LegacyofLeadership

Leadership. What defines it? The question brings to mind the parable of the blind men and an elephant where a group of blind men who had never encountered an elephant before feels a different part of the elephant's body. Each describes the elephant based on his limited experience. Naturally, their descriptions differ from each other. The moral of the parable is that humans have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience while they ignore other people's limited, subjective experiences which may be equally true.

Returning to the question of leadership, its definition would vary widely across the world depending upon one’s political or moral viewpoint among other perspectives. Over the years, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s (BAHEP) strategic plans have established a decisive path forward for its leaders and the organization thus eliminating the option of guesswork.

BAHEP’s economic development model’s centerpiece is trust and is founded on three questions that reflect BAHEP’s values and mission and three questions that assure successful implementation. The three vision and mission questions are: In every sense, is this right for our region? Is this built upon the trust shared with all of our partners? Will this improve our region’s economic strengths and quality of life? The three implementation questions are: Is our process appropriate – flexible, responsible, and viable enough to meet the current and projected conditions? Is our partnership model appropriate and broad enough for the given situation? Are the data and supporting evidence as strong as possible to make our case?

The four key factors for BAHEP’s long-term success have been a) championing education and workforce development; b) building trusted alliances across all levels of government and governmental agencies; c) advocating for those programs and policies that affect the overall ease of business environment; and d) fostering a balanced environment – business-friendly with an exceptional quality of life.

BAHEP has traditionally crafted strategic plans in five-year increments. Since 2022 is a transition year for the organization with BAHEP President Bob Mitchell’s retirement on Dec. 31, 2022, the BAHEP Board of Directors determined in 2021 that a three-year strategic plan would be more conducive for the transition process of the yet-to-be-determined president-elect. Year one of the 2022 – 2024 Strategic Plan has been executed. The initiatives featured in BAHEP’s 2022 Annual Report show the notable breadth of BAHEP’s activities all of which track to the directives contained in the current Strategic Plan.

Coastal Barrier System Moving Forward

Coastal Barrier Project Receives Congressional Approval

The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) was created by the 87th regular Texas Legislature to operate and leverage funding to build the unique flood control and surge protection needs for coastal communities. When completed, this coastal Texas protection system will be the largest civil works project in U.S. history. Like the Galveston seawall before it, this system will protect the state and national economy and millions of Texans for generations to come.

Bob Mitchell, BAHEP president and vice president of the Board of Directors of the GCPD, hosted GCPD meetings in the BAHEP board room throughout 2022. The meetings were open to the public and included GCPD Executive Director Nicole Sunstrum. Major topics of discussion were a project partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and interlocal government agreements with the counties within the district. Other topics consisted of updates by the USACE and the Texas General Land Office and discussions by the Board on actions regarding operating procedures.

Members of the GCPD, including Mitchell and Mayor Michel Bechtel, City of Morgan’s Point, and president, GCPD Board of Directors, joined the Greater Houston Partnership and other regional allies in Washington, D.C., to advocate for coastal protection along the Texas Gulf Coast. The group met with numerous elected officials including U.S. Reps. John Carter, Brian Babin, DDS, Sheila Jackson Lee, Kay Granger, Tony Gonzales, and Randy Weber. The group also met with industry partners American Chemistry Council, The American Petroleum Institute, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

The Texas Coastal Study U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report was approved in 2021, and the Coastal Barrier Project is on the USACE project list. The project was formally authorized by Congress with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in December. The focus now turns to appropriations.

Legislators Explore Galveston Coastal Barrier Construction Sites

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, and Texas Sen.-elect Mayes Middleton visited Galveston, Texas, to explore two possible construction sites for the Coastal Barrier System. Joining the legislators were Bob Mitchell, president, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and Morgan’s Point Mayor Michel Bechtel among others.

GCPD was given authority by the Texas legislature to become the non-federal sponsor of two coastal storm surge suppression projects located in its five-county territory: the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Program (S2G Program) and the Coastal Texas Study, often referred to as the Coastal Spine. The GCPD contains approximately 5,220 square miles of land covering Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Orange counties.

Upon completion of the construction, the GCPD will operate and maintain these improvements in conjunction with local jurisdictions. The entire project is estimated to cost $31 billion of which local sponsors are required to pay about $10 billion.

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Cruz were among senators who voted to include the barrier system in the Water Resource Development Act, a massive federal funding bill. In that bill is the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan for a massive sea gate at Bolivar Roads and 70 miles of barriers along the upper Texas Coast to reduce storm surges from the Gulf of Mexico. “We’re on the finish line of getting the authorization through,” Sen. Cruz said. “It has passed both the Senate and the House and hopefully in a month or two, it will be on the president’s desk.”

Once funded, the project will require another two to five years of design. The construction phase is estimated to take 20 years with the lifespan of the project estimated at 80-100 years.

