Mayor's Press Release
Mayor Whitmire to Appoint Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock as Chair of METRO
February 13, 2024 -- Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced today his appointment of Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock as Board Chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston METRO), pending City Council and board approval. She would be the first Hispanic woman to Chair the state's largest transit authority, which has a 1,309-square-mile service area and an annual budget of $ 1.6 billion.
"Elizabeth is the leader we need for METRO today. She brings a 'customer first' mindset, which is exactly the thinking our community deserves," Mayor Whitmire said. "Safety and reliability are key for all who depend on or commute alongside public transportation. I am confident that Elizabeth will use her results-driven expertise to drive METRO to deliver a user-friendly and fiscally responsible transit system to all. She understands that my priority is providing mobility options for all Houstonians."
Brock is Vice President of Utility Infrastructure Planning and Policy at CenterPoint Energy. In this role, she supports the company's capital planning needs. Her responsibilities have ranged from leading large customer service, business, and economic development, and local relation initiatives for six states and over 100 cities in her service territory, which include cultivating opportunities for the company's energy efficiency programs, emerging energy technologies, and resilient infrastructure planning. Before joining CenterPoint Energy, Brock held leadership positions at Reliant Energy, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston. She graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in political science.
"I am grateful to Mayor Whitmire for the honor and opportunity to lead METRO as Board Chair and to be entrusted with this important responsibility. By appointing the first Hispanic woman in this role, the mayor confirms his commitment to identifying experienced, qualified, and diverse individuals to serve our city and his administration," Brock said. "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."
Brock has been a member of the Board of Houston First Corporation since 2017. She was a founding member and Chair of Evolve Houston, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing air quality by promoting and adopting electric vehicles. Brock's other leadership positions include serving as a board member of the Greater Houston Area Women's Chamber, which she chaired in 2019, and as a board member of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas.
Brock will replace Sanjay Ramabhadran, whose term as METRO's Chair has expired. Mayor Whitmire thanks him for his service to the people of Houston.