Catarina Gonzales appointed as new TCEQ Commissioner

Governor Greg Abbott announced his appointment of Catarina Gonzales of Austin as the next commissioner for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, effective today.

Gonzales joins Chairman Jon Niermann and Commissioner Bobby Janecka as the appointed leaders of the TCEQ.

“I am honored by the opportunity appointed to me by Governor Abbott,” says Commissioner Gonzales. “I look forward to utilizing the knowledge and experience I have gained through years of environmental policy and legal work to help guide the agency and continue its mission protecting human health and the environment consistent with sustainable economic development.”

Gonzales most recently was a budget and policy advisor for the Office of the Governor, a position she has held since 2018. She was formerly in private practice at law firms in Austin and Houston. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and on the executive committee of its Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section and the General Land Office Pooling Committee. She is a former board member of the Cossaboom YMCA Board of Directors and the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, a former volunteer for Dachshund Rescue of Houston, and a former member of the Easter Seals Greater Houston Young Professionals Advisory Board.

She has been recognized for her leadership in the environmental and government fields by the Houston Business Journal as a recipient of their “40 under 40” award and as a League of Women Voter’s “Rising Star” award honoree. Gonzales received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Trinity College, a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Energy and Environmental Law from the University of Houston School of Law. She was also a visiting student at The University of Texas School of Law, where she was on the board of the American Journal of Criminal Law.