AUSTIN– Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Marcella Burke and reappointed Gilbert “Gil” Burciaga to the School Land Board for terms set to expire on August 29, 2023. The Board manages the acquisition, sale, and mineral leasing of the lands that comprise the Permanent School Fund, which contributes billions of dollars each year to public education in Texas.

Marcella Burke of Houston is founder and partner of Burke Law Group PLLC, a full-service energy and environmental law firm. She began her legal career as an energy attorney in AmLaw 100 law firms, where she earned equity partnership. She worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency in senior roles and previously participated in numerous judicial clerkships and externships. She serves in leadership roles with the State Bar of Texas Environmental Division, Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, and the Institute for Energy Law. Additionally, she is the founder of the Marcella Burke Law Mom Endowment at the University of Houston Law Center and Marcella Burke Chickasaw National Family Flourishing Endowment, both of which support women with children in law school. She volunteers as an ambassador for Sky High 4 Kids and as a board member for the Federalist Society Houston Lawyers Chapter. Burke received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, as well as two fellowships in Constitutional Law. 

Gilbert “Gil” Burciaga of Austin is the chairman of ARM Energy, LLC. He currently serves as a board member for the TreCare Pregnancy Center. Governor Abbott first appointed him to the School Land Board in 2015. Burciaga received a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University.