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Harris County Administration Building in downtown Houston.
Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, was selected by commissioners on Thursday to serve as the next Harris County Administrator.
The position is charged with leading the Office of County Administration, which has overseen the day-to-day operations and long-term strategic plans of the county’s largest departments since its establishment in 2021. On Thursday, Lee Carter spoke about her future roles in the position and thanked commissioners for the appointment.
“Harris County is my home and heart, and it’s with my heart that I joyfully accept this role of county administrator,” she said. “I look forward to elevating governance, collaboration and communication across Harris County departments.”
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Lee Carter previously served as a policy advisor and worked to develop draft proposals in Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ office. She served a brief 2-month stint in her mother’s congressional position, serving out the remainder of the term after Jackson Lee’s death in 2024.
Lee Carter also served as a trustee in the Harris County Department of Education for five years and earned her master’s degree at Duke University’s Terry Stanford School of Public Policy.
She is the third person to be appointed to the position of County Administrator.
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In a statement on Thursday, Ellis said Lee Carter is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live and work in Harris County.
“We will all benefit from her brilliant mind, strong character, experience at all levels of government, understanding of our community, and her lifelong commitment to making government a force for positive change,” Ellis said. “I look forward to working with her in this new chapter of her distinguished career in public service.”
Beginning in March, Lee Carter will replace Jesse Dickerman, who has served as the Interim County Administrator since April of last year, when former administrator Diana Ramirez exited the office. In his role, Dickerman advised county commissioners on policy proposals, fronted a statewide ‘solar for all‘ initiative and worked on negotiations to redevelop NRG Park.
Commissioners have raised discussions in the past about the role of the county’s administration department, with some suggesting the office is unnecessary and should be dissolved. They turned down a vote last year that would have reduced the department’s roles.
The office is also charged with managing the county’s 70 boards and commissions, and advises commissioners in the county’s lengthy budget season.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday said the position replaced a confusing system — in which the commissioners supervised individual departments — by centralizing the county’s functions.
“It was a mess,” she said. “And so I’m proud of the county administrator position. I think everyone in the role has done well. It’s a hard job.”