George Strong
Vice President

George Strong, a resident of Crystal Beach, is semi-retired. Strong attends Bay Vue United Methodist Church, is a member of the Board of Directors and is the Secretary of the Emerald Beach I property owners association. He is a member of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Lighthouse Crew. Prior to moving to Crystal Beach Strong owned and operated George Strong and Associates (GS&A) in Houston. GS&A provided lobbying, campaign consulting, grassroots lobbying and communications services. As a political analyst, Strong is often quoted in the Houston newspapers and on various talk radio stations including News Talk station KTRH. Strong is a native of South Dakota, graduated from South Dakota State University and has a master degree from the University of Denver.

Hollis Gassen
Secretary

Hollis Gassen and his wife Joanne have lived in Texas since 1979. They have one daughter, Karen who teaches school. Hollis retired from Shell Chemical Company after 35 years of service in middle management positions. He graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor's degree in physics. Hollis served in the United States Marine Corps from 1969 to 1975, and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. In 2006 Hollis and Joanne purchased a home in Bolivar Peninsula. Since retiring from Shell, they enjoy spending most of their time in Crystal Beach. Hollis has enjoyed serving as President of the Sandpiper Homeowners Association. He has helped organize committees in Sandpiper to rebuild the sand dunes, construct new dune cross overs and a subdivision entrance sign. Mr. Gassen enjoys fishing, playing music, boating, sailing, golf, scuba diving, flying and spending time with family and friends at Crystal Beach.

Chris Makin
Treasurer

Roger Welch
Director

Mr. Welch is the owner of Crystal Beach Plant Farm in Crystal Beach. He is a member of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and resides permanently on the Peninsula.

Dennis Stafford
Director

Dennis Stafford and his wife, Becky, have owned property on the Peninsula since 1987 and made Crystal Beach their permanent residence in 2004. Dennis retired after 33 years of service with Texaco / Shell in Houston. He graduated from Lamar University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Dennis has served on the BPSUD Board since 2007 and is the District’s Chief Investment Officer and serves on the Audit & Finance Committee. Dennis also serves as the Treasurer of the Emerald Beach Property Owners Association and serves as Finance Chair at Bay Vue Methodist Church.

Wayne Turk
Director

Wayne Turk and his wife Jeanie moved to Texas in 1970.  Wayne graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and started his career with BF Goodrich Chemical Company.  Wayne is semi-retired with over forty years of primarily management experience in chemical plants which includes design engineering, maintenance, process safety, and ISO 9000 procedures and systems.  He has also been involved with a Water Control & Improvement District since 1977 as Director and/or Secretary-Treasurer.  Jeanie has been a realtor and/or broker for over twenty years.  She opened a RE/MAX office in Crystal Beach, and they purchased a home on the Peninsula.  Both have been active in political and community organizations everywhere they have lived.  Jeanie is currently serving on the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce.  Wayne and Jeanie have two daughters, and two grandchildren that have enjoyed the beach all of their lives.    

Maria Skewis
Director

Our Staff

Jo Ball
General Manager
e-mail: jody@bpsud.com

Jo has been employed in the water business since 1995. He and his family are coming to the peninsula from Lovelady, Texas, where Jo was employed for seven years as the General Manager for the Trinity Rural Water Supply Corporation.

Jo and his wife Euna have two daughters and one son.

In 2002, Jo was named Operator of the Year by the Texas Water Utilities Association. He has served as a District Director on the Texas Rural Water Association Board and he brings years of experience in providing quality water service to the customers of the BPSUD.

Barbara Cowie
Office Manager
e-mail: barbara@bpsud.com

Barbara began her career with Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District in 1991 as a Customer Service Representative. She was promoted to her current position of Office Manager in 1994.

Barbara has been a resident of the Bolivar Peninsula for over 40 years. She and her husband, Roger, have two married sons, Steven and Jeffrey, and are enjoying their two granddaughters, Destiny and Dana. Barbara is a member of the First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach and is active in the church choir.

Kenny Strimple
Plant and Field Manager
e-mail: kenny@bpsud.com

Kenny’s career with Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District began in March of 1989 as a member of the Field Crew. He earned his Operator’s License from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 1990 and was promoted to a System Operator at that time. In 1998 Kenny was promoted to Plant Foreman. Then, in 1999, Kenny was appointed Plant and Field Manager where he oversees the Field Crew and the System Operators for the District.

Kenny is a lifetime resident of the Peninsula. He currently resides on the Peninsula with his wife, Rosie, and their three dogs, Hooch, Sophie and Rudy and their three cats, Lily, Abby and Fitz. Kenny and Rosie raised two children, Jessica and Hunter, who have both completed college and are currently living on their own.

Clifford Howard
Utility Systems Manager
e-mail: clifford@bpsud.com

Clifford started working for BPSUD in May 1992 as a meter reader. He was promoted to Assistant Plant Operator in 1996 and to Plant Operator in 1999. As the District grew and became more automated, Clifford trained in computer technology and was made the District’s Technology Specialist in 2002. In 2005, he was promoted to his current position of Utility Systems Manager where he oversees computer automation, plant instrumentation, daily plant operations, and meter reading.

Clifford attended College of the Mainland where he received a computer certification in Novell and Cisco. He has a Class C Water Operator’s License, a Customer Service Inspector License and a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester License issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He is a nineteen year resident of Port Bolivar where he resides with his partner Sarom.

Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District Service Area

District Boundaries ~ Galveston County

The District encompasses an area of approximately 60 square miles in Galveston County. The District's service area includes the communities of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist and High Island. The District currently serves over 3000 service connections throughout the Peninsula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What do I do if I am experiencing low pressure?
Answer: First, check your meter and surrounding area for possible leaks. Second, call our office and report low pressure for your area.

Question: Why is my water milky in color?
Answer: A repair could have been completed recently allowing air to enter the line, causing the milky look.

Question: What chemicals does BPSUD add to the water?
Answer: Chlorine and liquid ammonia sulphate.

Question: Why does my water taste, look and smell funny?
Answer: Once there has been an interruption in service (line breaks and water flow has stopped) this sensitive chemical (chlorine) releases an odor and smell that will take several days to clear up.

Question: My water tastes, looks and smells funny, is it safe to drink?
Answer: All public water systems in the state of Texas are required to maintain a minimum chlorine level of 0.5 (tested at the end of the system) by state law. We maintain a level of 1.5 through 2.5 at the source (tested at the beginning of the system). Our chlorine levels are tested daily to ensure safety. Unless you hear of a "boil water" notice from an emergency situation, your water will always be safe to drink.

Question: Why does my hot water smell funny?
Answer: Most likely your water heater needs to be flushed. This should be done once a year. CAUTION: If you plan on doing this yourself, read the owners manual to keep from being harmed and/or damaging the water heater.

Question: Why does it have a "previous balance" when I know I sent my payment?
Answer: We may have received it after the due date or we may not have received it at all. Call our office and we will help you solve this problem.

Question: I couldn't have used this much water!
Answer: You may not have - numbers can be transposed or hard to read. We can fix it! Or, you could have a leaky toilet that's difficult to detect. Just call the office, we'll help you figure it out!