DETCOG President, Angelina County Judge, Wes Suiter has been named the 2016 Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year. The 2015 recipient of the award, Texas State Representative James White, made the announcement at the DETCOG annual membership meeting Thursday in Lufkin.
Judge Suiter started his career in Public service in 1980 with the Diboll Police Department. He became Chief of Police for the City of Cibolo, a suburb of San Antonio, in 1989. He was later named their Director of Public Safety. During his tenure with the City of Cibolo he served as Interim City Administrator, twice, before returning home to Lufkin, Texas.
In 2006 Suiter was elected to the office of County Judge for Angelina County. He is currently serving his third term.
Judge Suiter has served as a member of the Texas County Judges Judicial Education, served on the board of the National Association of Regional Councils and President of the Texas Association of Regional Councils where he guided the search for their new Executive Director. He has served the last four years as the President of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
The Ralph W. Steen Memorial East Texan of the Year Award has become one of the most prestigious and longest running, recognitions bestowed in Deep East Texas. Each year past recipients cast ballots to select who will receive the award from nominations received from the twelve county DETCOG region.
