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GENERAL CONTRACTORS, THE PERSONAS.
THERE'S THE CITY HALL IN HOUSTON, THE LATINO TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY GROUP TAGS.
AND CHRISTINA, WELCOME TO NEXO LATINO GRACIA.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
HOW DID YOU LAND THE JOB AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TAG? WELL, IT, IT'S A GREAT JOB AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND IT WAS MY DESTINY.
I THINK ALL THINGS HAPPENED FOR A REASON.
UH, MY PARENTS INGRAINED IN ALL OF MY SIBLINGS AND I AN IMPORTANCE OF BEING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND ADVOCATING AND INVESTING IN OUR, THE WORLD AROUND US.
AND SO I HAPPENED UPON THE, SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVOLVED, AND THEY ASKED IF I WOULD BE WILLING TO JOIN THEM ON THIS EFFORT TO HELP EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WORKING IN STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, HAS REALLY HELPED KIND OF FINE TUNE ME TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL THAT ROLE.
WELL, I REMEMBER YOU WORKED VERY CLOSELY.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM
BACK WHEN, UH, BILL WHITE WAS THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON.
SO THAT'S A GREAT BACKGROUND TO START WITH.
SO AMONG YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES, WHAT, WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A NONPROFIT MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION? I THINK WE FACE THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT MANY OF THE OTHER NONPROFITS DO.
IT'S, IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUR PLAN, YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU STICK TO IT, BUT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE QUICKLY, THE WORLD CHANGES SO FAST AND STAYING AHEAD OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT COMES OUT.
UM, JUST ALSO ENSURING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FUNDRAISE AND MAKE SURE WE KEEP PEOPLE INVOLVED AND KEEPING TRANSPORTATION TOP, UH, TOP PRIORITY FOR THEM.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE SAME CHALLENGES, BUT WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT IT HAS BECOME KIND OF A REALLY HOT ISSUE AND WE HAVE REALLY MADE INROADS TO ALL COMMUNITIES AND ALL ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AND WHY IT SHOULD BE TOP OF MIND.
SOME PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
WHAT IS TRANSPORTATION AND WHY DOES IT IMPACT THE LIVES OF EVERY HOUSTONIAN? YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IS THE BACKBONE OF ALL COMMUNITIES.
ANYWHERE YOU LIVE IN A CITY OR IN A RURAL AREA, UM, IT'S THE BACKBONE.
IT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO GET TO WORK, GET TO SCHOOL, TO LIVE.
UM, IT'S THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND IT IS THE BASIS OF IT ALL.
WE LIVING IN THE GULF COAST REGION, WITH ALL THE STORMS THAT WE HAVE, WE KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE THAT IN A BLINK OF AN EYE, UM, WE WILL HAVE ISSUES OF, OF, OF FLOODING AND, AND WIND DAMAGE AND SO FORTH.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM THAT HAS MAINTENANCE, THAT HAS STAFFING INDIVIDUALS TO BE CARING FOR AND IT'S WELL THOUGHT OUT, WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING AND NOT ONLY SURVIVE, WE PROSPER.
SO WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT PROJECTS IN HOUSTON THAT ARE GONNA IMPACT THE LIVES OF MANY, MANY OF US RESIDENTS? WELL, I THINK THERE'S SO MANY, BUT THE N-H-I-I-P PROJECT THAT JUST GOT APPROVED AND IS MOVING FORWARD, WE
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JUST HAD A GROUNDBREAKING AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT THERE'S A STILL A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE IS THE I 45 EXPANDS AND GROWS THAT WE'RE DOING IT WITH COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT IT REALLY IS FORTUITOUS OF US AND KIND OF IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE THINKING WAY AHEAD AND MAKING SURE WHAT IS GONNA MAKE SENSE FOR HOUSTON, WHICH IS ALL POPULATION JUST CONTINUES TO GROW AND THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY IN INCREDIBLY DOUBLING PRACTICALLY BECAUSE IT'S A REGIONAL LOOK.A LOT OF FOLKS LIVE WORK IN WORK IN HOUSTON, BUT THEY LIVE IN OTHER COUNTIES.
BUT WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THE 45 PROJECT IS THAT IT'S LOOKING AHEAD AND THINKING NOT ONLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE CITY, THOSE THAT LIVE AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE IT'S PLANNED, UH, WHERE IT AFFECTS POSITIVELY FOR GROWTH AND FOR QUALITY OF LIFE.
I MEAN, A, A BIGGER, WIDER FREEWAY MAKES SENSE FOR MANY, MANY OF, OF US DRIVERS.
BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WALK, HAVE TO CYCLE YES.
