Weathermatic Names Lex Mason Chief Executive Officer

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2026--

Weathermatic has named Lex Mason Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, succeeding Mike Mason, who transitions to Chairman of the Board. Lex Mason previously served as President, where he played a central role in reshaping the company from an irrigation equipment manufacturer into a technology partner for the commercial landscape and property management industries.

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Weathermatic, a Telsco Industries company, has operated for more than 80 years as a provider of water management solutions for the commercial landscaping and property management industries. The transition reflects the company's confidence in the direction Lex Mason has helped set and its commitment to the contractor partnerships and technology investments that define its next chapter.

Among Lex Mason's most significant contributions as President was his role in building Weathermatic's Landscaper Partner Program from the ground up. The program now supports hundreds of landscape contractors across the country, giving irrigation departments the technology, training, and support infrastructure to run more profitable, efficient operations. For contractors, that has meant measurable improvements in how they sell, manage, and grow their irrigation services. For Weathermatic, it redefined what the company is. Weathermatic is no longer just a manufacturer selling product through the channel, it’s a technology partner focused on long-term relationships with the contractors who install and service its systems.

"I’ve grown up in this business. The decisions landscape contractors and real estate professionals make today about irrigation and labor automation technology will define what their businesses look like for the next decade. Weathermatic exists to make sure our partners are on the right side of this radical market correction," said Lex Mason.

"What Lex has built during his time as EVP of Sales and President is unprecedented in Weathermatic's 80-year history. He has transformed how this company operates, how it scales, and how it serves its partners. As his father, watching him earn this role through integrity, hard work, and a level of drive that most people never find, there are no words adequate to express how proud I am," said Mike Mason, Chairman of the Board.

"Lex is stepping into the CEO role at a critical juncture in our company’s history with our recent infusion of growth capital from new minority equity partners. Lex’s proven visionary leadership in guiding the evolution of Weathermatic into a technology company combined with the addition of growth capital has enabled a step-up in the acceleration of our growth. Additionally, his ability to attract and inspire an executive team of experienced executives has been critical to elevating our people and processes to support our customers and company vision,” said Darryl Halbert, Chief Financial Officer.

The SmartLink platform sits at the center of that evolution. Designed for commercial-scale irrigation management, SmartLink gives contractors and property managers remote monitoring, real-time water use data, and system control across multiple sites. It is the product foundation of Weathermatic's partner model and a core reason contractors choose to build their irrigation departments around the company's ecosystem rather than simply purchasing equipment.

About Weathermatic Weathermatic is a leading provider of smart irrigation technology for commercial and residential applications, with more than 80 years of experience serving the landscape industry. The company's SmartLink platform delivers remote monitoring, water management, and efficiency solutions for landscape contractors and property managers nationwide. Weathermatic is a Telsco Industries company. Learn more at weathermatic.com.

Weathermatic Names Lex Mason Chief Executive Officer

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Oprah Winfrey says she will close the school for underprivileged girls she set up in South Africa two decades ago at the end of next year.

Winfrey opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007 after being inspired by conversations with former South African President Nelson Mandela about the transformative power of educating girls. He was among the guests at the school's opening ceremony.

Winfrey's charitable foundation ran and funded the school, but it was always part of the agreement that the academy campus near Johannesburg be ultimately handed over to the provincial education department, the academy said.

“The dream was never simply to build a school,” Winfrey said in a statement issued by the academy on Thursday. “It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”

The academy said Winfrey’s commitment to educating South African girls would continue through an expanded national scholarship program supporting academically talented girls at leading schools across the country.

More than 500 girls have graduated from the academy and some have attended top universities in South Africa, the United States and Europe, according to the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation.

The Gauteng provincial government will take over the 52-acre academy campus, which has 21 classrooms, six science and computer laboratories, a 10,000-volume library and a 600-seat theater. It did not immediately say what the plans for the property were.

Gauteng Provincial Minister for Education Lebogang Maile said those currently enrolled in the school will be able to complete their education with uninterrupted financial support.

The academy drew international attention shortly after opening in 2007 when several students accused a dormitory matron of physically and sexually abusing them.

Winfrey traveled to South Africa to meet with students and parents, publicly apologized, and commissioned an independent investigation.

The matron was acquitted of criminal charges in 2010.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

FILE - Oprah Winfrey talks to students at her Leadership Academy for Girls at Henley-On-Klip South Africa, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 on the eve of the first graduation at her school. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, file)