Director of Communications Amery.Reid@pct3.hctx.net Direct: 281-840-0099
HARRIS COUNTY, TX – Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey is proud to dedicate the park on Grant Road as the Russ Poppe Family Park. Local leaders, community members, family, and former colleagues gathered to celebrate the occasion on Thursday, August 12th.
Russ Poppe began his career with Harris County in 2005. His knowledge of engineering, partnered with his ability to lead, made him the natural choice to head the District in 2016 by a unanimous vote of Commissioners Court.
“So much of what he’s done over the years has been quiet but with great dignity and with great effectiveness,” said Commissioner Ramsey. “It’s appropriate that we honor Russ and celebrate this park on nearly the anniversary of Harvey. The County passed the $2.5 billion bond in 2018. I think Russ and his team have secured another billion, and there’s probably going to be another billion after that. It’s going to be close to $5 billion that will be invested in infrastructure in Harris County.”
Russ’s time at the Flood Control District was spent building solid relationships at the local, State, and Federal levels. Russ’s excellent network of contacts is partly responsible for the Flood Control District bringing in over one billion dollars in Federal grants in the past few years. He has earned the trust of various agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Natural Resources Conservation Services, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“It’s hard to find the words today to describe the honor and the pride that my family and I are feeling right now. For me, it was always about service, and trying to do the right thing for the folks that we serve,” said Russ Poppe. “There are other County departments represented here today. It was certainly a group effort. I couldn’t have done it alone, so thank you all for what you’ve done to help all of us be as successful as we’ve been.”
Russ practiced leadership through inspiration, not intimidation. He is well respected by his peers and will be missed by everyone who had the opportunity to work with him.
The Russ Poppe Family Park is located at 11675 Grant Road in west Harris County and is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to dusk.