City Controller Sylvia R. Garcia will join the presidential delegation at the official ceremony in Panama on December 14, 1999 during which the Panama Canal will be transferred from U.S. ownership to that of the Panamanian government. Controller Garcia will join government and elected officials and special guests at the document-signing ceremony at the Miraflores Locks for speeches by the Honorable Jimmy Carter, Madeleine Albright and Mireya Moscoso of Panama.

President Clinton invited the Controller, who is the second-highest ranking elected official in Houston City government and its highest-ranking Hispanic. The Controller visited Panama City and the Canal earlier this year during an economic development tour sponsored by Houston International Intiatives.

As Houston's chief financial officer, Controller Garcia has a keen interest in economic development. Houston's proximity to Mexico, Central and South America give it an advantage in developing close ties with these countries and serving as a powerful link between Latin and North America. Controller Garcia plans to use this trip to strenthen existing trading ties and build new ones between Houston, Washington D.C. and the burgeoning economies south of the border.