AUSTIN, Texas - Three up and coming leaders from the Rio Grande Valley have been appointed to the Texas Lyceum’s board of directors.
The three are David Irizarry, Jr., of Valley Regional Medical Center, Jesse Ozuna, of Texas Regional Bank, and Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat of Titan Fuel. They are part of the Class of 2024.
The three had their Investiture at the state Capitol on Jan. 19.
According to the Texas Lyceum’s website, the group seeks to “identify and develop the next generation of top leadership in the State of Texas.” The website says the board directors are “individuals that have demonstrated leadership abilities not only in their own communities but also statewide. They are active, involved and interested; they are eager to contribute their talents and time to the betterment of Texas.”
The Texas Lyceum alumni includes President George W. Bush, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, multiple U.S. congressmen, Governors Rick Perry and Greg Abbott, and U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Don Willett.
“Directors are expected to lead discussions and programs on a wide range of issues impacting our state,” the Texas Lyceum website states. “In doing so, they will become well-versed in our state’s most pressing challenges—all while enjoying some of the most interesting and hard-to-access venues and experiences in Texas and developing lifelong friendships with a diverse group of leaders.”
The three join two other Valley residents on the board of directors. They are Christian Corrales of UT-Rio Grande Valley and RGV and Hidalgo County Probate Court Judge JoAnne Garcia. Both Corrales and Garcia are from the Class of 2022.
“There are 96 directors from across Texas. Five of us are from the Rio Grande Valley,” de la Garza Putegnat told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. “The point or theme is that the RGV is gaining more and more relevancy in terms of our impact and representation at the state level.”
