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LEO VASQUEZ
Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar
Harris County Tax Office
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Leo Vasquez serves as the Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar of Harris County, Texas, the nation’s third-most populous county comprising over 4 million people.
Harris County is recognized as the Energy Capital of the world, home of more Fortune 500 company headquarters and Fortune 100 fastest-growing companies than any other U.S. city, the Texas Medical Center (world’s largest medical center), Port of Houston (ranked first in the U.S. in foreign tonnage and 10th in the world overall), Houston Airport System (fourth-largest U.S. multi-airport system and sixth world-wide), NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and a thriving arts community. The City of Houston resides within Harris County and was named “One of the Best U.S. Cities in Which To Do Business” and is currently ranked #1 in Top Metro in the Nation, Top U.S. Manufacturing City, Fastest Job Growth, and Best City to Buy a Home, among others.
The Harris County Tax Office oversees a property tax base approaching $300 billion, collections of over $5 billion annually, and the registration of about 1.9 million voters. Its main functions and responsibilities are: (1) collection of property taxes; (2) licensing and titling of vehicles; and, (3) serving as the official registrar of voters and maintaining an accurate voter roll. Leo Vasquez has prioritized the points of Customer Service, Enhanced Efficiencies, and Adherence to the Highest Ethical Standards as the foundation of Harris County Tax Office operations.
Mr. Vasquez possesses more than 20 years of private sector professional experience in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, analysis, and hands-on business operations. Prior to joining the Harris County Tax Office, he served as CFO/EVP of a global-scale organization operating in the coffee industry. After graduating from Yale University with a degree in Economics, Mr. Vasquez began his professional career in the financial markets of Wall Street and then went on to earn an M.B.A. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He later served as president of a civil construction company, COO of a defense electronics manufacturing firm, and as a corporate finance consultant.
Mr. Vasquez’s strong commitment to the values of community service is demonstrated by his active leadership role in the community and political arena through extensive service on various professional, cultural, political, and business organizations and boards.
He is a proud graduate of notable leadership organizations including Leadership Houston, the
Center for Houston’s Future, and the
American Council of Young Political Leaders. He serves on the board of the Harris County Health Facilities Development Corp. Two of Mr. Vasquez’s highest honors are the appointments by Texas Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Board in 2005 and also by then-Governor George W. Bush as Commissioner of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in 1999.