Melanie Gander
President, Elected
Melanie Gander has been a resident of the Spring community since 2006, currently residing in the Auburn Lakes Subdivision. Shortly after graduating High School in California, she moved to Texas with her parents. She received her bachelors of science degree in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She then received her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of St. Francis. She has been a registered nurse with Memorial Hermann Health System for almost 20 years. She served in multiple different roles over those years and currently is the Director of Operations for the systems Trauma Service Line. Prior to her current role she served as the Director of Emergency and Critical Care Services at Memorial Hermann the Woodlands. During her time at Memorial Hermann the Woodlands she was voted as one of the Top 20 nurses in district 9 of the Texas Nurses Association. She received this honor for her work in lobbying for better care and resources for the mentally ill and victims of sexual assault. Melanie remains dedicated to ensuring that her community has the needed resources to provide the best possible care to the residents of Spring.
Melanie is married to Jason Gander, who is a Houston Firefighter/Paramedic. They have two children. When not on the sidelines at their sons’ soccer games they can be found on the golf course at Augusta Pines with both of their children.
Contact Information
E-mail: Melanie.Gander@hcesd7.org
Address: 656 East Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77373
Phone: 281.350.3210
Jessica Babendure
Vice President, Elected
Jessica Babendure is excited to serve Spring and ensure local tax dollars provide the highest level of fire suppression, emergency medical care and risk reduction.
A suburban Chicago native, Jessica has called Spring home since 2007 when Jessica and her soon-to-be husband, Shawn, moved to Spring so he could volunteer with the Spring Fire Department. Ten years later Shawn Babendure was named District Chief of Volunteers. Jessica has been a stay-at-home mom to their children since 2011. Her most difficult work was caring for her husband during his almost to two year battle with brain cancer before he passed away in 2020.
The Babendure family’s unwavering support for the Spring Fire Department has continued with Jessica’s service on the board of the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESRS) and now as a Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7 commissioner.
Jessica earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Masters of Music in Trombone Performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder before moving to Texas to start her music career where she focused on teaching private lessons to promising young musicians in The Woodlands.
An avid quilter, Jessica enjoys making and donating quilts to Klein ISD students in need. While her two children keep her very busy, she finds time for public service, pilates and trying out new Spring restaurants or coffee shops.
Contact Information
E-mail: Jessica.Babendure@hcesd7.org
Address: 656 East Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77373
Phone: 281.350.3210
Jonathan Zitzmann
Secretary, Elected
Public Safety is Jonathan Zitzmann’s calling. He is honored to serve as a Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7 Commissioner.
Jonathan is the Chief Deputy for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, where he oversees all operations for nearly 750,000 residents. Before his current role with Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle, Chief Zitzmann was a Captain at the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office and Assistant Chief at the Madisonville Police Department.
Chief Zitzmann holds a Master of Public Administration from Sam Houston State University, a Master of Science in Applied Criminology from East Texas A&M University and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command. He also holds many law enforcement awards and certifications and is a Master Peace Officer. He is passionate about teaching future first responders and serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching graduate and undergraduate criminal justice and public administration courses at multiple universities.
Jonathan and his wife, Kayla, are the proud parents of three daughters, members of Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church and committed to serving their community. Joining the HCESD7 board is an important way Jonathan can use his passion for public safety to support the first responders who take care of his family while being a strong advocate for Spring taxpayers.
Contact Information
E-mail: Jonathan.Zitzmann@hcesd7.org
Address: 656 East Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77373
Phone: 281.350.3210
David Mills
Treasurer, Elected
A resident of Spring since 2007, David Mills has owned and operated a local construction business since 2010. After completing his bachelor’s degree in construction science, David worked in large commercial construction before finding his passion as a residential homebuilder and remodeler. He thrives on building relationships with his customers and community through church volunteer work, coaching youth sports, and the Kailee Mills Foundation that David and his wife, Wendy, founded after the death of their daughter, Kailee, in a 2017 car accident. The Kailee Mills Foundation has grown into a national effort to educate the public on the importance of seat belts. The non-profit also assists families dealing with the tragedy of losing a loved one in a fatal crash by providing grief counseling, scholarships, school programs, financial assistance, as well as support for first responders.
In 2017, David was appointed to the Encanto Real Utility District board and was re-elected in 2020. He has worked to reduce the tax rate while making continuous improvements. His passion for safety led him to get involved in Harris County ESD No. 7 where he is committed to continuing to improve emergency response for his community.
Contact Information
E-mail: David.Mills@hcesd7.org
Address: 656 East Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77373
Phone: 281.350.3210
Bob Schmanski
Assistant Treasurer, Elected
Bob Schmanski is currently a Senior Loss Control Consultant for an insurance company which places insurance on manufacturing, real estate, healthcare, public entity, communications, habitational and general industrial properties. After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1983 with a Bachelors in Fire Protection and Safety Bob moved to Texas and has spend most of his professional career in the Insurance Industry as a Risk Engineer and Underwriter. Bob holds a Certified Fire Protection Specialist designation from the National Fire Protection Association. Bob has been involved as a volunteer in the fire service in multiple capacities since 1980 and has been a volunteer with Ponderosa Fire Department since 1986. In addition to his volunteering in the fire department, Bob is the Chartering Organization Representative for the Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Association for Boy Scout Troop 62. Having earned the rank of Eagle in 1979, helping start a new Boy Scout Troop which is Chartered by a Fire Department allows Bob to stay active in Boy Scouting. Bob and his wife, Dana, have two children, Jared and Madison.
Contact Information
E-mail: Bob.Schmanski@springfd.org
Address: 656 East Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77373
Phone: 281.350.3210