Christian A. Garza Takes Helm as 2022 Chair of Houston Bar Foundation
Garza succeeds Polly Fohn, who took the helm in March of 2021
(HOUSTON – February 2022) – Christian A. Garza of Enterprise Products took office as 2022 Chair of the Houston Bar Foundation on February 15 at the Foundation’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon held at The Corinthian Houston. Garza succeeds Polly Fohn of Haynes and Boone, LLP.
The Houston Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association (HBA), provides grants to support pro bono civil legal services for low-income Texans through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers, as well as other community service and education programs.
“I am so honored and privileged to serve such an incredible organization,” said Garza. “I look forward to working with our board, the Houston Bar Association, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, and our community partners to build on the success Polly and her board have built upon in the past year.”
The Foundation’s board includes Daniella Landers of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, who will serve as Vice Chair, and Travis Wofford of Baker Botts L.L.P., who will serve as Treasurer. They are joined by incoming 2022-2024 directors Alistair Dawson of Beck Redden LLP; Linda Hester of Phillips 66; Margot Trevino of Williams Hart; and Richard Whiteley with Bracewell LLP. Several other directors will stay on the board for another year, including Julie Stanger of Chevron Corporation; Quentin Smith of Vinson & Elkins LLP; Hillary H. Holmes of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Monica Karuturi of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., and Krisina Zuñiga of Susman Godfrey L.L.P. Polly Fohn will serve on the board as Immediate Past Chair. HBA President Jennifer A. Hasley and HBA Executive Director Mindy Davidson serve as Ex Officio.
Garza’s new role comes as the Houston Bar Foundation is launching a campaign to recruit new Fellows as well as its annual campaign, contributions from which support critical community programs such as the Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ pro bono legal services, student prizes for Law Week competitions and continuing education grants to Harris County court staff.
“It has truly been an honor to serve as Chair of the Houston Bar Foundation for the past year,” said Fohn. “Christian has been a wonderful asset on our board and I am confident the Foundation will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
Garza has served as either General Counsel or Senior Counsel at several of America’s leading corporations. Currently, he is Senior Counsel with Enterprise Products Partners, one of North America’s top providers of midstream energy services. Prior to his fifteen-year career as in-house counsel, he practiced at the international law firm of King & Spalding LLP in Houston. In recognition of his legal work, Garza has received many awards, including the Houston Business Journal’s Best Corporate Counsel - Up and Comer Award, the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Top Lawyers Under Forty Award, and the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas’s Top Male Lawyer Under Forty Award. He has also served on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston, the National Hispanic Bar Association (Region President), the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (President), and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Garza is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Yale Law School.
Photography credit: Barfield Photography
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The Houston Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. The Foundation supports programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice.
(Incoming HBF Chair Christian A. Garza (right) presents 2021-2022 HBF Chair Polly Fohn of Haynes and Boone, LLP with her plaque for Outstanding Service
as Chair of HBF)