Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TX – Noel Bernal, Brownsville City Manager, was newly appointed to serve on the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) Board of Trustees Place 1 with a term through 2025. “The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) is an organization of 2,800+ members who came together nearly 50 years ago to address and finance the risk management interests of local governments in Texas. TMLIRP’s membership is diverse, both geographically and in terms of the types of members. Noel Bernal has distinguished himself in the city management profession, and the Pool is fortunate to have Mr. Bernal join a Board of other dedicated city managers, mayors and citizens to shape the direction of the Pool for the future,” said Jeff Thompson, Executive Director of the TMLIRP board.
The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) is the central provider of liability, workers’ compensation, as well as property coverage for most cities in the state. The organization also provides numerous training programs for local governments in Texas. TMLIRP, founded in 1974, is the largest pool of its type in the United States, serving over 2800 governments and political subdivisions.
“The state of Texas has a strong reputation for providing pooled services to local governments that enhances services to our communities. The Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) is a shining example of pooled benefit services to cities across several instrumental insurance products. I am honored to join this esteemed board,” said Bernal.
Since his appointment as Brownsville City Manager in October 2018, he has spearheaded the development of an organizational culture leading to innovation and progress through initiatives such as a debt restructuring creating over $30 million of capacity for infrastructure investments, a retooled Capital Improvement Plan for reinvestment in organizational needs, implementation of a Unified Development Code, technology upgrades for enhanced efficiency and productivity, development of two tax-increment reinvestment zones – one for downtown and one for a 1300 master-planned development, and management support for implementation of a middle-mile municipal broadband network.
Mr. Bernal has served communities in South, Central, and North Texas throughout his 10-year professional career in public service in an executive leadership capacity, including as City Administrator of La Villa, Falfurrias serving as the first City Administrator, Assistant City Manager for Taylor, a growing suburb in the Austin Round-Rock metropolitan area, and Deputy City Manager for Coppell in the Dallas Fort-Worth metropolitan area.
He received an undergraduate degree and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas-Pan American. He is a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association, a Certified Public Manager through the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University and graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.
Mr. Bernal’s professional involvement includes being a member of the International City County Management Association (ICMA) where he serves as Chair of the Technology and Innovation Advisory Board, and Texas City Management Association (TCMA) serving as Chair of the TCMA Allies Committee. He serves on the Board of Directors for the International Hispanic Network (IHN) and Institute for Building & Technology Safety (IBTS) as ICMA representative. He is a 2011 Texas City Management Association Clarence E. Ridley Scholar.
