In a 4-1 vote, Harris County Commissioners approved a motion by Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones to nominate Diana Ramirez as interim Harris County Administrator. Ramirez will be the first woman and first Latina to hold the position, which is responsible for implementing the Commissioners Court’s policies and goals. Ramirez currently serves as the executive director of the Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity. She joined Harris County in August 2021 after 30 years of public service, including executive experience as the Assistant Budget Director of Travis County and working for the Texas General Land Office and Texas Health & Human Services.

Diana Ramirez will replace the current county administrator Dave Berry who announced last week that he is resigning to become a senior executive for a renewable energy company.

“I am proud that Harris County made history today in appointing Diana Ramirez as our interim Harris County Administrator. Ramirez will be the first female and first Latina to hold the position responsible for managing the operations of the third-largest county in the nation. The daughter of a migrant farm worker who went on to graduate from the University of Texas and Princeton University—Ramirez embodies the American Dream and will help drive improvements that will positively impact the quality of life for Harris County residents. Her unique perspective and 30+ years of public policy experience, including as a leader of the national Government Finance Officers Association, will be instrumental in building on Berry’s great work as we continue implementing best practices and improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of Harris County operations.”

Ramirez says her priority will be to guide Harris County through the budget process, continuing to implement Commissioners Court’s policy direction and improve and refine systems to ensure greater efficiency, efficacy, and transparency.

“Besides adopting the balanced fiscal year 2024 budget, it is imperative that we continue forward movement on addressing the multiple problems in our justice system, using all federal resources to provide affordable housing options, training for living wage jobs to underserved residents, and building resilient infrastructure that is not only shovel ready but also shovel worthy,” Ramirez said.

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 1 Rodney Ellis stated, “Harris County made history today by appointing the immensely qualified Diana Ramirez as interim Harris County Administrator. I’m so proud of her American story and career trajectory. I look forward to seeing her use her 30+ years of government experience to deliver exceptional service to Harris County residents. We thank Dave Berry for his time as our first County Administrator and look forward to building on his progress under new leadership.”

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 2 Adrian Garcia stated, “I thank Diana Ramirez for answering the call to step in as interim county administrator, and I’m proud to have voted in favor of appointing a Latina to leadership. I wish her the best as she takes on this critical role, and all of us on Commissioners Court stand by to assist the office with this transition.”

Ramirez’s interim appointment takes effect on May 1, 2023, and Berry will work with Ramirez on the transition through his last day on May 19, 2023.

Briones stated, “We congratulate Dave Berry and Diana Ramirez for their service and leadership, and thank them for the positive impact they will both continue to have.”