Fall 2012 - Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority

Field and OfficeA New Position and Promotions at GBRAThe Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority recently added a newposition and internally promoted several other employees.Patti Coggins joined GBRA in December as its grant writer/administrator, a newly created position organizationally locatedwithin the Officeof Communicationand Education.Coggins, whoearned her bachelorof science degreein human scienceand nutrition fromthe Universityof Mississippi,her master ofscience anddoctoral degreesin agriculture andfood science fromMississippi StateUniversity, worksfrom GBRA’s mainPatti CogginsPhotos by Janet Thomeoffice in Seguin.From 2003 to 2011, she was research director and director ofGarrison Sensory Evaluation Laboratory at Mississippi StateUniversity where her responsibilities included grant writing forfederal programs and initiatives in order to support the facility andpersonnel as well as managing multiple governmental grants.In her newposition, Cogginswill prepareproposals andgrant applications,research, identify,develop and procurefederal, state,local and privategrant and fundingopportunities inthe areas of civilinfrastructure,hydro-engineering,energy,environment,technologyand education.Leigh CrettendenAdditionally, she willassist the organization’s managers with developing, implementingand maintaining reporting requirements for such grants.“We are very excited to have Patti and look forward to drawingupon her extensive expertise in grant writing and administration,”LaMarriol Smith,chief strategiccommunicationsand public affairsofficer said, adding,“During her tenureat Mississippi StateUniversity, shegarnered morethan $14 millionthrough her grantwriting efforts.”GBRA alsorecently promotedwebmaster LeighCrettenden toInformationTechnologyManager, effective in January 2013. Crettenden, who started withGBRA in March 2006, will take over the IT reigns from AngelaWhitley, who is leaving after 15 years with GBRA, having started asa network administrator in November 1997.Other recent promotions include: Don Koble, who startedwith GBRA in November 1981. Koble was promoted from senioroperator at Calhoun Canal to chief operator at Calhoun Canal,effective in December; Jim Wyatt, who started with GBRA inFebruary 1980,was promotedfrom electricalinstrumentationtechnician to SCADAadministrator,effective inDecember; hydromaintenance crewmember DavidMaltony, whostarted with GBRAin April 1995,was promotedto the positionof purchasingand inventorycoordinator,effective inSeptember; andJim WyattDavid MaltonyKylie Gudgell, who started with GBRA in September 2008, waspromoted from laboratory technician III to laboratory analyst I,also effective in September.2GBRA River Run Fall 2012