Houston Woman Magazine -

CURRENT SPRING 2020

Deborah Quinn Hensel

Mar 15 |11:33

Published on 15 March 2020

When she was elected Harris County Judge in the fall of 2018, Lina Hidalgo broke a couple of glass ceilings. She became the first woman to take on that role, as well the first Hispanic. But, even though she was only 27 when elected, she’s quick to point out her age should make no difference, saying “Judge Roy Hofheinz was only 24 years old in 1936, when he was elected Harris County Judge.”

Hidalgo was born in Bogota, Columbia, went to high school in Katy, Texas, then earned a degree in political science from Stanford University in 2013 ––the same year she became a U.S. citizen. After college, she worked in Thailand for a non-profit organization that advocates for press freedom.

She also studied law and public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and New York University’s School of Law, but opted to set her studies aside to run for office. As Harris County Judge, she now oversees the county’s operating budget of more than $5 billion.

Last November, she delivered her first State of the County address to members and guests of the Greater Houston Partnership. She talked about the county’s accomplishments in 2019 and its goals for the future.

Early in the year, we were able to catch up with County Judge Hidalgo to get more details about her plans for 2020.

HOUSTON WOMAN MAGZINE: In your State of the County address, you spoke about staying awake nights from the sheer excitement of thinking about what can be done. Now that a year has passed, what is the one challenge that most frequently occupies your mind at night?

HIDALGO: The challenge that will always remain is how to prioritize projects.

Harris County is the size of Colorado in population, the largest county in Texas and third in the nation. With challenge comes opportunity, and that is what excites me about this job. When I first ran for office, I was told the scope of county government was essentially roads and bridges. But, with a $5 billion operating budget, we have the opportunity –– and I believe the expectation –– to do so much more.

Safety is always the number one priority. Beyond that, I’ve tried to be thoughtful about listening to what the community wants to see as priorities, and to choose projects that will have deep and positive impacts. This year, we are prioritizing early childhood development and education, which has never been done before in Harris County and generates so many benefits for society.

Decades of studies have shown children with access to high-quality early childhood programs complete high school without suspension, had fewer arrest and substance abuse issues and had higher rates of employment as adults. This year, we will focus on listening and engaging with the community so we can pursue this positive change together.

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From The Publisher

Holiday Traditions

Watching Hallmark movies has been a holiday tradition for many of us for a long time. And, despite the predictable plots and inevitable final scenes, we love to watch them. Sometimes, we watch the same ones more than once!

But, we must be careful! This tradition can become a harmful habit — one that could convince us that an idyllic Christmas can only be had in a small town in the Midwest or alongside a picturesque ski resort.

But, that’s not true, not true at all!

Take it from me, a city girl who was born and raised

CURRENT SPRING 2020

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