Jeff Branick, County Judge

Married to Sherrie (Booker) Branick, a Beaumont native
Two children, Merritt and Ellie Grace

Judge Branick was born and raised in Port Arthur where he attended public schools, graduating from Thomas Jefferson in 1976.  While in junior high and high school he participated in football and other sports and worked at gas stations, hamburger stands, on tugboats, loading trucks, at a steel mill and as a delivery driver for a drug store.  He studied at Lamar University in public affairs and then attended the University of Texas School of Law and the Baylor University School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctorate degree in 1984.  He began working with the Provost & Umphrey law firm in 1979 while he attended Lamar and returned there following graduation from law school in 1984.  He became a partner in 1986.  He is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He left Provost & Umphrey in 1998 and opened up a neighborhood practice where he primarily did pro bono work. In January, 2007 he accepted the position of attorney to the County Judge and has been involved in all aspects of county government.  He was elected County Judge of Jefferson County in 2010 and assumed office January 1, 2011.

Since taking office he has worked tirelessly on coastal erosion protection and hurricane storm surge protection for coastal residents. In recognition of his efforts he was awarded the Wetlands Conservation Achievement Award by Ducks Unlimited at the 2017 National Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Spokane, Washington. He was recently appointed by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush to the Coastal Coordination Advisory Committee for the Texas Coastal Management Program and by the Environmental Protection Agency Local Government Advisory Council. (These include the Texas Air Quality Research Council. Advisory Board, Texas Coastal Resiliency Council, East Texas Regional Water Planning Group, Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District, Commissioner of the Texas State Commission on National Community Service.)

He has been involved in numerous civic, social and faith-based organizations serving as officer, board member and legal counsel.  Commissioner of The Texas State Commission on National and Community Service, Port Cities Rescue Mission Ministries Board (president), YMCA Port Arthur board, president, and other offices.  Also legal counsel to Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission, Leadership Southeast Texas, Red Cross board, Boy Scout fundraiser chairman, leader and board member of Young Life Ministries, a high school Christian outreach, and many other church and charitable boards.  He is the author of several published legal articles and treatises.  His awards include the Chris Quinn community service award and the Port Arthur YMCA volunteer of the year award. He is a member of the board of the Southeast Texas Government Employees Benefits Pool and has been the president of the Jefferson County Housing Finance Corporation for many years.  He is a member of the United Methodist Temple in Port Arthur where he has served as lay leader, family life coordinator, chairman of Staff-Parish Relations, and as guest pastor on several occasions during pastor's vacations.

His hobbies include fishing, hunting, backpacking, river rafting and reading.