East
Location
The East Texas Section includes the following counties: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.
Section Officers:
Section Director
Tharani Devi Krishnakumar
Tharani Devi Krishnakumar serves as the Senior Planner for the City of Tyler. Tharani holds three Master’s degrees in Social Work, Urban Affairs and Business as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. She is responsible for short and long-range planning, floodplain reviews, zoning, subdivision plats, variances, TABC and other planning related inquiries. She is passionate about serving the community. She enjoys hiking and volunteering.
Director-Elect
Vashil Fernandez
Vashil Fernandez is the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Texarkana, Texas. Vashil holds two Master’s degrees from Valparaiso University in International Commerce and Policy and International Economics and Finance as well as a Bachelor’s degree in International Business. Managed the Continuum of Care housing grant and neighborhood revitalization, and stabilization plans and services. He Now oversees various projects, grants, and staff in the planning department and is responsible for the city's planning process, and economic development efforts, administering funds of federal, state, and local grants, and downtown revitalization efforts. He started a new program that assists businesses with finding available resources through meet and greet events and is currently completing his AICP certification Vashil is the chair of the Texarkana Homeless Coalition. He is passionate about God and serving to better our local Texarkana community, as well as all things family, Basketball, and farmers' market-related.
Secretary
Keith Beason
Keith is from Texarkana, TX, he attended Southern Arkansas University for his undergraduate degree and received his Masters of Science in Adult and Higher Education at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Keith serves as a board member for Leadership Texarkana, the Texarkana Arts and Historic District as well as various nonprofits within the Texarkana community. Keith previously served as Planner for the City of Texarkana, Texas and is now the Community Engagement and Parks Project Manager for the City of Texarkana, TX, where he oversees several grants and programs for the Parks and Recreation Department and assists with downtown revitalization efforts and communications.
Treasurer
Bryan McBride
A Longview native, Bryan serves as the director of the Longview Metropolitan Planning Organization. Part of his duties is to represent the voices of the constituents that reside in the Longview MPO boundary; as it relates to planning roadways and meeting the community's infrastructure needs. Making the community's voices heard at the Local, State, and Federal levels. Before taking on this role, Bryan worked for the City of Longview as a Land Use Planner for a few years. Bryan holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from UT Tyler and a Bachelor of Science in Geographic Information Science and Technology from Texas A&M University (WHOOP!). His passion is to continue to better the community where he grew up. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, family, and friends.
Bylaws
Bylaws
Agendas & Minutes
February 20, 2020: Agenda
November 17, 2020: Agenda
November 30, 2022: Agenda | Minutes
Upcoming Meetings
July 20, 2023 at 3.30pm-4.30pm
Please email tharanik@tylertexas.com for more information.