Sylvia Garcia: Texas Commissioner: Precinct Two, Harris County

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April, 2008 by Judi Jordan

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Sylvia R. Garcia is Precinct Two Commissioner for Harris County Texas. With a population of 897,764, Precinct Two is larger than seven states. Houston, the 4th largest city in the U.S., is just a small, but important part of her constituency. She was unopposed for re-election in 2006.

The 8th of 10 children, Sylvia grew up picking cotton bailing and hay in the South Texas farming community of Palito Blanco, a town of less than 100 people. All ten children graduated from high school. "We were all pushed and pushed by our parents, who literally beat into us the importance of having an education. When my youngest brother graduated, my mother was given a citation from the school district. She was honored for having all 10 children graduate high school. This was one of my mother's proudest moments," Garcia remembers, and a remarkable achievement for a woman with a 5th grade education and a father who finished 3rd grade never able to read or write.

A woman of faith and integrity, Garcia explains, "Houston is a city of opportunity. All I knew while I was growing up was the work my family did on our farm, our family, faith, going to school and the activities that surrounded those things."

As the African Proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child." Through the village that is her family, teachers who believed in her and guidance counselors that helped her determine a path, Garcia attended Texas Woman's University on a scholarship, graduating with a degree in social work. Later, she received a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

Sylvia became a social worker first because she wanted to help people. After graduation, she worked as a social worker in Houston for 3 years. "As a child I remember standing in line at a welfare office to get a vaccine shot. I knew there was more out there for me than welfare offices. I resolved that I would grow up to make sure that other kids did not have to live like I had," Garcia explains.

Working as a social worker taught Sylvia that there were limits on what she could accomplish in helping others through that career path. "I found social work to be more of a band-aid approach to helping others, one person at a time. I decided to become a legal aid lawyer. I felt that through the law, I could make an impact on the lives of many more people than I could ever help as a social worker," she reflects.

For Sylvia, the seeds of public service and politics were planted early, "Growing up, my daddy always voted. I made sure that when people came by to solicit his vote I would translate what they said to help him understand. He always voted."

She was also involved in student government in high school and college. "When I was in college I got involved in bringing women leaders to speak on campus. From my work there, I met Francis (Sissy) Farenthal, a legal aid lawyer who ran for state office and won. I also met Barbara Jordan, a former Member of Congress, a lawyer and university professor. From meeting these successful women and many others, I came to understand that the women who were in politics were lawyers. When I moved to Houston I attended law school and began to get involved in the local Democratic Party."

Sylvia was sworn in on January 2, 2003 as Commissioner of Precinct Two. She is the first Hispanic to be elected in her own right. Others had succeeded their husbands or been appointed. As Commissioner, Garcia oversees the port of Houston, and she works with 15 different city mayors and 8 communities with no formal elected officials. She has a staff of 500 people, manages a budget of $65 million and along with 3 other commissioners, oversees the budget for all of Harris County Texas.

Sylvia enjoys her job and where she is today. She and her staff are focused on working as hard as they can to make sure that 10 to 15 years from now there is little that can he said about what her office did not do to help her constituents. "I want my precinct to be ready for the future because of my leadership and preparation for the future. I want people to be able to look at my record and be proud of what my office and my staff have accomplished. I am always striving to build goodwill for my Precinct and Texas."

Interviewed at her offices in Houston in March, 2008 by Judi Jordan