HOMEGROWN LEADER

Janie Lopez's journey began with her parents' brave move from Mexico to the United States, driven by a quest for a better life. As a middle child of seven, Janie’s family instilled in her the values of hard work and education, laying the foundation for her pursuit of the American dream. After graduating from San Benito High School in 1997, Janie became the first in her family to attend college. She earned a Master’s in Mental Health with honors and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Community Care and Counseling.

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Her career spans various fields, from food service and manufacturing to retail, before she built a successful path as a mental healthcare professional. Janie has dedicated her expertise to treating at-risk children, veterans, and first responders dealing with PTSD.

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As a Director of San Benito CISD, Janie led with remarkable results—boosting student achievement and reducing disciplinary referrals by 66%. She played a crucial role as a GEAR UP counselor in Brownsville CISD, significantly improving state proficiency rates in Science (#1) and History (#2) and achieving high-performing school status. Her fiscal management also included overseeing millions of dollars for school counseling programs.

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Before her election to the Texas House of Representatives, Janie served as a trustee and Vice-President of the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD). As Chair of Finance and Administration, she championed pay raises for teachers and staff while lowering taxes, ensuring financial accountability, and advancing infrastructure and student engagement. Her efforts also included increasing the police force to enhance classroom security district-wide.

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Guided by her Christian values, Janie is committed to representing the family values of Willacy and Cameron Counties. In the Texas House of Representatives, she serves on the Environmental Regulation and Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committees. Rep. Lopez a member of the Policy Committee, Texas House Republican Party Caucus, Aerospace Caucus, Texas Conservative Caucus, House Water Caucus, and Texas Energy and Climate Caucus.