Regional Issues Determine Legislative Priorities

Collaborative Effort Results in Regional Agenda

Throughout 2022, a tremendous collaborative effort took place between BAHEP’s members, elected officials, and policy experts to prepare for what could be a very significant 88th Texas Legislative Session in terms of opportunities for Bay Area Houston. The legislative priorities they developed address the issues of healthcare, education and workforce development, the Spaceport Trust Fund, the Gulf Coast Protection District, economic development incentives, the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program and the Texas Aerospace Scholars program, and transportation. BAHEP’s Council of Mayors created a municipal legislative agenda, as well, that covers multiple regional issues.

This collective effort exemplifies BAHEP’s long history of successful economic development leadership. With its ability to gather policy makers and executives together to formulate strategy on behalf of regional interests, BAHEP continues to be a strong and effective advocate for Bay Area Houston.

Upward Momentum Continues for Aerospace / Aviation Industry

BAHEP’s Aerospace Advisory Committee (AAC) works on behalf of the aerospace industry in support of human space exploration and the commercialization of space. The AAC was established 26 years ago to support the continuation of the International Space Station. The committee focuses on current trends within the space sector and works closely with local, state, and federal elected officials on behalf of a strong industry. The AAC also supports other aerospace initiatives including Team NASA, Space Center Volunteers, and Citizens for Space Exploration.

BAHEP has been a dedicated advocate for NASA and the aerospace and aviation industries since its inception. Much has changed since the Federal Aviation Administration granted the City of Houston and the Houston Airport System (HAS) a license to establish the nation’s 10th commercial spaceport at Ellington Airport. BAHEP actively partnered with HAS in obtaining the licensure and continues to assist with the Houston Spaceport’s development as well as working other initiatives that strengthen and grow these vital industries.

Development of Advanced Training Institute at Houston Spaceport Discussed

Discussions have been underway since last year regarding an advanced training institute at the Houston Spaceport. BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal and Aerospace Marketing Manager Kim Morris met with Houston Airport Director Mario Diaz, Ellington Airport GM Arturo Machuca, San Jacinto College Vice Chancellor Dr. Sarah Janes, representatives from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, The Rice Space Institute, Texas Southern University, Texas A&M University, and aerospace industry representatives on the development of the Houston Spaceport Center for Research Education and Workforce development (HS-CREW) at the Houston Spaceport. The institute would provide specialized technician training and degree programs targeted at the aerospace and aviation industry as well as other industries in Bay Area Houston.

Additionally, Seal and Morris, along with other industry board members, participated in a San Jacinto College Aerospace & Aviation Advisory Committee meeting to hear an update on HSCREW and EDGE Center and industry partner developments. The San Jacinto College EDGE Center offers aerospace training and a pathway to exciting careers in the aerospace industry. San Jacinto College is the official education training partner for the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport.

Seal and Morris participated in a follow-up meeting to hear updates from industry partners and to discuss drafts of a one-year and three-year strategic plan. Seal and Morris have reviewed the draft plans and provided feedback to the committee.

Commercial Space and Aviation Task Force Pursues Opportunities

The Commercial Space and Aviation Task Force (CSAT) was initiated by BAHEP’s Aerospace Advisory Committee (AAC) and was charged to aggressively pursue economic development opportunities for the BAHEP service region in the commercial aerospace and aviation industry. The AAC engaged with Griffin Communications Group (GCG) to execute a Discovery & Assessment phase of a larger study proposal to establish the facts and perceptions of the market and verify the business case, building upon earlier work by Dr. Glenn Freedman, president, Edu-Safe.

GCG completed the Discovery & Assessment phase resulting in a

Brand Blueprint for CSAT and has presented it to BAHEP’s AAC. Feedback was received from the AAC and is being incorporated into the Brand Blueprint document which was delivered to BAHEP. The drive behind this initiative is to seize the opportunity to extend Houston’s Space City legacy into the future through the location and growth of commercial space and aerospace businesses.

BayTech Implements Aerospace/Space/ Aviation Technician Readiness Grant

Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium (BayTech) was formed by BAHEP and has built a network of partners across multiple industries and academia creating a resource pool which will be drawn on as collaborations are identified and research funding is pursued. BayTech’s goals are to 1) acquire public and private research and technology development funding for the Bay Area Houston region and 2) pursue partnerships to support technology development.

BayTech is currently executing a Wagner-Peyser grant, awarded through the Texas Workforce Investment Council (TWIC) of the Governor’s Office in the amount of $324,029, with the goal of training 50 unemployed high school graduates and others as either certified aerospace composite technicians or certified aerospace electrical technicians. This 8-10 week training is being delivered by the San Jacinto College EDGE Center, which is located at the Houston Spaceport, in a hybrid format consisting of online training and in-person hands-on lab experience.

