Speaker Bio: Russ Poppe

Russell “Russ” Poppe, P.E., is the Executive Director for the Harris County Flood
Control District in Houston, Texas. Under his direction, the District carries out its mission
to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and
maintain the infrastructure. That mission is executed in the third most populated county
in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.5 million, which includes the City of
Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. The District has jurisdiction over the primary
stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500
miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-
square mile wetlands mitigation bank.
After graduating from Texas A&M University in 1999 with a civil engineering degree,
Russ successfully practiced engineering in the private industry before joining the Harris
County Architecture and Engineering Department in September 2005. Since then, Russ
has held various leadership positions within both Harris County and Harris County Flood
Control District, with project responsibilities spanning from roadway, park, and water
quality projects, to multi-story buildings and complex flood risk reduction projects in
highly urbanized areas. His tenure in the public service sector includes a collective
project portfolio that exceeds $1 billion in value on very diverse projects that has
allowed him to gain a unique skill set and develop a solid track record focused on
producing efficient and effective public projects.