New leadership for LAT
The Lumbermen’s Association of Texas and Louisiana (LAT), announced today that it has selected Mireya Zapata to lead the organization. The LAT advocates for lumber and building material dealers.
Zapata succeeds Barbara Douglas, who in June retired from LAT after 30 years at the helm of the organization.
"Mireya has already, in her short time as director, made huge strides in connecting LAT with current dealers and prospective members in the Texas market,” said Chris Miller, president of the LAT board of directors and VP of operations South & West for U.S. LBM Holdings, LLC. “We are so excited to have such a professional and hardworking director leading the charge for independent lumber dealers."
“LAT has been so key to McCoy’s keeping up with our industry and the special people in the business,” said Brian McCoy, LAT director and president and CEO of McCoy’s Building Supply. “I’m excited for our association to have Mireya’s leadership to guide our future.”
Miller and McCoy, as members of LAT’s executive committee, led the search process. Zapata was most recently with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a health care non-profit and the world’s largest funder of MS research, where she served as executive VP. During her 6-year tenure she led the organization’s government affairs, marketing and volunteer engagement functions in a 5-state region. She has 18 years of government affairs experience that includes passing legislation in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, representing interest groups in the U.S. Congress and 8 years as Chief of Staff for a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
“I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to lead LAT in building a stronger network of dealers and to move forward our mission of advancing an economy where lumber dealers and builders thrive,” said Zapata, who takes on the title of executive VP for the Austin, Texas-based association. “LAT is also well-positioned to support and connect the next generation of industry leaders.”