Dr. Tina Petersen has announced her resignation as Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District, concluding four years of leadership focused on advancing flood resilience, strengthening organizational accountability, and delivering critical infrastructure projects across Harris County.

In a message to Flood Control District employees, Dr. Petersen said her decision was guided by a desire to keep the organization’s attention centered on its mission.

“While I am confident in this organization and the work we have underway, it is clear to me that conversations about my role have become a distraction,” she wrote. “The work you all do every day is too important for anything to draw focus away—especially as we move into the next phases of some of our most critical efforts.”

Dr. Petersen also expressed gratitude to the Flood Control District team and encouraged employees to remain focused on the values that have guided the organization during her tenure.

“The values we established together are not just words – they are an ethos,” she said, urging staff to continue serving as good stewards, remain adaptable to change, work together as one team, and stay service-driven for the community.

She emphasized that she remains confident in the organization and the work ahead and plans to support a smooth leadership transition. According to her message, she will continue to be available to assist with the implementation of a transition plan and help ensure continuity for Commissioners Court and the Flood Control District team.

During her four years as Executive Director, Dr. Petersen highlighted a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening both the organization’s operations and its ability to deliver flood mitigation projects for Harris County residents.

Among the accomplishments she cited were the stabilization, clarification, and prioritization of the 2018 Bond Program, with an emphasis on serving the County’s most vulnerable communities, as well as the delivery of $310 million in capital construction projects during the past fiscal year.

She also pointed to efforts to address Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding deadline concerns while creating opportunities for additional mitigation projects, and to the securing of more than $1.5 billion in partnership funding over the last four years through expanded collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.

Under her leadership, the Flood Control District worked with Commissioners Court to gain voter approval for an ad valorem tax rate increase that provides approximately $100 million annually to expand maintenance services. The organization also advanced priorities outlined in the Countywide Strategic Plan, including conservation-focused channel maintenance initiatives and the exploration of sustainable land-use practices.

Internally, Dr. Petersen highlighted efforts to modernize legacy systems by centralizing decades of project, financial, and historical records, while also improving transparency through the 2018 Bond Program dashboard and program-level reporting to Commissioners Court.

Additional organizational improvements included updates to procurement policies designed to strengthen transparency, ethical governance, and accountability, as well as investments in employees through a compensation and pay equity study, new human resources systems, performance management programs, expanded training opportunities, and an HR business partner model.

She also noted the District’s work to develop Harris County’s first comprehensive Flood Resilience Plan, an initiative intended to provide long-term, actionable strategies to help communities better prepare for and reduce flood risk.

As the organization begins its leadership transition, Dr. Petersen’s message underscored the importance of maintaining momentum on the Flood Control District’s mission. She thanked employees for their partnership and service and encouraged them to continue building on the progress made over the past four years.

With major infrastructure projects underway and long-term resilience initiatives continuing to move forward, the Flood Control District remains focused on its core responsibility: reducing flood risk and serving the residents of Harris County.