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Michael F. Bloom, P.E., ENV SP, CFM, Director of the Sustainability Practice at R. G. Miller Engineers and a nationally recognized expert in resilient and sustainable infrastructure planning and design, has been selected as one of 17 members of the Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force (CFRTF). 

The task force was established in August of 2020 by reconstituting the Harris County Flood Control Task Force.  It will serve in an advisory capacity to the Harris County Infrastructure Resilience Team and, as applicable, to the Commissioners Court.  Its mission will be to promote collaboration among stakeholders and encourage equitable resilience planning efforts and flood resilience projects that:

• Support holistic, innovative, and nature-based solutions to building flood resilience and mitigating flood risks;
• Achieve multiple short- and long-term benefits for as many Harris County communities as possible;
• Take into account the needs and priorities of the community and promote equitable community-level outcomes in the face of flooding; and
• Protect communities, homes, and businesses across Harris County from flood-related hazards.

Each of the five members of Commissioners Court appointed a member to serve on a selection committee for the remaining 11 members, with the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Houston serving as the city’s representative.

In an open application process, the committee received 120 applications from a wide range of candidates reflecting the geographic, gender, age, racial and ethnic diversity of Harris County, as well as expertise in areas such as flood risk mitigation, environmental sustainability, housing, public health, engineering, construction, urban design and planning, community leadership, and equity and social justice. 

For more information on the CFRTF, visit the website at https://cfrtf.harriscountytx.gov.