WHAT ARE OTHER, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MULTIMODAL YEAH.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, EVEN WITHIN THE 45 PROJECT AND MULTIMODAL, THERE'S ALSO WITH THAT IS TAKING TO ACCOUNT EXACTLY.
THEY'RE WORKING TO HAND IN HAND WITH THE PARTNER AGENCIES LIKE METRO.
ANOTHER GREAT PROJECT GOING ON.
WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE A NEW CHAIRWOMAN, ELIZABETH GONZALEZ, BROCK, FELLOW LATINA, WHO HAS GROWN UP IN HOUSTON AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT PARTICULARLY METRO, THAT THE BUSES AND THE SERVICES THEY OFFER ARE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE IN ALL LANGUAGES, IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
SO I THINK THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND KIND OF, IT'S LIKE A NETWORK, RIGHT.
UM, OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY ALL COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER, UM, AND GIVE POSITIVE RESULTS FOR US AS HOUSTONIANS FOR OUR REGION AND FOR THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL HERE, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE, SO MANY HOUSTONIANS HAVE TO WALK THEIR CHILD TO SCHOOL.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES? WELL, PEDESTRIAN IS IN SAFETY.
SAFETY ACROSS THE BOARD IS A PRIORITY FOR US IN TAG AS WELL.
THINK FOR ALL OF OUR POLICY AGENCIES AND THE MANY, MANY COMPANIES THAT BELONG TO TAG, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SAFE BOTH IN THE, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE MAIN STREET.
AND SO WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WE WORK WITH OUR GOVERNMENT AND IN POLICY PLANNERS, WE MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY IS INTEGRATED IN THAT EXCELLENT PLAN.
AND I THINK WE ALL WOULD LIKE THAT.
WE ALL WANNA BE ABLE TO CROSS THE STREET AND WALK ALONG WHERE WE NEED TO WALK, UM, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE IT'S SMART.
IT MAKES SENSE WITH, IN TERMS OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND WHERE IT'S GOING.
WE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING MM-HMM.
WE THINK OF A MAN'S WORLD, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING.
WHAT, HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.
I THINK THERE'S THAT KINDA STEREOTYPE OF IT'S JUST A MAN'S WORLD.
WELL, I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THERE'S A HUGE PUSH OF WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY.
AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SURPRISES I FOUND IS THEY'VE BEEN THERE ALL ALONG, IS JUST A GREAT TO PROMOTE EACH OTHER AND MAKE, AND MAKE IT HAPPEN, AND MAKE PEOPLE SEE THE PHENOMENAL WOMEN THAT ARE INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTATION HAVE BEEN, ARE AND ARE COMING.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION, A NONPROFIT GROUP THAT HELPS PROMOTE WOMEN, UM, BOTH FROM STARTING FROM STEM AND EVEN NOW CURRENTLY HELP PROMOTE THEM WITHIN POSITION.
AND WHAT I GET SO EXCITED ABOUT IS ALSO WE'RE TAKING AWAY THE MYTH THAT IT'S JUST ENGINEERS.
TRANSPORTATION IS MULTIFACETED.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF JOBS WITHIN IT.
THERE'S MARKETING FOLKS, THERE'S UM, THERE'S FOLKS, ACCOUNTANTS, THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT LOOK AT SAFETY.
IT'S A WHOLE BROAD SCHEME OF FOLKS THAT, THAT ARE INVOLVED.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO OPEN THAT UP AND TAG HELPS ADVERTISE THAT AND MARKET THAT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW IT'S A WORLD THAT CAN INVOLVE EVERYONE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS, WOMEN AND MEN.
HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO SELECT THE RECIPIENT, THE AWARD RECIPIENTS OF YOUR WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION EVENT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE ALWAYS PARTNER WITH OTHER GROUPS, AND PARTICULARLY LEADERS IN THE, IN THAT, IN THE INDUSTRY, TRANSPORTATION.
AND AGAIN, WE, UH, WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION WAS OUR PARTNER IN GO LOOKING WITHIN THE MANY, MANY ENGINEERING GROUPS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND WE PARTICULARLY WERE LOOKING FOR THE UP AND COMING FOR THE, AS WE SAID, THE WOMAN THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES.
NOW, HOW CAN THE AVERAGE CITIZEN GET INVOLVED AND HAVE AN IMPACT? MM-HMM
I MEAN, THESE ARE SO HUMONGOUS PROJECTS.
AND PEOPLE DON'T EVEN SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW TO START, HOW TO GET STARTED AND, AND BE, AND BE A, A, A PARTICIPANT, RIGHT.
AND BE ENGAGED IN TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S A CALL TO ACTION, AND I THINK IT JUST STARTS WITH STAYING INFORMED, GETTING INVOLVED.