Students who successfully complete the course will then sit for a nationally-recognized certification exam administered by the certifying agency CertTEC. When students are awarded their certification, BayTech works with local industry partners to identify potential internship and employment opportunities for these students. BayTech will facilitate the students’ placement into industry jobs thereby helping to create a pipeline of needed technician talent.

Currently, 50 students have been enrolled in the program, 30 students have completed the coursework, 22 have been awarded industry certification, 7 are in the process of earning their certification, and 12 students have achieved full-time employment.

The TWIC awarded another Wagner-Peyer grant to BayTech in the amount of $332,324 as a follow-on to its previous grant. This new grant began on September 1, 2022, and has expanded to train an additional 50 students as either certified aerospace composite technicians, certified aerospace electrical technicians, and now also includes a tract for certified aerospace structures technicians. BayTech has been awarded several grants for workforce development by the TWIC, which is a testament to its successes on the previous grants.

Citizens for Space Exploration Meet Virtually to Advocate for NASA Budget and Missions

Based on COVID protocols in Washington, and new security protocols and restrictions at the U.S. Capitol and congressional office buildings, Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) decided to conduct a virtual trip again. CSE conducted successful virtual briefings to congressional members to advocate for NASA and its human space exploration missions. Twenty-one CSE teams made up of 72 virtual travelers, including 22 college students from 18 states, held 276 scheduled meetings with congressional offices representing 47 states. The congressional offices were overwhelmingly supportive of the space program and NASA. The message of the student travelers was “Space Exploration inspires young people to go into STEM education and technical careers.”

The Houston Spaceport was featured in many of the discussions, particularly in meetings with Texas congressional offices. A final report, with findings from the meetings, was developed and presented to the BAHEP Aerospace Advisory Committee and to NASA Johnson Space Center management.

The message that the virtual CSE travelers delivered to Congress included:

LAUNCH the Artemis I mission hardware including the spacecraft (Orion), heavy-lift rocket (Space Launch System-SLS), and supporting exploration ground systems to send humans on deep space missions beyond Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) to the Moon and on to Mars. Continue production of the Artemis II-VI systems and beyond to prepare for annual missions to the Moon throughout the decade.

FINISH the development and begin use of the Exploration Upper Stage on SLS, launch support equipment for SLS Block 1B, Gateway Components, and the Human Landing Systems. These systems will enable the Artemis III mission to return Americans to the lunar surface safely and a sustainable Moon and Mars program into the future.

UTILIZE the International Space Station (ISS) as a world-class laboratory. Codify NASA’s extension of the ISS mission to 2030 to conduct research and science that is critical to deep space exploration and sustaining human presence in space. The ISS is critical to the development of commercial activities in LEO.

SUPPORT NASA’s commercial crew and cargo transportation to the ISS to ensure U.S. human launch capabilities and a full crew on-board the ISS.

PROVIDE robust funding to allow NASA to achieve these objectives and continue its role as an economic driver for the U.S.

All of this costs less than ½ a penny of every dollar spent on the federal budget.

Congressman Brian Babin Speaks to Aerospace Advisory Committee

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s Aerospace Advisory Committee invited U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, DDS, to speak to its members. The congressman serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Space. He remarked about NASA, the Artemis Program, ISS, and the need to keep Houston the center of human space exploration. Rep. Babin then addressed the chances of another NASA authorization bill and the president’s budget request for NASA for $26 billion among other topics. His comments were followed by a question and answer session.

U.S. Sen. Cruz Visits BAHEP Aerospace Advisory Committee Execs

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s office reached out to BAHEP to request that the organization host a meeting with the senator, members of his staff, and the region’s aerospace leaders. Sen. Cruz sought to understand the current pulse, priorities, needs, concerns, and legislative priorities of Bay Area Houston’s aerospace community. Sen. Cruz currently sits on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation and its Subcommittee on Space and Science. The senator has a long-standing relationship with former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson who is now the NASA administrator. A tweet from Sen. Cruz’s office said, “Productive lunch today with the @BAHEP. Great discussion on our ongoing efforts to provide companies in Houston with the resources to lead the way in the aerospace industry.”

BAHEP Participates in Aerospace Industry Briefing to Congressional Staff Members

BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal participated in an industry briefing to congressional staff members to inform them of the importance of the local aerospace industry. During the briefing, aerospace company leaders discussed their companies’ activities, and Seal outlined the aerospace activities at the Houston Spaceport.

BAHEP Successfully Partners with Stakeholders for Inaugural ASCENDxTexas Event

The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, along with other stakeholders, has been working towards the development of Space Club Texas, a chapter of the National Space Club. The National Space Club is a non-profit association devoted to excellence in space activity and creating partnerships between industry and government in the aerospace community.

