New Commissioners, Jessica Babendure and Jonathan Zitzmann, will serve out two unexpired terms.

Jessica Babendure and Jonathan Zitzmann are the newest Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7 (HCESD7) Commissioners. They were sworn in at the December 18, 2025 board meeting held at the Spring Fire Department Administration Building.

Babendure has served on the board of the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (TESRS) and Zitzmann is Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle’s Chief Deputy. Both are thrilled to serve Spring and ensure local tax dollars provide the highest level of fire suppression, emergency medical, rescue and risk reduction services here in Spring.

“It is a blessing so many qualified residents wanted to serve and the board sincerely thanks all who interviewed for these two open board positions,” said HCESD7 Board President Melanie Gander. “Now that our new commissioners have been selected, we look forward to their contribution to our board, our community and the Spring Fire Department.”

A suburban Chicago native, Babendure has called Spring home since 2007 when she moved here to support her future husband, Shawn Babendure. Shawn served Spring Fire Department for over a decade, rising to the position of District Chief before he passed away in 2020. Jessica frequently volunteered at department events but said her most difficult work was caring for her husband during his almost two-year battle with brain cancer.

Public Safety is Zitzmann’s calling. A longtime member of the Spring community, he is passionate about mentoring future first responders and being a strong advocate for Spring taxpayers. Zitzmann teaches criminal justice students at multiple universities and colleges. Jonathan also serves as the Chief Deputy for Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle, where he oversees operations for nearly 750,000 residents. Chief Zitzmann previously was a Captain with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s and the Madisonville Police Department Assistant Chief.

“It is awesome that these two longtime Spring residents want to serve our community,” said Spring Fire Chief Scott Seifert. “Our newest commissioners bring a wealth of experience, department and community knowledge to our governing board. We are excited to begin working with them.”