Ralph Marquez of Texas City was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on May 1, 1995, to fill a partial term. His partial term expired August 31, 1999, and he was reappointed for another term and confirmed by the Texas Senate on Feb. 21, 2001. Marquez retired from the TCEQ on March 31, 2006, after a record-setting 11 years as Commissioner.

Prior to his appointment, Marquez served on several TCEQ advisory committees and task forces. He is a registered professional engineer and has been a vice-chair of the Texas Chemical Council environmental committee, a board member of the Gulf Coast Water Authority, and served on the State of Texas Waste Reduction Advisory Committee. He also served as chairman of the City of Texas City Environmental Advisory Board.

From 1963 to 1993, Marquez worked for the Monsanto Company in various capacities, including internal company consultant for technical, regulatory and legislative environmental issues. He has a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas and a master's degree in Future Studies from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

While at TCEQ, Marquez immersed himself in the full range of environmental issues that have been important to Texas and even propelled the state to the forefront of environmental innovations.

As the Commission worked to develop the state plan for improving air quality in urban areas, Marquez became the prime supporter of inventive technologies, such as a rapid-response monitoring system that detects pollution patterns in airsheds. This pioneering system, now being applied to watersheds, is considered a national model.

He was instrumental in the formation of the Environmental Council of the States and served on the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee.

Marquez also was engaged in border issues. He helped organize the first meeting of all the states on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border, and assisted in negotiating a settlement with Mexico to resolve differences over the water-sharing treaty.