Mayor Parker announces transition leadership

Focus on METRO, transportation

Jay Blazek Crossley, Jan 13, 10.

City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced the leadership of the 8 committees that will be the focus of her transition efforts, according to the Houston Chronicle. The largest group of names were given for the committee that will focus on transportation and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.

Leading the committee will be former City of Houston Controller George Greanias who at the time fought with Mayor Bob Lanier over Lanier’s diversion of transit funds to the general mobility fund. Minister Robert Muhammad, a consultant with METRO and community organizer, has estimated this diversion has amounted to around $2.5 billion of local funding diverted from transit, which would normally also have garnered an additional $2.5 billion in Federal funding to the region.

The Houston Chronicle noted in particular that former City Council Member and Mayoral Candidate Peter Brown will chair the Housing and Community Development Committee and former US Congressman Chris Bell will co-chair the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.

More from KUHF radio: Parker targets METRO for overhaul

The full list of transition committee appointees, according to the Houston Chronicle:

Housing & Community Development
Peter Brown
Pastor Rudy Rasmus

Intergovernmental Relations
Chris Bell
Catherine Mosbacher

Neighborhood Protection
Bob Fretz
Debbie Allen

Permitting
Edwin Friedrichs
Frank Liu

Public Works
Wayne Klotz
Adrian Patterson

Density & Development
Chris Amandes
Peggy Foreman

Metro/Transportation
George Greanias, Chair
Jim Moncur, Funding Structure Chair
Allen Watson, Regional Coordination Chair
Theldon Branch, Basic Services Chair
Eric Boutte, Light Rail Punch List Chair

MWBE Contracting
Truman Edminster
Renee Logans

Transition Chairs and Team Members
Rep. Garnet Coleman
Nancy Kinder
Gilbert Garcia
Katy Caldwell
Bob Eury
Barron Wallace
Kathryn McNiel
Margaret Menger