Board of Directors

Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock is director of local relations for CenterPoint Energy. Her story starts in Monterrey, Mexico where she was born, however. she was raised in Texas and considers herself a proud Houstonian. 

Her career in government has taken her from congressional intern to legislative aide in Houston and Austin, then on to becoming district director for the Dean of the Texas Senate. Ms. Gonzalez Brock is recognized for her ability to develop strategic solutions to achieve public policy goals. She has successfully coordinated legislative agendas, community activites and campaign strategies. 

Ms. Gonzalez Brock is a dedicated community leader serving on the boards of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, Greater Houston Area Women’s Chamber, Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement. 

She is married to Andy Brock and they have two boys, John and Owen.

Sofia Gonzalez earned her degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas, with studies in Finance, Economics, and Mandarin Chinese. She began her career in the financial sector, where she was ranked Merrill Lynch’s top Financial Solutions Advisor in Houston from 2017 to 2019. Following this success, she was recruited as the first U.S. representative for Canada’s largest staffing and recruiting firm, where she led North American business development initiatives.

Since 2020, Sofia has served as President of Employment & Training Centers (ETC), a Houston-based staffing and workforce solutions company. Under her leadership, ETC has experienced a twenty-fold increase in revenue and now payrolls more than 500 employees across diverse job sites, directly contributing to Houston’s workforce and economic vitality.

Sofia is a graduate of United Way’s Project Blueprint Class XXXIX, a member of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and an active committee member with ALMAAHH (Advocates of a Latino Museum of Cultural and Visual Arts & Archive Complex).

Nicki Keenan is a recognized and respected leader in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Ms. Keenan who is senior vice president of sales for Landry’s, Inc. has built a reputation as a top performing sales and marketing professional. Her impressive skills include identifying and capturing market opportunities, revenue management, strategic planning, and improving profit contributions.

She has provided strategic direction for the Landry's Inc. Hospitality Division which includes: The San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center, Galveston Island Hilton, Holiday Inn Resort on the Beach, The Westin Houston Downtown, The Post Oak at Uptown Houston, Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Golden Nugget Laughlin, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Golden Nugget Biloxi, and Golden Nugget Lake Charles. In addition, Ms. Keenan delivers valuable sales leadership for Landry's Inc. group sales/private dining services, which includes such highly acclaimed concepts as Morton's Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's, Mastro's, Bubba Gump, Oceanaire, Rainforest Cafe and Landry's Seafood House.

Prior to joining Landry’s, Ms. Keenan was director of sales and marketing at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. She is a former board member of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau serving from 2005 until 2017. In 2014, she was named one of the Top 25 Business Women in Houston by the National Diversity Council. She is an active member of the Executive Women Partnership of the Greater Houston Partnership and serves on the Executive Leadership team of the American Heart Paul Bear Bryant committee.

Shareen Larmond is President of the West Gulf Maritime Association, a maritime trade association representing the interests of almost 200 companies in the maritime community. Its membership includes ocean carriers, operators, ports, agents, terminal companies and stevedores located throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Larmond is the first female and first person of color to run the West Gulf Maritime Association in its 50-year history.

Larmond is active in both the maritime and local communities. She is a founding board member of the Lower Kirby Pearland Management District. She is also a Co-Administrator for the J.H. “Buddy” Raspberry Scholarship Trust Fund which awards educational scholarships for certain individuals in the maritime industry. Larmond received her Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her legal education at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.

Wea H. Lee is Chairman of Houston-based Southern News Group, which he started in 1979. Lee oversees a diverse media business with an international presence that includes print, radio, TV, and internet services. His community involvement includes work with the United Way, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Houston Better Business Bureau, the Asian Lunar New Year Festival, the Alief International Parade and the George Bush Library. Lee is a graduate of Lamar University in Beaumont and Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass.

Dawn Lin is a Houston-based attorney, business owner, and civic leader whose journey from Taiwan to Texas is defined by resilience, entrepreneurship, and service. After launching a successful immigration law practice, she transitioned into the real estate sector, where she operates a title services company serving Houston’s diverse markets.

Dawn is the founding president and Chairwoman Emeritus of the Houston chapter of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), and an active member of both the Taiwanese and Chinese Chambers of Commerce. She was appointed by former Mayor Sylvester Turner to Houston’s AAPI Advisory Board and currently chairs the Governmental Affairs Committee on the Southwest Management District Board.

