The Texas Water Association Dedicates its 81st Annual Convention to Jon Niermann

The Texas Water Association dedicated its 81st Annual TWA Convention to Vinson & Elkins Partner Jon Niermann, whose practice focuses on Environmental & Natural Resources, honoring him at the March 6, 2025, event in Austin, Texas.

The organization said the recognition — its highest honor— reflects Niermann’s profound impact on Texas water and cites his dedication and service during his tenure as chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Niermann chaired the TCEQ from 2018 to 2024, after his 2015 appointment to the commission. The commission is responsible for taking final action on permitting, enforcement and rulemaking matters and for overseeing the agency’s implementation of state and federally delegated environmental laws. These responsibilities include air and waste regulations, as well as water quality planning and permitting, water rights administration, and safe drinking water regulation.

At Vinson & Elkins, Niermann handles matters such as advising project developers on permitting, defending enforcement actions, managing water rights, and ensuring regulatory compliance across environmental media.

In accepting his award, Niermann said, “It is very kind of TWA to recognize me in this way. However, anything we accomplished is due to the talented men and women who served with me. I consider them to be the heroes of Texas water, a group of heroes that would be bigger if I knew each your stories. Thank you for everything you do to protect Texas’s waters and work toward a resilient and abundant water future for Texas.”