The Houston City Council has approved the third re-appointment of Houston attorney, businesswoman and civic leader Janiece Longoria to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Port authority commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.

Initially appointed in September 2002, Longoria chairs the International Business Development Task Force and also serves on the PHA Community Relations Task Force and the Small Business Committee.

“We welcome Commissioner Longoria’s return,” says PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds. “She brings with her a wealth of professional knowledge and a proven track record of accomplishment.”

Houston Mayor Bill White applauded Longoria for “her hard work and willingness to serve the port.”

“She is a proven leader and a true public servant,” White says.

City Councilmember James Rodriguez, who sponsored Longoria’s reappointment, had high praise for the commissioner and the work she has done.

“She is energetic, enthusiastic and a persistent advocate for the betterment of the entire Houston community,” he says.

Longoria thanked the mayor and members of the city council for “their continued confidence in my role as a commissioner for the Port of Houston and their recognition of the Port’s important role in furthering commerce, trade and economic growth in our great city.”

“There are still challenges ahead of us and I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners to meet those challenges,” she says.

Longoria is a lawyer and a partner in the law firm of Ogden, Gibson, Broocks & Longoria, LLP. Among a select group of women lawyers across the United States who have served with distinction as independent directors of public companies and have worked to advance the value of diversity in board positions, Longoria is a recipient of the 2008 Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award.

Longoria serves on the Board of Directors of Centerpoint Energy, Inc., the third largest publicly traded natural gas delivery company in the U.S., and the provider of electricity transmission and distribution service for the Houston metropolitan area. As a member of the board of directors, she serves on Centerpoint Energy’s audit and finance committees, and is also a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.

She also serves as one of nine members of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, which oversees nine educational campuses, and six medical institutions. She serves on the Audit, Compliance and Management Review Committee, the Finance and Planning Committee; and the Facilities Planning & Construction Committee.

She also serves on the board of directors of The Greater Houston Partnership, the greater Houston region’s leading chamber of commerce. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committees of the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Heritage Society of Houston Harris County. Longoria has formerly served as a director of numerous other charitable organizations including the Houston Symphony, The Houston Symphony Endowment, Texas Accountants & Lawyers for the Arts, The University of Saint Thomas President’s Advisory Council, Contemporary Arts Museum, Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Houston Hispanic Forum, San Jacinto Girl Scout Council, and Hispanic Women in Leadership.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Texas and a doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Texas’ School of Law. She is a Founder of the University of Texas Center For Women In Law.