Mayor John Whitmire names Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock to chair the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, an announcement that would etch her name in the history books as the first Hispanic woman to lead the state's biggest transit authority, with a sprawling service area and a whopping $1.6 billion budget, as per the mayor's office.
With the city council and METRO board's nod still pending, Brock, who holds the title of Vice President of Utility Infrastructure Planning and Policy at CenterPoint Energy, is lauded for her experience and ‘customer first’ mindset, Mayor Whitmire bets that she is just what METRO needs to evolve into a more user-friendly, safe, and dependable system that will bring about a transformative change in the way Houstonians commute, navigate and ultimately live within this vast Texan metropolis, she in her varied roles has led sweeping initiatives across several states and countless cities in her domain, with a focus on energy efficiency, forward-thinking technologies, and resilient infrastructure, according to a statement on the city's official website.
Backing her appointment, Whitmire underscored that "Elizabeth is the leader we need for METRO today. She brings a 'customer first' mindset, which is exactly the thinking our community deserves," and he stressed that her appointment signals his earnest commitment to introducing a transit system that echoes the sentiment of every Houstonian who puts their trust in the public transportation network for their daily mobility needs.
After a respectable stint at CenterPoint Energy, alongside leadership positions at Reliant Energy, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston, and not to mention her academic groundwork laid at the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Brock has proven her mettle in various governance capacities, including her engagement with Houston First Corporation since 2017 and as a driving force behind Evolve Houston, a nonprofit advocating for cleaner air through electric vehicle adoption, Brock is set to replace Sanjay Ramabhadran who has reached the end of his term, with the mayor extending his gratitude for the services rendered during his tenure, the city's announcement detailed.
Brock pledges, "I look forward to working collaboratively with the mayor, the METRO Board, and all levels of government to transform METRO into a best-in-class model of transit, accountability, and transparency. We will empower a strong management team that will drive measurable results and work directly with customers to understand their real needs to make public transit a safe, clean, and viable option for everyone."
