County Judge Accepts Resignation of Will Conley, Appoints New Commissioner For Precinct 3

“I am honored to be appointed by Judge Cobb to this position,” Shell said.

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – Hays County Judge Bert Cobb, M.D., has appointed Lon Shell to succeed outgoing Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Conley, who officially resigned the position he has held since 2005 in order to run for County Judge in 2018. Cobb is not seeking re-election to a third term as Judge.

Shell is a Hays County native, local business owner, and has served as Hays County’s Chief of Staff for the past seven years, assisting county leadership on critical upgrade projects to the county’s roads and public safety, as well as disaster recovery efforts in the wake of devastating flood events in recent years. He is also President of the San Marcos Hays County EMS board, and serves on the steering committee for the Greater San Marcos Partnership’s Vision 2020.

“Over the past seven years, Hays County has benefitted tremendously from Mr. Shell’s experience as a businessman,” Cobb said. “His work ethic is amazing and I have great confidence that he will bring the kind of strong leadership and integrity we need to complete the important work at hand.”

“I am honored to be appointed by Judge Cobb to this position,” Shell said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working for the judge over these last few years, and I look forward to serving alongside him in my new role. This is a critical time for the Wimberley Valley and San Marcos, as we continue to recover from devastating floods, and work to dramatically improve our public safety and emergency services. It’s my privilege to lead these important efforts to make our families and community safer in the years to come,” Shell said.

As the county’s chief of staff, Shell said he is most proud of his work on the tax freeze for senior citizens, the recent adoption of the county’s lowest property tax rate in over 20 years, and the collaborative efforts to improve emergency communications. In addition to disaster recovery, he cited upgrades to public safety infrastructure, road safety improvements, and fiscal discipline as high priorities moving forward.

Outgoing commissioner Will Conley praised Shell’s selection. “I can’t think of a better, more capable person to continue the important work of this office,” Conley said.

As the newly-appointed Commissioner for Precinct 3, Shell will take office immediately. The position will be on the ballot in 2018 for the remainder of the unexpired term, which Shell indicated he intends to seek as a Republican.

Shell graduated from San Marcos High School before attending Texas A&M University (College Station) where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. After working in Houston and Dallas in the engineered equipment industry, he moved back to San Marcos to run his business and be near his parents and family farm. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a nine-year-old daughter, Katheleen, and are active members of First United Methodist Church of San Marcos.