Current commissioners are:
Laura Koerner, Commission Chair; Mary Dale, Commission Secretary; Kevin Barber, Commission Member; Mike Hernandez, Commission Member; and Chuck Wright, Commission Member.
The five Commissioners of the Texas Veterans Commission are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for staggered six-year terms. Each Commissioner must be a citizen and resident of Texas. At least three members must have been honorably discharged from active military service of the United States. At least one member must be a person classified as a disabled veteran. The Commissioners appoint an executive director to administer agency policies. Since 1927, the mission of the Texas Veterans Commission has been to advocate for and provide superior service to veterans that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors.
LAURA KOERNER
COMMISSION CHAIR
Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
Term Expires December 31, 2029
Laura Koerner of Fair Oaks Ranch is a project manager, engineer, and a Councilwoman for the City of Fair Oaks Ranch. She served in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare (Nuclear) Officer onboard USS MAHAN (DDG 72) and USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65), earning 2 Navy Commendation Medals and a Navy Achievement Medal. She is a Blue & Gold Officer with the Admissions Department of the United States Naval Academy and a member of Project Management Institute, United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Navy Officer Spouses Club of Greater San Antonio. Koerner received a Bachelor of Science in systems engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was qualified as a Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator at the Naval Nuclear Power School.
MARY DALE
COMMISSION SECRETARY
Cedar Park, Texas
Term Expires December 31, 2025
Mary Lopez Dale of Cedar Park is an attorney at Deitch Law Offices in Austin, Texas. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, all federal Texas Districts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
She is a founding member and past commander of American Legion Post 911, where she and her husband were key in raising funds to build the first Gold Star Monument in Texas. Dale received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. She is a former enlisted soldier in the US Army Reserve and later earned her commission through ROTC. While serving on active duty, she deployed on a combat tour to the Middle East before being honorably discharged at the rank of Captain.
KEVIN BARBER
COMMISSION MEMBER
Houston, Texas
Term Expires December 31, 2027
Kevin Barber has served as a Commissioner on the Texas Veteran Commission since 2017.
Kevin Barber of Houston is the founder of Veteran Energy, LLC, 95 Bravo Resources and the Power to Give Back Program, an initiative created to provide resources to military veterans and their families. Leveraging his background in energy trading and risk management, Mr. Barber has spent over 25 years in energy commodity trading and banking while holding positions with increasing responsibility at Duke Energy, Integrys Energy (Wisconsin Public Service), Southwest Energy, Silvergate Bank, Panhandle Eastern Trading Company, and Associated Natural Gas.
Over the years he has served on multiple philanthropic boards of directors for veteran services organizations in Texas. He is a recipient of The Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award. Barber served in the US Army’s 1st Military Police Company of the 1st Infantry Division as a Military Police K-9 patrol dog handler. Barber received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany and an Associate degree in Criminal Justice from SUNY-Adirondack. He resides in Houston with his wife and two daughters.
Kevin Barber is also the recipient of The American Legion National 2014 Winner of the Year for Small Employer of Veterans. The American Legion Texas 2014 Winner of the Year for Small Employer of Veterans. Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Small Business National Employer of the Year recipient. Texas Veterans Commission Small Business Employer of the Year recipient. Rice University’s Veterans in Business Association and Entrepreneurs Organization Veteran 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. Recipient of Leadership Houston’s Leadership in Action Award. Mr. Barber has been recognized by the Houston Business Journals 2014/2015 Who’s Who in Energy for Houston, Dallas, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Columbus, and St. Louis. Winner of the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Distinction Award for Excellence. Commemorative Partner with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration’s 50th Anniversary Initiative. Mental Health of America for Excellence in Veterans Assistance Award
MIKE HERNANDEZ
COMMISSION MEMBER
Abilene, Texas
Term Expires December 31, 2025
Mike Hernandez of Abilene is retired from the Texas Workforce Commission. He is very active in his community as a board member for the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Heritage Committee and was the Chapter Adjutant for the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 1937. He became the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Citizen of the Year, Abilene Chamber of Commerce. Hernandez received an Associate degree in sociology from Cisco College. Honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps and medically retired due to his combat injuries sustained in Vietnam.
Charles “Chuck” Wright
COMMISSION MEMBER
Frisco, Texas
Term Expires December 31, 2029
Charles “Chuck” Wright is the founder of the retirement income planning firm, Lone Star Wealth Strategies.
After graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a BA in Economics, he was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps, becoming the 1st UTSA graduate commissioned into the Marine Corps. He attended flight training in the Marine Corps and earned his wings as a CH 46 helicopter pilot. Wright completed two deployments aboard the USS Peleliu and USS Tarawa before returning to Texas.
Commissioner Wright served for eight years as the Vice Chair of the TVC’s Fund for Veteran Assistance Program. He is a founding member of the Collin County Marine Corps League. Additionally, he served as a board member of the DFW USO Advisory Board and chaired the Frisco Gold Star Family Monument program through the Woody Williams Foundation. On November 10, 2016, he was recognized by U.S. Congressman Michael Burgess with Texas’ 26th District Congressional Veteran Commendation.
Wright is also a sixth and seventh generation Texan tracing his roots directly to one of Austin’s Old 300 and is a Son of the Texas Republic.