Former member of the Cabinet of President Martin Torrijos Espino (2004-2009), as Minister of Commerce and Industry in Panama and previously as Vice Minister of Finance.  She began in public service in September 2005 when appointed as Director General of the Internal Revenue Service of the Ministry of Economy and Finance  with the mission to implement an import fiscal reform approved in February of the same year.  Whilst in Government, she represented the Republic of Panama before the Inter-American Center of Tax Administration, the OCDE, GAFIC and has been the head negotiator of the International Treaties to Avoid Double Taxation. She is a lawyer (Sigma Lambda, National University of Panama), and practiced as such from 1987 to 2005, specializing in tax and estate planning as partner in the firm of Patton, Moreno & Asvat, and Assets Trust & Corporate Services, a corporation where she also acted as Managing Director.  From 2004 to 2005 was a member of the Presidential Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering, representing the private sector.  

She studied in London School of Economics (LLM) and has a postgraduate degree from Stetson University in Real Estate, and a Master of Science from the Swiss Business School (SBS). She expects to complete her Master in Business Administration soonest. Mrs. Porras is the President of Vital Voices-Panama and is a member of the Panamanian Association of Executives, where she was a member of the Board for two consecutive periods. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Panamanian Stock Exchange and Special Olympics (Panama).

Mrs. Porras has just completed the launching of Albacrome in Panama, a project of Grupo Altamirano from El Salvador, involving the largest commercial printing company in Central America and the Caribbean.