MEET GIGI
PROVEN, DEDICATED LEADERSHIP
DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Professional Experience
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COUNTY JUDGE, Refugio County (2023-Present)
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OWNER AND ATTORNEY, Poynter Law, PLLC, Law Office of Jhiela M. Poynter (2020-Present)
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ATTORNEY, Law Offices of Bernard T. Klimist (2012-2020)
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As Refugio County Judge, I have held the following duties:
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Presiding over the five-member Commissioners Court and overseeing the agenda;
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Representing the county through service on various boards, including the Crossroads Regional Public Defender Office Oversight Board, the Coastal Bend Council of Governments Board of Directors and Executive Board, the Coastal Plains Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Refugio County Community Development Foundation Board, the South Texas Coastal County Consortium, and the Chief Elected Officials Council for Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend;
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Serving as the Chief Budget Officer for the county;
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Overseeing several county departments, including the Airport, Animal Control, Elderly Services, Emergency Management, Food Services, the Library, and Maintenance;
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Chairing committees for oversight of certain county employees and/or departments, including Elections Administration and Juvenile Probation;
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Representing the county in several administrative functions;
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Serving as the judge of the County Court in certain criminal and civil cases, probate matters, juvenile matters, and appeals from the Justice of the Peace Court; and
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Serving as the Director of Emergency Management for the county.
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Education
​​TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
​-Master of Laws (2022)
-Graduate Certificate in Wealth Management (2022)
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PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
-Juris Doctor (2012)
-Graduate Diploma in Civil Law (2012)
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LSU International Law Society: President (2011)
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LSU Law Intramural Soccer Team
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University of Missouri-Columbia Law School, Cape Town, South Africa (2011)
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Santa Clara University Law School, Istanbul, Turkey (2010)
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE
-Bachelor of Arts Degree, Double Major in Political Science & English, cum laude (2009)
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President’s List
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Honors Program
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Phi Beta Delta Honors Society for International Scholars
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Sigma Alpha Lambda National Honors and Leadership Organization
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American Institute for Foreign Study, Florence, Italy (2008)​
​Certifications, Awards & Associations
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-TEXAS SUPER LAWYERS, Rising Star (2021-2025)
-COASTAL BEND’S 50 WOMEN OF DISTINCTION, Honoree (2022)
-REFUGIO COUNTY PRESS, Newsmaker of the Year (2022)
-TEXAS BAR COLLEGE, Franklin Jones Best CLE Award Recipient (2022)
-REFUGIO LIONS CLUB, Member (2021-Present)
-REFUGIO COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Member (2021-Present)
-JUNIOR LEAGUE OF VICTORIA, Treasurer (2021) ,Women Leaders of Tomorrow Chair (2018), Member (2014-Present)
-COLLEGE OF THE STATE BAR, Member (2020-Present)
-U.S. FEDERAL TAXATION CERTIFICATION, University of Illinois/Coursera (2020)
-REAL ESTATE, PROBATE & TRUST LAW SECTION OF THE STATE BAR Member (2020-Present)
-TEXAS NOTARY PUBLIC (2020-Present)
-20 UNDER 30 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF THE CROSSROADS (2018)
-VICTORIA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, President (2018), President-Elect (2017), Member (2013-Present)
-CERTIFIED GUARDIAN AD LITEM (2017-Present)
-TOP 50 VERDICTS IN TEXAS 2016, TopVerdict.com (2016)
-LEADERSHIP VICTORIA, Victoria Chamber of Commerce (2013)
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Publications & Presentations
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“Danger, Dignity & Due Process: Making the Call in Mental Health Commitment Cases.” Presentation at the 91st Annual South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association Conference (2025).
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“County & Municipal Leadership Panel.” Presentation regarding disaster readiness, communication coordination, and local emergency management improvement and modernization efforts at the Refugio County Hurricane Preparedness Summit. (2024).
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“Don’t Take Your Crypto to the Crypt: Estate Planning Strategies and Considerations for Cryptocurrency, NFTS, and Other Emerging Digital Asset Technologies.” Texas Bar CLE for the Victoria County Bar Association Lunch & Learn Series. https://texasbarcollege.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Jhiela-Mirdamadi-Poynter-Article.pdf (2022).
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“Progress Report: Opening A New Practice.” Above the Law, Breaking Media, Inc. https://abovethelaw.com/2021/05/progress-report-opening-a-new-practice. (2021).
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“Too Little, Too Late: Dunbar v. Seger-Thomschitz and the Ongoing Challenge Posed by Prescriptive Periods in Holocaust-era Art and Cultural Property Restitution Matters.” Art Antiquity and Law (2012).
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Gigi and her husband Tim live in Refugio, Texas with their four children. In her free time, she has coached youth soccer, currently leads the children's church at First Baptist Church in Refugio, and likes to travel, having visited 21 countries... and counting.
PLATFORM
PRESERVING THE PAST; PROTECTING OUR FUTURE
When my family and I moved to Refugio in late 2017, Hurricane Harvey had just ravaged South Texas, leaving our little corner of the world battered and bruised-- but definitely NOT broken. The only Refugio County I have ever known is one of resilience, and of grit, and I have been humbled by the strong sense of community I felt here from day one. Mother Teresa once said "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Well, Refugio County may have a small population, but we work together, we support one another, and in that togetherness is strength-- and so much potential.
I am committed to CONTINUE serving as your County Judge full-time to help us reach that potential; to working hard, every day, to bring economic growth and stability to Refugio County; to leading with a level-head, focused on family and community; to supporting law enforcement in any way I can in the worsening border crisis, and to fighting to keep that culture of community strength that makes this county a place where residents want to live, want to work, and want to raise a family. I am committed to working with you to preserve the things that make Refugio County great, while creating and environment that will keep it great long into the future.
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Join the Campaign
One of the foundations of democracy, and our political system in general, is the public mandate - basically the ability to serve and govern through support of the community.
--Jhiela "Gigi" Poynter