[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16975]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING LATINA LEADER AWARD RECIPIENT BETTY JEAN LONGORIA, NUECES 
                          COUNTY COMMISSIONER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2010

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work, dedication 
and leadership of Nueces County Commissioner, Betty Jean Longoria, who 
will receive this evening the Latina Leader Award at the Washington 
Court Hotel.
  Commissioner Longoria was first elected to the Nueces County 
Commissioner's Court in November 2002. On January 1, 2003, Betty Jean 
Longoria took her oath of office to become the first elected Hispanic 
woman to serve as a Commissioner since the Commissioner's Court was 
established. She represents Agua Dulce, Petronila, Banquete, Bishop and 
the western part of Corpus Christi.
  Prior to being elected to the Commissioner's Court, Commissioner 
Longoria served on the Corpus Christi City Council for 10 years and was 
a school board trustee with the Tuloso-Midway Independent School 
District for 6 years. Throughout her political career, she has been a 
strong advocate of education. She has served as a student mentor at 
Crossley Special Emphasis, Lamar Elementary, Blanche Moore Elementary, 
South Park Middle School and Solomon Coles Elementary.
  Commissioner Longoria serves on the board of directors for the Corpus 
Christi Botanical Gardens, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, 
Friends of the Corpus Christi Public Libraries and board of trustees 
for the South Texas Institute for the Arts. Previously, she has served 
on the boards of the National Conference for Community and Justice, 
Goodwill Industries of Corpus Christi, Nueces County Community Action 
Agency, Westside Business Association, Corpus Christi Chamber of 
Commerce, Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic 
Women's Network.
  Her record of service, leadership and advocacy of business and 
community development, has led her to receive numerous recognitions and 
awards from various civic organizations, including the Westside 
Business Association; the Hispanic Women's Network; the National 
Conference for Community and Justice; Leadership Corpus Christi; and 
the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
  Commissioner Longoria was born and raised in Corpus Christi and 
graduated from Roy Miller High School. Commissioner Longoria and her 
husband, Alfredo Longoria, Jr., have been married for 49 years and have 
four sons and eight grandchildren.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating Commissioner Longoria 
for her work and dedication to the people of Nueces County and her well 
deserved award as a Latina Leader.

                          ____________________