Press Release - President Biden Intends to Appoint Maria-Elena Giner as Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint Maria-Elena Giner to be the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission. As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of an immigrant, she will be the first Latina nominated as Commissioner of the International Boundary Water Commission. 

The U.S Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission is a federal government agency that implements boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and provides binational solutions when issues arise around rivers, sanitation, water quality, and flood control in the border region.

Maria-Elena Giner, Appointee for U.S. Commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission

Maria-Elena Giner has over 25 years of experience serving the residents of the U.S.-Mexico border region on water issues. The United States and Mexican governments appointed her in 2010 as the General Manager for the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC). Much of her work at BECC focused on modernizing the institution by expanding its municipal infrastructure programs and updating its organizational tools to meet the dynamic needs of the region while balancing the interests of the federal administrations. During her tenure, she focused on a progressive agenda that addressed binational cooperation on water, energy, and climate change.

Dr. Giner is well regarded with state agencies and local communities in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and the 6 Mexican border states. With the support of staff, she led the development and financing of $9 billion in environmental infrastructure, benefitting about 100 communities and over 10 million residents. In addition, she has published extensively on water policy and transboundary bilateral cooperation. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas in El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin. Also, she is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.