Meet Laura Patiño
Following Passion, Family , and Love to Make Houston Home
Laura Patino was born in Cali, Colombia and lived in various countries and cities throughout her childhood. She lived in England, Montreal (Canada), Florida, and Colombia. She graduated with a degree in environmental engineering from Louisiana State University. Although she worked in oil and gas after college, Laura has always had a focus for integrated water planning. In 2018, her heart brought her to Houston. A combination of family, love, and career aligned in the Bayou City. Laura was motivated to put everything aside to work with the City of Houston (COH) to change people’s lives and make Houston a better place to live.
“Often in the private sector, it is hard to see the direct impact of your work on the broader community in which you live in. As an individual that deeply cares for others, my position at the City has inspired me further, because at the end of the day, you are working beyond yourself and impacting human lives and moving the needle, even the tiniest bit.”
Even though Laura’s brother and sister-in-law and significant other decided to move away in <2019>, Laura didn’t want to leave. She wanted more for her life. As the Chief of Staff of Resilience and Recovery for the City of Houston, Laura is able to bring more nature and more life into the environment. She made her decision. Houston was officially home.
Houston was the first place I made a conscious decision to make it my home. I saw the people, the culture, the sense of unity that exists. I’m very blessed and lucky. The support system here. The friendships have become family since my family is far away. Laura’s mother and youngest brother are in Mississippi, another brother is in New York, and her 3 oldest brothers and grandmother are in Colombia.
Fast forward 3-4 years to February 2021 during our Winter Storm Uri where Laura felt the true sense of the Houston community. After the winter storm, “I had 6 neighbors that tried to help me. They were ignoring the issues they had in their homes to help me when my pipes burst.”
Developing Others and Being Developed
Laura is currently in her second year of volunteering with the Junior League of Houston. It provides a way to give back to the community in a structured and organized way. The experience has been enriching and fulfilling and pushed Laura out of her comfort zone. Junior League enables Laura to share her experiences with other young women which is extremely important to her. Laura has been empowered by strong women in her family and is blessed to show that to other women as well. She enjoys volunteering with the kids and the elderly. She purposely chose to start working with Baker Ripley in adopting a grandparent. Her adopted grandparent is 87 years old and lives in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Laura’s grandparent worked for NASA, oil and gas organizations, and the City over 50 years ago. As a woman of color, she constantly reminds Laura, “don’t take *** from anyone,” whether it be relationships, men, work, professional development, or family. Norma Jean and Laura have clicked well, Laura loves the stories she shares and spending time with her.
Adventures Await
Laura loves to be surrounded by nature and her role. She loves camping, hiking, and adventure. It’s nothing for Laura to hop in a car, stop along the way to see all the things nature has to offer. When asked about her favorite part of traveling, she says meeting locals and hearing the stories. Traveling is indeed, her passion. While hiking in a park in Arkansas over Memorial Day Weekend, she was caught in a flash flood. A local rescued her and a friend and showed them parts of his family’s land which is also a part of the national park. They were able to see remnants of a home built in the 1800s and hear stories about his family.
The Best of Houston and All That It Has to Offer
Houston has really magical places and people should take the time to explore. When asked what are the top 3 places she enjoys or would tell someone to visit, Laura suggests:
Outside of Houston, Sam Houston Park. It has 100+ miles of trails and campsites along the way. It is swampy yet beautiful.
Mason Park and Buffalo Bend Nature Park are relatively new and replicate native wetlands and prairie.
Duck Bend, a place only known to Laura and one other friend, always has a family of ducks around and is the perfect place to set up a hammock.
Laura definitely shows us that Houston is a magical city where all of your dreams can certainly come true.