A significant initiative of the Space Club Texas is to host an annu- al event bringing together NASA and industry leaders. BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal and Aerospace Marketing Manager Kim Morris worked with a Space Club Texas steering committee that collaborated with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) ASCENDx organization to hold a two-day event, ASENDxTexas, which took place at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. ASCEND stands for Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery.

The ASCENDxTexas was an open event that brought together the Texas space community and others from around NASA, industry, academia, and federal agencies to gain new insights on the lunar exploration market, discover opportunities, explore commercialization efforts, identify and understand technology gaps, and learn how NASA is evolving its approach to industry in order to enable faster outcomes.

Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin and Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson Space Center, kicked off the event with a fireside chat discussing how the City of Houston and the NASA Johnson Space Center are working together to invest in the Houston space ecosystem through the Houston Spaceport and the startup/innovation community around NASA JSC.

Keynote speakers included Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator, Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, and Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator, Space Operations. Carissa Christensen, CEO of BryceTech, provided a talk on Forecasts, Trends, & Analysis of Lunar Capabilities & Markets.

Many other distinguished individuals from NASA, the commercial aerospace industry, and academia took part in panel discussions on topics including NASA stakeholder outreach initiative; commercial LEO space markets; Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) enabling other lunar capabilities and markets; the workforce of the future; attracting private investment to meet business and NASA objectives and innovative businesses growing with private investment; utilizing ISS to grow commercial markets in the space ecosystem; lunar surface operations; and accelerating for tomorrow.

The event concluded with a talk by Julie Van Kleeck, Space Domain lead and ASCEND executive producer, AIAA, and Charlie Stegemoeller, SAIC senior director for Business Development and 2021 chair of the BAHEP Board of Directors.

At the conclusion of ASCENDxTexas, BAHEP hosted a closing reception sponsored by BAHEP members Aegis Aerospace,

Draper Labs, Griffin Communications Group, City of League City, Lockheed Martin, and Logical Innovations.

SATOP and Texas A&M University Partner to Help Startups

The Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) is a State of Texas funded program that helps small businesses, especially minority- and women-owned businesses, faced with technical challenges by providing up to 40 hours of FREE technical assistance.

This is accomplished by utilizing the vast engineering expertise of NASA and participating Alliance Partners (NASA contractors, subcontractors, or colleges). SATOP is designed to speed the transfer of the U.S. Space Program’s knowledge and technology to the private sector, to provide economic benefits to the community, and to raise public awareness of the Space Program.

SATOP can now offer small businesses and startups additional technical assistance through the Texas A&M University Engineering Capstone Design Program. This program is administered through the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station in collaboration with SATOP. Startups seeking significant technical assistance may qualify for the program.

Senior engineering students led by a professor of practice work on a SATOP project for two semesters as a hands-on learning experience. The values to small businesses in this program are innovative designs, new manufacturing alternatives, and prototype development. SATOP has five small business projects entered into the Capstone Design Program that began with the spring 2022 semester. Seven more small business projects are entered in the fall program which started in August 2022.

SATOP Project Featured during Texas A&M Capstone Design Showcase

SATOP Program Director Bob Payne attended the Texas A&M University Engineering Capstone Design Showcase in College Station, Texas. One of SATOP’s projects, Markus AI Software, was on display during the showcase. Markus AI is a wearable monitoring device for people with autism. The student team is working to optimize the audio function that will detect stress and alert the guardian or parent. The objective is to have intervention and mitigate a meltdown. Other stress detection functions in Markus AI are pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature, and geolocation.

The student team completed its preliminary analyses and design during the spring 2022 semester and presented the results during the showcase. The team continued work on this project during the fall semester.

Collaborative Initiatives Provide Collective Results

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership has the noteworthy ability to get “the right people to the table” to discuss issues of importance to the region and to work on solutions to those issues. This year’s Transportation Summit and Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness events, as well as the BAHEP Healthcare Workforce Assessment, demonstrate how collaborative initiatives provide collective results.

Transportation Summit Stresses Importance of Infrastructure Investment

On an annual basis, the Bay Area Houston region is home to 27 percent of Texas’ GDP. Houston, the country’s fourth largest city, has the ninth largest economy in the world. Texas leads the nation in exports with Port Houston claiming first place in exports.

The growth in the region is not showing any signs of slowing down as indicated by the nearly 20 percent year-over-year growth in containers shipped through Port Houston. Meeting infrastructure requirements to support this growth is critical to minimize supply chain disruptions.

To bring awareness to this urgent need, the leadership within the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), the Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership (BayTran), and the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region hosted the Inaugural Southeast Texas Transportation Summit at the Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, Texas.

BAHEP President Bob Mitchell said, “Infrastructure investment must include a critical transportation network as well as a coastal protection system to ensure that the assets we have are safeguarded from storm surge.”

Chad Burke, president, Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, stated, “With more than 20 cities, the world’s largest petrochemical complex, and the nation’s busiest port, the stakeholder con(continued on p. 20)