Houston, TX – August 1, 2017 – The Houston First Corporation is pleased to welcome the following new members to its board of directors: Sofia Adrogué, senior counsel at Gray Reed; Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, director of local relations at CenterPoint Energy; Ryan Martin, associate at Vinson & Elkins; Jay Tatum, principal architect at HOK and Jay Zeidman, managing director of Resolute Venture Partners.

Mayor Sylvester Turner nominated the additions to the Houston First board, and City Council approved the new appointments Wednesday, July 26, 2017. Also, current board members Alex Brennan-Martin, Paul Puente and Bobby Singh have been reappointed.

The newly confirmed board members are a diverse group professionally and culturally; and while all five have major accomplishments and honors in their respective careers, they also have extensive backgrounds in community service.

Sofia Adrogué – Adrogué is on the advisory boards of Theatre Under the Stars, United Way, The Chinquapin School and Girls, Inc. of Greater Houston. She also has received a string of recognition for her legal work, including Top Latino Partners in the U.S., Texas Super Lawyer, Houston’s Top Lawyers and Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women.

Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock – Gonzalez Brock is on the boards of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, Greater Houston Area Women’s Chamber, and Junior Achievement. She was district director for the dean of the Texas Senate, successfully coordinating legislative agendas and fundraising efforts.

Ryan Martin – While president of the Harvard Asia Law Society, Martin lead a delegation to Taiwan to meet with the current and former President of the Republic of China. Martin has served also as an academic and career mentor for high school students.

Jay Tatum – Tatum has worked on projects around the globe for corporate, healthcare, government, education and research development industries. He serves on the board of Preservation Houston and the advisory board for Texas Tech University’s College of Architecture.

Jay Zeidman – Zeidman was appointed recently by Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Small Business Advisory Task Force and by Governor Rick Perry to serve on the Texas Department of State Health Services Board. He’s also a board member of the Emancipation Park Conservancy and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

"Their individual accomplishments and long records of community service speak volumes; and we look forward to their collective leadership, as well as the energy and passion they will bring to our organization," said David Mincberg, chairman of Houston First’s board of directors. "We know we can count on these dedicated professionals as we continue our mission to make Houston one of the world’s premier destinations."

"We are fortunate, all of our new board members have impressive credentials and outstanding experience in the Houston community," said Dawn Ullrich, president and CEO of Houston First. "We are eager to have them onboard and I know we will put their knowledge and skills to good use, because we have some exciting projects ahead to strengthen Houston’s image and enrich the quality of life in our city."

The newly confirmed board members will succeed outgoing Houston First board members: Phyllis Bailey, C. Fernando Cuellar, Irma Diaz-Gonzalez, Harry Greenblatt, and David Solomon whose terms recently expired.

"We’d like to thank our outgoing Houston First board members for their countless hours of dedicated service not only to Houston First, but to the citizens of Houston," said Ullrich. "I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with each one of them; they have left a legacy of success through their work as board members that will serve our city for decades to come."

Houston First’s next board meeting is September 18, 2017.