By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
From providing a sounding board for the citizenry, to simply acting as an information clearinghouse on matters of public interest, the offices of many elected officials at the state and national levels can be a valuable assist for citizens, and as of early Feb. of this year, junior state rep. Janie Lopez is making sure she’s accessible to her constituents by opening a district office in her hometown of San Benito.
Located within the Joe G. Rivera and Aurora De La Garza Cameron County Annex Building (colloquially known as the old Levi’s building), 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, off of Frontage Rd., the modest office was in the process of being settled when the NEWS rendezvoused with Lopez (R-HD 37, SAN BENITO, TX.) and district director Annielou Garcia, also from San Benito, to discuss the office’s opening, life at the state capitol, as well as other state matters.
As a matter of background, Lopez’s family immigrated to the United States, via Mexico, in the late 1970s when most of her six siblings were children. Janie Lopez was the first member of her family to be born in the U.S. Her parents instilled a strong sense of Christian faith, loyalty to America and an equality strong importance in education and hard work.
Upon graduating San Benito High School in 1997, Lopez went on to ultimately receive a master’s degree and is currently a licensed professional counselor. She began her professional career as an educator and then school counselor, working for San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) and Brownsville Independent School District, among others.
She’s currently maintaining her practice as a licensed counselor via tele health sessions due to her travels to Austin and workload as a state rep. Lopez’s typical schedule while Congress is in session includes spending five days in Austin and the weekends back in the Valley.
Want the story in its entirety? Pick up a copy of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our e-Edition by clicking HERE!
Recent Comments