Houston City Council approved the appointment of Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock as board chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County during a Feb. 21 council meeting.

METRO operates approximately 83 local bus routes, 31 commuter bus routes, three light rail lines and one bus rapid transit line across 1,309 square miles of Harris County.

Marking a milestone

According to the city of Houston Mayor's Office of Communications, Brock is the first Hispanic woman to chair the state's largest transit authority.

"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," she said in a news release. "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."


Some details

Brock serves as vice president of Utility Infrastructure Planning and Policy at CenterPoint Energy. Prior to CenterPoint, she worked in a variety of leadership positions at places such as:
  • Reliant Energy
  • Texas Southern University
  • University of Houston
She graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in political science. Other items on her resume include being a:
  • Board member of the Houston First Corporation since 2017
  • Founding member and chair of Evolve Houston, a local nonprofit dedicated to enhancing air quality by promoting electric vehicles
  • Former board member of the Greater Houston Area Women's Chamber of Commerce
  • Board member of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas
What they're saying

Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced his plans to appoint Brock during a Feb. 13 council meeting, calling her "the leader we need for METRO today."

"[Brock] brings a 'customer first' mindset, which is exactly the thinking our community deserves," 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 will replace Sanjay Ramabhadran, whose term as METRO's chair has expired.