Mark Conlee Interview – January 20, 2010

Bryan City Council Comments Following Their Unanimous Vote To Hire Former Mayor Andrew Nelson As City Manager

The Bryan city council unanimously votes to approve the hiring of former mayor as city manager. All seven members commented on the selection during their November 11th meeting. Nelson, whose first day on the job is November 24th, did not make any comments during the council meeting. WTAW News has asked for a copy of the council’s employment contract with Nelson. A city spokeswoman says that will be sent when it is fully executed. Click below to hear comments from the November 11, 2025 Bryan city council meeting. Listen to “Bryan city council comments after unanimously approving the hiring of former mayor Andrew Nelson as city manager” on Spreaker. News release from the city of Bryan: The Bryan City Council voted Tuesday, Nov. 11, to appoint Andrew Nelson as the next city manager. Nelson, who stepped down from his role as chief executive officer of Lisam America, Inc., will begin his duties with the City of Bryan on Nov. 24. “It has been an honor serving my team and customers at Lisam America these past 15 years, but my heart is calling me home to once again serve the City of Bryan,” Nelson said. “I look forward to leading our dedicated staff who serve our community with passion and purpose.” Nelson founded the U.S. operations for Lisam Systems Group in 2010 and led the company’s growth from a startup to the largest and fastest-growing branch within a 21-country global enterprise. Before that, he founded and served as chief executive officer of TomorrowNow, Inc. from 1998 to 2007, guiding the company from inception to multi-million-dollar annual revenues before its sale to SAP, the world’s largest enterprise software company. Nelson served as mayor of Bryan from 2016 to 2022, working with the City Council and staff to navigate historic challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uri. During his tenure, the city completed the major annexation of the Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus and transformative initiatives such as Travis Bryan Midtown Park, Legends Event Center, Destination Bryan, and infrastructure investments that created long-term improvements without raising the property tax rate. “Bryan operates like a business in many ways and we take pride in working at the speed of business,” Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said. “Private-sector experience has proven valuable in city leadership. Kean Register, Bryan’s longest-serving city manager, came from that background, and Andrew Nelson brings that same perspective and business mindset. The council and I are confident he will continue that tradition of strategic, forward-looking decisions that keep Bryan efficient, innovative, and positioned for a strong future.” Nelson grew up in Bryan-College Station and earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 1992. He returned to the Brazos Valley in 2001 and has lived in Bryan for the past 24 years. He has served in several city and utility leadership roles, including president of the Texas Municipal Power Agency, board member of Bryan Texas Utilities, and as a member of city committees including Strategic Planning, Bryan Business Council, Animal Committee, and Destination Bryan Board. Deputy City Manager Hugh Walker has been serving as acting city manager since Nov. 3 following Kean Register’s retirement.

College Station City Council Agrees To Look For A Promoter For Live Entertainment At Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater

The College Station city council agrees to look for a promoter to stage events at the Wolf Pen Creek amphitheater. A draft request for proposal (RFP) form was approved at the council’s October 23rd meeting. The request was made by the city’s chief development officer, Michael Ostrowski, drew comments from mayor John Nichols, councilmembers Bob Yancy and Melissa McIlhaney, and city manager Bryan Woods. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the October 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting. Click HERE to read and download background information from the October 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting. The draft RFP calls for a promoter to produce a minimum of six to ten events per calendar year where the promoter would “identify, book, and schedule a diverse range of live entertainment acts, including concerts (all genres), comedy shows, theatrical performances, and other cultural events, suitable for a broad audience.” The promoter would also be responsible for “making significant capital improvements to the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater to enhance the patron experience and increase the venue’s capacity and appeal.” Interested promoters are also responsible to “clearly indicate any financial support being sought form the City for the construction of mandatory or optional improvements.” Additionally, the draft RFP says “the promoter shall propose an annual fee to be paid to the City of College Station for the exclusive rights to program the amphitheater” and “propose a revenue-sharing model with the City for ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and other revenue streams generated from events.” Click below to hear comments from the October 23, 2025 College Station city council meeting. Listen to “College Station city council agrees to look for a promoter for live entertainment at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater” on Spreaker. Additional information from the city of College Station blog post summarizing the October 23, 2025 council meeting: The Council unanimously approved a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a live entertainment promoter to manage programming at the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Earlier this year, the City received an unsolicited proposal from a promoter interested in overseeing live entertainment operations at the venue. Staff prepared the draft RFP to initiate a competitive solicitation process. The Council is being asked for feedback, comments, and direction regarding the scope, structure, scoring, and language of the draft RFP. Costs associated with the RFP are not included in the City budget. After responses are received and evaluated, the potential annual fee, revenue sharing, and capital impact should be considered.

More Republican Campaign Announcements For 2026 Positions Affecting Brazos County

There are now at least three Republican candidates for Brazos County commissioner in precinct two. Jordan Januse, who runs a home cleaning company, joins Kyle Greenwood and Jeff Murski in the GOP primary next March for what will be a vacancy with the retirement of Chuck Konderla. Another Republican campaign announcement is for Brazos County justice of the peace in precinct three. Local attorney Kim Russell is seeking what will be a vacancy with the retirement of Rick Hill. A third campaign announcement involves chairing the Brazos County Republican Party. Silas Garrett Junior owns George’s Paint and Body in Bryan. And a Huntsville businessowner adds his name to the growing list of Republicans who are seeking the congressional seat that will open with the retirement of Michael McCaul. Ben Bius joins eight others who are listed on the Ballotpedia website.