Governor Abbott Names Chair And Appoints Five To Red River Boundary Commission

Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed William “Bill” Douglass and appointed Reginald B. “Reggie” Smith, Jr., David Bristol, Anthony Ricciardelli, and William “Willie” Steele to the Red River Boundary Commission for terms at the pleasure of the governor. Additionally, the Governor named Reginald B. “Reggie” Smith, Jr. chair of the commission. The Red River Boundary Commission is established to oversee the redrawing of the boundary between Texas and the State of Oklahoma in the Texoma area. The Commission shall confer and act jointly with representatives appointed on behalf of the State of Oklahoma.

William “Bill” Douglass of Sherman is the chairman of the board of Douglass Distributing a petroleum distribution company. He serves as chairman of the Texoma Medical Center and is a trustee on Austin College Board of Trustees. In addition, he served as former chairman of Sherman Economic Development Corp, the National Association of Convenience Stores, and the Washington Motor Fuel Institute. He served in United States Marine Corp from 1958 to 1962 and the United States Army from 1962 to 1964, at which pointe he received an honorable discharge. Douglass received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Muhlenberg College in Allenstown, Pennsylvania.

Reginald B. “Reggie” Smith, Jr. of Van Alstyne was elected as the state representative for House District 62 in 2018. He represents Delta, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. He is the founder and owner of Reginald B. Smith, Jr. PLLC, a general practice law firm. He has been active in various local charitable and service organizations, and is an active member of First Baptist Church in Van Alstyne. He has previously served on the board of directors of Big Brother Big Sisters, Friends of Scouting with the Texoma Valley Boy Scouts, and The Rehab Center. Smith received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and a Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston.

David Bristol of Prosper is the chairman of the Board of Employee Solutions, LP and serves as president and CEO. He is serving as the vice president of the Prosper Economic Development Corporation and serves on the Collin County Business and Industry Council. He was previously elected as an Alderman for the town of Prosper, serving two full terms. Currently, he is serving his third term as vice president of the North Central Texas Workforce Development Board. In addition, he previously served as vice president of the Collin County Planning Board, a member of the Board of Prosper Bank (now Texas Bank), a director of Leadership Frisco, and vice chairman of the Governing Board of Centennial Medical Center in Frisco. Bristol received a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy, and served as an active duty fighter pilot from 1988 to 1996. He is a combat veteran with several citations and awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, as well as numerous Air Medals. After his active duty career, Bristol joined the Air Force Reserve until 2007, at which point he received an honorable discharge.

Anthony Ricciardelli of Plano is principal attorney at Ricciardelli Law Firm. He currently serves as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem on the Plano City Council, is on the regional board of advisors for Joni and Friends, and is the former vice chair of the Plano Heritage Commission. In addition, he is a member of the State Bar of Texas and former member of the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. Ricciardelli received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law.

William “Willie” Steele of Sherman is vice president of AmeriState Bank in Sherman, as well as Deputy Mayor on the Sherman City Council. In addition, he is the board president of Boys & Girls Club of Sherman, member and past president of the Sherman Kiwanis Club, and past board chair of the Sherman Economic Development Corporation. Additionally, he is past board chair of Sherman Planning and Zoning and past board president of The Rehabilitation Center. Steele received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Texas Tech University.