HOUSTON, Nov. 13, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) announced that Elyse Lanier has been re-appointed to serve as a member of the port authority's board of commissioners. The vote on November 4 by the Harris County Commissioners Court was unanimous. Commissioner Lanier was initially appointed to the port commission in February 2006 to fill an unexpired term. Port commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.
Photos accompanying this release are available at http://media.primezone.com/poha/pages/exec.html
"Being a commissioner for the Port of Houston Authority is a privilege that carries a huge responsibility," says Commissioner Lanier. "I am grateful to the court for their support of me and will continue to work very hard for this major economic engine of our region with a focus on the environment and security."
"We welcome Commissioner Lanier's return," says PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds, "and look forward to her enthusiasm and energy in helping to spread the word about Houston's port as a key driver for the economic vitality of our region."
"Whether through her work as Houston's First Lady, her philanthropy in various causes around town or her tireless work with the Port of Houston, Elyse Lanier is one of Harris County's greatest assets," says Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "We on Commissioners Court are unanimous in our appreciation for her time and her hard work on behalf of her community."
"The re-appointment by members of Harris County Commissioners Court on November 4 of Elyse Lanier to her second term as a Port of Houston Authority Commissioner is a positive move," says Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee. "We've enjoyed her first term and look forward to her energy and expertise in instituting more advances to the port for the betterment of the city, county and region."
"Elyse Lanier has proven her value to the Port of Houston Authority," says Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia. "She has been active on important issues such as homeland security and helping the port be a good neighbor. Her leadership also led to the formation of the Clean and Green Port of Houston Program, a groundbreaking environmental and educational program for the region. Her insight and her vision of Harris County's unlimited future make her a perfect fit for reappointment to the Commission."
Lanier serves as chair of the PHA Pilots Task Force and is a member of PHA's Community Relations Task Force and the International Business Development Task Force. Commissioner Lanier also has been a leading force behind the new Clean & Green program, a partnership with Shell Oil Company, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Port of Houston Authority.
The wife of former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier is a native Houstonian with strong ties to the Texas Medical Center, the Texas Heart Institute and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The Laniers live in Houston, as do their seven children and 11 grandchildren.
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 7,700 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage. The port authority 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. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. 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
To access the port's web site photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.
The Port of Houston Authority logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720
The photos are also available via AP PhotoExpress.
