Comptroller Glenn Hegar Receives the 2024 Rainmaker of the Year Award
Austin, Texas - On September 24th, 2024 Texas Water Foundation proudly recognized Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar as the 10th Rainmaker of the Year. Surrounded by more than 300 water champions at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, TX, the event’s theme was dedicated to the connection between Texas water and the economy.
The Rainmaker Award is given to leaders who have made exceptional contributions and long-lasting impacts for Texas water. Comptroller Glenn Hegar, a sixth-generation farmer and former Texas legislator, has made significant strides to bring water to the forefront of the economic conversation. His 2023 Good for Texas Tour and accompanying “Texas Water: Present and Future Needs 2023” policy study add to a long list of dedicated water work contributed by Comptroller Hegar during his tenure as a public servant (see full bio below).
"As a state legislator and as State Comptroller, Glenn Hegar has always put a priority on educating himself and all Texans about the state's water resources and the need to conserve, protect, and secure those resources for future generations." - Ken Kramer, Former Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The 2024 Rainmaker evening was dedicated to connecting and inspiring our state’s water champions towards a more secure water future. Comptroller Glenn Hegar was honored with speeches and toasts from his colleagues 2023 Rainmaker recipients Senator Charles Perry and Representative Tracy O. King, 2021 Rainmaker Recipient Texas Water Development Board Chairwoman Brooke Paup, and Comptroller Hegar’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Craven.
Thank you to all who joined us on September 24th to celebrate the accomplishments of Comptroller Glenn Hegar. Each year, Texas Water Foundation is energized by the shared passion for Texas water. An additional thank you as well to all of our sponsors who make this event possible.
“The future of Texas, the future of our economy, the future of this great State, is going to depend on durable infrastructure and water”, Glenn Hegar, 2024.
About Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar
Comptroller Glenn Hegar has always known that Water is Good for Texas, and has been a champion for locally-driven, science-based, and fiscally sound solutions to water issues his entire career.
In 2005 and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Hegar worked with Senator Ken Armbrister to create the North Fort Bend Water Authority to reduce groundwater pumping and subsidence.
In 2007 and as a member of the Texas Senate, Hegar worked with Representative Robert R. Puente to create the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program (EARIP). It allowed stakeholders from San Antonio Bay to Uvalde to reach consensus on a plan to manage the aquifer, and ensure that two million people, industry, farms, springs, and endemic species would have reliable water. It was supported by industry, agriculture, cities, and environmental groups. Hegar maintained an active role throughout the five-year stakeholder process, which is often cited as a model for the nation.
In 2009 and 2011, Hegar served on the Texas Sunset Advisory Committee as Vice Chair and then Chair. Along the way, he reviewed Texas’ state water agencies.
In 2013, Hegar served as a Senate Conferee on House Bill 4, which created two special funds outside of the state treasury to be used by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to implement the State Water Plan; the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT).
In November of 2014, Hegar was elected Texas Comptroller and raised the profile of water as a crucial economic issue. Over the years, he has encouraged his former colleagues in the House and Senate to invest in infrastructure and conservation.
In 2023, the Comptroller's office published “Texas Water: Present and Future Needs 2023” and dedicated a statewide “Good for Texas Tour” to the importance of water to the Texas economy. As we look towards 2025 and another anticipated budget surplus, we hope statewide leaders will follow the Comptroller’s lead, and prioritize water.
Hegar is a sixth-generation farmer who grew up on land his family has held since the mid-1800s. He’s a 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University. He earned his law degree at St. Mary’s University and a Master of Laws from the University of Arkansas. He and his wife Dara are proud parents of Claire, Julia, and Jonah.
