Kristina Ramirez oversees Region VII as part of her Regional Director role with APWA. This includes the following chapters: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. She also serves as the Board of Directors Liaison to the Certification Commission.
Ramirez is the City Engineer for Harker Heights, Texas. She has been part of the public works profession for more than 30 years. She started in the field behind an asphalt machine as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s summer student program. She went on to work as a consultant serving both large and small municipalities and water supply corporations as a drafter, design engineer, and project manager. After transitioning to the public side in 2008 she has served as an Environmental Services Director, Assistant Public Works Director, Planning and Development Director, and City Engineer. She has chaired various regional governmental committees, been an instructor for the Public Works Institute of Texas, and has mentored many high school and college students. She was also involved in the formation of the Central Texas Sustainable Communities Partnership and the Public Works Institute of Texas.
Ramirez has been active in APWA since 2005, consistently serving in leadership roles at the branch, chapter, and national levels. In the Central Texas Branch and Texas Chapter, she has held all board positions and actively participated on various committees. She continues to instruct on the Environmental, Regulatory, and Public Information/Media topics for the Public Works Institute of Texas. She has helped to plan, organize, and host several public works conferences, starting with the 2007 PWX (then called Congress) held in San Antonio. Ramirez is a past chair of the APWA Water Resources Management Committee and continues to volunteer as a knowledge team member for that committee.