GEORGIA NEBLETT Port Aransan Georgia Neblett, who served earlier on the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) board, has been appointed again to serve on a reconstituted board.

Neblett served from 2006 to 2008 on the board, which the Legislature formed to provide wind and hail insurance for Texas Gulf Coast property owners in the event of catastrophic loss.

TWIA provides wind and hail coverage when insurance companies exclude it from their homeowners and other property policies sold to coastal residents. It provides basic coverage unavailable in traditional markets for consumers who might otherwise be left uninsured.

This year, the Legislature changed the board’s membership from five insurance company representatives, two agent representatives and two consumer representatives. The new board, whose terms begin Jan. 1, includes four insurance company representatives, four members who reside in coastal counties (at least one of them an insurance agent), and one member who resides outside of the coastal region. Legislators also added a non-voting member who must be an engineer.

Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin announced the new board members last week.

“I appreciate the confidence the commissioner has shown in me and will strive to do what is in the best interest of the insured, the TWIA and the State of Texas,” Neblett said. “Commissioner Geeslin has a keen understanding of coastal issues and the role that the Texas Department of Insurance plays. With his guidance and new legislation, we have an opportunity and the tools to improve TWIA. This new and positive beginning for TWIA is in large part due to the efforts of our state representative, Todd Hunter.“

Neblett is a director of the Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, a former mayor of Port Aransas, a past chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), past chairman of the administration committee of the RTA, a former three-term small cities mayoral RTA appointee, a past president of Port Aransas Independent School District Board of Trustees, a past member of the Texas Association of School Board strategic planning committee, a past member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization board, a member of two Port Aransas Charter Review Commissions, a member of the first Port Aransas Library Board, a former member of Port Aransas Planning and Zoning Commission, a past member of the Ferry Operations Study Group and was named Port Aransas Citizen of the Year in 1996.