherine McAllen and father to three children, James, Salomé, and Georgiana McAllen. James is manager of McAllen Ranch, located in Hidalgo and Starr County.
Stephanie McAllen Moore
Raised in Linn-San Manuel, Stephanie currently resides in McAllen where she guides McAllen Ranch office operations. She is a graduate of Simmons University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley with a Masters in Education. She currently serves as a Trustee and past Chairman of the Museum of South Texas History and is a board member of the Vannie E. Cook Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center. Stephanie has served as president of the Junior League of McAllen and on the boards of The Gladys Porter Zoo and McAllen Boys and Girls Club. She and her husband, Richard, are proud parents of three children.
Caroline Nunley
Caroline Nunley was raised in Sabinal, Texas, where her family’s cow-calf operation is headquartered. From an early age, she was instilled with a deep respect for the land, wildlife, and agriculture. She graduated from Texas Christian University in 2015 with a degree in Strategic Communications. She lives in San Antonio and is a member of the Texas Wildlife Association’s Convention Committee. She also serves on the Game Species Subcommittee and co-chairs the Private Lands Subcommittee, which function under the newly established Stewards of the Wild Conservation Committee. Caroline's appreciation for her ranching heritage drew her to STPRA’s mission, and she’s thrilled to be part of a group that shares similar values.
Forrest Runnels
Forrest Runnels was raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Forrest graduated from SMU with a B.A. in Economics. Forrest is a Vice President at EIA Properties, Ltd. in Edinburg and serves as a director on the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority board. Forrest is a former director at Border Capital Bank, the Development Corporation Board for the City of McAllen, the Edinburg Development Foundation and Teach For America of the Rio Grande Valley. Forrest and his wife, Lorin, are the proud parents of two boys.
Michael Sasser
At a very young age, Michael began participating in his family’s ranching operations in South and West Texas and spent most of his free time working, hunting, and developing his stewardship skills on his family’s various land holdings. Through these early experiences, he learned a great appreciation for the land and what it provides. Michael attended Texas A&M University where he earned a degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management and then continued his education at TCU, graduating from their Ranch Management Program in 2011. After school, he went to work for a company as their Ranch Properties Manager and has since been managing over 250,000 acres across Texas, Montana, and Wyoming. In this position, he has gained a vast knowledge of his industry from the cattle business, hunting leases, commercial hunting operations, and working with state issued deer and managed land permits. He has also negotiated and gained a broad knowledge of Oil and Gas Leases, Surface Use Agreements, Right of Way agreements, and most any issue affecting ranch lands. Michael is very active in the ranching and wildlife communities. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Texas Wildlife Association and is also on the Natural Resources Committee for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Michael, his wife Christina, and their daughter currently live in Beeville, Texas. The family enjoys spending their time outdoors hunting and fishing with family and friends, and dedicating themselves to various philanthropic pursuits.
Anne Brady Thurwalker
Anne Brady Thurwalker is a 4th generation rancher from Jim Hogg County where she and her husband Sam still run a small, cow-calf operation. Anne graduated from Houston Christian University with a BA in Communications and has spent the majority of her career in development for organizations focused on education, conservation, and agricultural research. She is currently the Associate Director of Development of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. In addition, Anne is a member of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Wildlife Association and Quail Coalition. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Texas State Aquarium. Anne, her husband, and two children call Corpus Christi home. When not at the ranch, they spend time enjoying all the Texas Coast has to offer.