AND ALL OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES AND MANY OF OUR GREAT ELECTED OFFICIAL PARTNERS HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE'RE ALL ON OUR PHONES ALL THE TIME.
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OF GOOGLING SAYING PUBLIC SESSION AND TRANSPORTATION OR, UH, METRO PUBLIC SESSION.OR PEOPLE CAN DO IT VIRTUALLY AND VIRTUALLY.
JUST LOG ON AND SEE CAN I, WHEN CAN I LOG ON? WHEN'S THE MEETING? WHEN CAN I GET CALL AN, UH, MY ELECTED OFFICIAL AND FIND OUT ABOUT IT? AND, AND TAKE A LOOK AND LISTEN.
JUST REALLY LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU CARE AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED AND OFFER THEIR FEEDBACK.
SO WE MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM.
I THINK TRANSPORTATION'S A COOL ISSUE.
I MIGHT BE BIASED, BUT REMEMBER THAT TRANSPORTATION IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ALL OF US AND IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ACHIEVE.
WHAT IS YOUR NEXT, UH, ADVOCACY ACTIVITY? YOU ARE AN ADVOCACY GROUP.
YOU GO TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THEN YOU ASK FOR MORE PROJECTS.
WELL, WE'VE BEEN HAVING VIRTUAL SESSIONS WHERE WE ASK AGENCY PARTNERS TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT TO THEM.
WE JUST HAD ONE WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL.
WE ACTUALLY ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR STATE COMPTROLLER COMING LATER IN DECEMBER.
HE'LL BE COMING TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE SURPLUS AND THE MONIES THAT ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE IN THE TEXAS BUDGET FOR THE HOUSTON REGION, FOR TRANSPORTATION.
WE ALSO ARE GETTING READY TO GO FOR OUR ADVOCACY ADVOCACY DAY IN AUSTIN.
WE CALL IT GREENLAKE HOUSTON DAY.
AND WE'LL GO WORK WITH THE, OUR STATE SENATORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY AND INVESTMENT IN THE HOUSTON REGION IN FEBRUARY, 2025.
AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME WITH US.
VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU GATHER A GROUP OF INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND A LOT OF, UH, EXPERIENCE TO, TO REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT.
AND, UM, PEOPLE THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DALLAS, WE'RE NOT HOUSTON, WE'RE NOT, UH, SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE NOT AUSTIN, WE'RE HOUSTON.
HOUSTON IS UNIQUE IN ITS NEEDS AND, UH, IN THE INDUSTRY YEAH.
SO, UM, WHAT, UH, DO YOU RECOMMEND, I MEAN, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? WELL, I THINK THE MEMBERSHIP, FIRST AND FOREMOST IS KNOWING THAT YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND CONTINUED SUCCESS OF HOUSTON.
THOSE THAT LIVE HERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST A GREAT PLACE TO BE.
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IN THIS ORGANIZATION IS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE LEGACY AND TO CONTINUE THAT.
BUT IT'S, WHAT IS YOUR WEBSITE? UH, WWW TAG HOUSTON.ORG.
YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE, TAKE YOUR PHONE OR TAKE YOUR COMPUTER AND VISIT YOUR WEBSITE.
AND I THINK THE VALUE IN ALSO BEING A PART OF TAG IS NOT ONLY ABOUT THE ISSUES, BUT IT'S THE NETWORKING.
IT'S MEANING LIKE MEANING LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, INDIVI, INDIVIDUALS THAT ALL COME TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CITY, ADVOCATE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY, ARE IN THE SAME BUSINESS.
UM, TIPS FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO LEAD A NONPROFIT.
UM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE INFORMED ON YOUR ISSUES.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE OUT IN FRONT OF AN ISSUE.
AND I THINK ALSO BE VERY FLEXIBLE AND FLUID.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE ABLE TO ADAPT QUICKLY.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
FOR YOUR, FOR OUR SPANISH SPEAKERS.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND TO THE AVERAGE RESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON REGION TO IMPACT THE WAY THEY GET FROM PLACE A TO PLACE A TO PLAY B, I THINK STAY INVOLVED.
TAKE THE TIME TO GO TO THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, MAKE PHONE CALLS TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, YOUR CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND LET THEM KNOW, HERE'S WHAT I NEED, HERE'S WHAT I THINK.
HOW CAN I HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE? GREAT IDEAS.
TRANSPORTATION, ADVOCACY GROUP, AMERICAS OFFSHORE
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FORECASTING, VENEZUELA, CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS AND LATIN.[00:20:59]
VENEZUELA.[00:28:01]
CEO OF THE WESTLAW AMERICA OFFSHORE, IUM, GENERAL CONTRACTORS, DOWNS.