Known for her warm personality and community spirit, Dawn often emcees public events—bringing people together with her humor and hospitality. Her favorite hobbies now include playing pickleball and uplifting her community.

Ryan Martin is the Managing Partner & co-founder of LDR Partners LP, a Houston-based private equity firm primarily focused on control investments in lower middle-market industrial manufacturing businesses. He leads governance and strategy across LDR and chairs its Governing Board and Investment Committee.

Ryan is passionate about community and currently serves as the Chairman of Legacy Community Health, a nationally-leading & federally-qualified health clinic operation and the largest in the State of Texas, and as a board director for Houston First Corporation, a local government corporation that serves as a municipal asset manager and destination marketing organization. Ryan is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Surgical Innovation Task Force at United Methodist Hospital, the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations, and the board of directors for Houston Botanic Garden, where he chairs long-range planning. He is also a co-founder of Evolve Houston, a regional climate-focused public-private partnership, and is an interviewer for Harvard University.

Prior to LDR, Ryan practiced as an attorney with Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he specialized in representing publicly traded companies and private equity firms in their negotiation and execution of mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions and ongoing related governance work; and representing public companies in takeover defense campaigns and negotiations in the context of hedge fund shareholder activism. He also has extensive experience founding, operating, and advising small businesses prior to his legal career.

Ryan is a graduate of Harvard Law School, Louisiana State University Honors College and the Beijing Language and Culture University. Ryan is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese. His passions include family, community impact, and travel.

Roxann S. Neumann serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the nation’s largest Anheuser-Busch distributors. In this role, Neumann is responsible for strategy and direction for corporate image, corporate social responsibility and education, philanthropic and community involvement, public relations initiatives, internal communications to more than 500 employees, external communications, government affairs and media relations.

In the community, Neumann volunteers her time to various civic initiatives and non-profit organizations. Her current involvement includes Discovery Green Conservancy Board of Directors, Theatre Under the Stars Executive Committee Board, Texan by Nature Executive Committee Board, George & Barbara Bush Foundation Board of Trustees, Houston First Corporation Board of Directors, and Associated Republicans of Texas Vice Chairman. She also serves on Kinder Foundation Board of Directors and is on the Advisory Board of Catholic Charities and DePelchin Children’s Center. In addition, she is actively involved in local, state and federal political campaigns.

A native of south Texas, Neumann received a degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in Houston. She resides in Houston with her husband, Tim Neumann.

Paul J. Puente is the executive secretary and a delegate of the Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council representing construction local unions.

He began his career in the electrical industry in 1990 in chemical refineries along the Gulf Coast. He earned a degree in electrical technology from  San  Jacinto  Junior College.

Mr. Puente is also a delegate for the Harris County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and the Houston Construction Industry Council and a member of the Houston Business Roundtable, the Greater Houston Partnership  and numerous other business organizations.

He has also served on committees for Pasadena Independent School District, San Jacinto Community College and was co-chair of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s executive transition team.

Since 2000, Bobby V.P. Singh has served as principal of Isani Consultants LP (ISANI), a local civil engineering firm. ISANI is a multi-discipline consulting engineering firm established in 2000 in Houston. ISANI is a M/WBE/DBE/HUB certified firm.

Mr. Singh is a Board Member of the Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston (FFF Houston): a non-profit organization and the first foundation in Houston to provide non-governmental funding to Houston's fire fighters.

He was appointed to the Board of Directors of Houston First Corporation in 2016. 

Mr. Singh is the Regional Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense Fund (SALDEF), a national Sikh American media, policy, and education organization. He works closely with the HPD to provide training in American-Sikh & Asian Community Relations to all enrolled cadets at the Police Academy.

Mr. Singh serves on the board of Harris County Precinct2gether board, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of residents in Harris County Precinct 2 communities. Precinct2gether provides educational and engaging programs that make a positive impact.

A Founding Charter Member of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) Houston Chapter, Mr. Singh is also currently serving on the Houston Mayor’s AAPI board (2023 – current). He previously served on the Mayoral Advisory Board for International Affairs and Development (MABIAD) under Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown of Houston.

Mr. Singh has served in several governance roles with the American Council of Engineering Companies of Houston (ACEC). 

He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.