Reid, Spencer, 1954-2010

Spencer Lloyd Reid (1954-2010), lawyer and general counsel for the Texas General Land Office and the State of Texas, was born in Lamesa, Texas to Bill and Alice Reid. Reid graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976, and in 1979 he graduated from the University of Texas Law School and became a member of the state bar. Reid worked for the state of Texas his entire career, starting with a position as Assistant Sergeant at Arms for the Texas House in 1972. Reid’s service at the General Land Office ran from 1979-2003 under Land Commissioners Bob Armstrong, Garry Mauro, and David Dewhurst. He was first hired as staff attorney in 1979, and promoted to Land Resources Supervisor in the legal division in 1983. In 1985 he was made Director of Asset Analysis and Disposition in the new Asset Management Division. In 1988 Reid became Deputy Commissioner of the Asset Management Division. From 1994-1998 Reid served as Senior Deputy Commissioner over several divisions, including Asset Management, Oil Spill Prevention and Response, Energy Resources, and the Veterans Land Board. In 1999 Reid became Senior Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Professional Services, over Legal, Appraisal, Surveying, and Asset Inspection divisions. Reid’s responsibilities at the General Land Office also included serving as General Counsel from 1996 and Chief Clerk from 1998 until his departure from the General Land Office in 2003. He then served as General Counsel for Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.

Reid served as director of asset analysis and disposition and then deputy Commissioner of the Asset Management Program Area, which was created in in 1985. The program area was organized to comply with legislation charging the GLO with managing all state-owned lands, regardless of the owning agency. This change in mandate created several new and expanded duties of the land office. The office began investigating the earnings and production of state-owned mineral land in West Texas, made land sales and trades as necessary, and improved state-owned lands in urban areas.