Legislative Services

The Texas Association of Counties installed new leadership this month, swearing in officers for its Board of Directors for the 2026-27 term during a Jan. 9 ceremony at the TAC Building in Austin.

Denton County Treasurer Cindy Yeatts Brown officially began her two-year term as TAC president Jan. 1. She succeeds Yoakum County Commissioner Tim Addison, who now serves as immediate past president.

Brown has served as Denton County treasurer since 1999 and joined the TAC Board of Directors in 2016. Her career in county government began with a part-time job in the Denton County Treasurer’s Office while she was still in high school. She recently reflected on that unlikely starting point on TAC’s Texas County Voice podcast.

In remarks to TAC employees, Brown said the start of a new year offered an opportunity to reflect on how TAC and county officials approach their work. “A new year isn’t just a date on a calendar — it’s an invitation,” she said. “An invitation to rethink how we work, how we lead and how we grow. It’s a chance to step forward with intention rather than momentum.”

She also noted that 2026 is the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, saying the symbol reflected endurance and purposeful motion. “The horse doesn’t wait for the path to be perfect,“ she said. “It moves with purpose, adapts to terrain and carries others with it.“

Joining Brown as board officers are McLennan County Tax Assessor-Collector Randy H. Riggs as president-elect and Comal County Commissioner Jen Crownover as vice president.

Riggs, who is slated to become TAC president in 2028, has served as McLennan County tax assessor-collector since 2012. He spent a dozen years on the Waco City Council before running for county office.

Crownover has served on the TAC Board since 2021 and previously led the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. She entered public service in 2015 after a career in marketing and communications.

The TAC Board of Directors represents county offices from across the state and oversees the association’s policy priorities, budget and services. In addition to Brown, Riggs and Crownover, members of the 2026 board are:

• Wise County Judge J.D. Clark
• Parmer County Commissioner Kirk Frye
• Grayson County Treasurer Gayla Hawkins
• Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne
• Eastland County Clerk Cathy Jentho
• Guadalupe County Auditor Kristen Klein
• Travis County Constable Carlos B. Lopez
• Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedeke
• Yoakum County District Clerk Sandra Roblez
• Leon County Judge Byron Ryder
• Comal County Criminal District Attorney Jennifer Tharp
• Jim Wells County Judge Pedro Treviño Jr.
• Harris County Justice of the Peace Holly Williamson
• Johnson County Commissioner Larry Woolley

Clark also serves as president of the National Association of Counties. Luedeke was elected board secretary at the board’s Jan. 21-23 meeting in Glen Rose in Somervell County.

Ex officio board members include Addison, Comal County Treasurer Renee Couch and Denton County Judge Andrew Eads. Couch and Eads serve as the board’s NACo representatives.

TAC also announced new members on four additional boards. Updated rosters are listed on county.org.