HOUSTON, May 31, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- By a unanimous vote, the Harris County Mayors' and Councils' Association re-appointed Jimmy A. Burke to the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) Commission for another two years. Initially appointed to the PHA Commission in August 1999, Burke also is a member of the board of Pilot Commissioners. PHA commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.
"We welcome Commissioner Burke's return," said PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds. "He is a valuable member of the commission. He is highly-regarded by the 26 Harris County cities that he serves. His dedication to the port and his constituents are greatly appreciated. We look forward to continuing our work with Commissioner Burke. "
Burke is chairman of the PHA's community relations committee and past chair of the international business development task force. He is the immediate past chair of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region and for the past two years he has chaired the Houston Port Region Annual Coffee Symposiums.
Regarding the reappointment of Commissioner Burke, comments from some of the small city mayors included the Mayor of LaPorte, Alton Porter, who said, "We're pleased to know that Jimmy has been reappointed. We have known Jimmy for a long time because he has been working in the community a long time. Jimmy is a good personal friend and a good friend to the citizens of LaPorte and we're pleased with his reappointment."
The Mayor of Deer Park, Wayne Riddle, remarked: "We are proud to have Jimmy represent the small cities as one of the commissioners. We are proud that he is from Deer Park. He is dedicated and we are proud to have him as a representative. He has served the small cities well in the way he is representing us."
Commissioner Burke's dedication to the communities along the Houston Ship Channel is unquestioned. Mayor Bobby Barrett of Galena Park enthusiastically applauded Burke's reappointment. Barrett shared, "Burke does a tremendous job. He stays in contact with all of the cities along the ship channel. He attends all the meetings regularly. He returns calls. He is 'my number one man.' We couldn't ask for anyone better."
On his reappointment, the fifth term commissioner shared, "I love my community and I support development activities that are on point with the Port of Houston Authority. Enhancing opportunities for small businesses in our community will continue to be my top priority. I feel privileged to serve as a commissioner of the tenth largest port in the world, serving along with my fellow commissioners who are also dedicated to making significant contributions to the port and thus benefiting the entire Houston area."
Background
A Deer Park resident since 1954, Burke retired from Shell Oil Co.'s manufacturing complex following 35 years of service. Commissioner Burke also has been active in the Deer Park community in both civic and governmental activities for more than 40 years. His achievements include serving nine terms as mayor from 1981 to 1999, as well as serving on city council from 1969 to 1981. One of the proudest achievements in Burke's career was serving as President of the Texas Municipal League (1997-98) which represents 1,012 small cities.
Burke has an extensive background in governmental involvement and has served on numerous committees and boards, including Texas Municipal League Group Benefits Risk Pool Board (1993-1999); Texas Municipal League, board of directors president (1997-1999); Texas Municipal League, board of directors member (1992-1999); National League of Cities, board of directors (1992-1999); and Small Cities Council, steering committee, board of directors, chairman (1991-1992). He also is a life member of the Deer Park Jaycees and has served on various youth sports leagues.
Burke received a bachelor's degree in electronics from the University of Houston. He and his wife Peggy have four sons and one daughter.
The Port of Houston Authority
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The PHA plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
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