BUSINESS BRIEFS Spring 2021

BUSINESS BRIEFS V O L U M E S P R I N G

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1 4 ,

N U M B E R

1

2 0 2 1

Business Assistance Programs

1

President’s Letter

Marketing

4

Public Relations & Media Communications

5

We are now entering the second quarter of 2021, and, as usual during a legislative year, there is much to follow during this session of the 87th Texas Legislature.

Special Initiatives

6

Storm Surge Protection

6

Preserve NASA Funding Levels

7

Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium

7

Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program

9

Membership

9

Our Partners

12

Of great importance is SB1160, a bill that would create a regional district that would manage and maintain the Coastal Barrier System to protect the upper Texas Gulf Coast from the destruction of storm surge.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Larry Taylor with a companion bill in the state House filed by Rep. Dennis Paul (HB3029), would establish the Gulf Coast Protection District, an entity composed of members from Harris, Galveston, Chambers, Jefferson and Orange counties. If passed, this would be a huge step toward the construction of the system for which BAHEP has been working since 2009.

By the time you read this, BAHEP will have held an Aerospace Innovation Coordination Workshop. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together the many different groups that are working on growing the Aerospace/Aviation sector in Houston now, with a special emphasis on a number of efforts surrounding new innovation, research, design, and develop-

Business Assistance Programs BAHEP Legislative Agenda for 87th Texas Legislature BAHEP’s Political Protocol Committee, chaired by Marcy Fryday of Lakewood Yacht Club, has developed the legislative agenda for the 87th Texas Legislature.

BAHEP, along with the Clear Lake Area

Bob Mitchell ment. This type of collaboration benefits individual entities and the region as a whole.

BAHEP’s marketing team has been busy fielding the 33 projects currently in the pipeline that are considering Bay Area Houston. Related to that, many of you participated virtually in BAHEP’s General Membership Meeting as Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president, Research, Greater Houston Partnership, delivered the State of the Economy address at the end of February. He reported that it may take two to three years for certain sectors of the economy to recover.

I believe that we in the Bay Area Houston region, because of our strong, diversified industry sectors, are definitely on an upward growth curve. The national COVID19 vaccine program continues its monumental effort. It has been instrumental in turning the country’s economy around, and 2021 promises to get us all back on the road to recovery.

Kind regards,

Chamber of Commerce (CLACC), will advocate for the legislative priorities during the legislative session in 2021. The legislative priorities are: • Education and Workforce Development • Supporting the Region’s Healthcare System • Coastal Barrier • Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program and Texas Aerospace Scholars Program

PAGE

2

• Transportation / Bay Tran • Economic Development Incentives The leads for each legislative priority have scheduled virtual meetings with key legislators and committee members to discuss the importance of BAHEP’s legislative agenda.

BAHEP Council of Mayors Finalizes Legislative Agenda for 87th Texas Legislature BAHEP’s Council of Mayors met monthly to discuss local issues and state legislation. The Council’s primary discussions in its meetings in January and February 2021 focused on bills in the 87th Legislative Session. The bills that the Council is monitoring include: Regional Issues • Legislation and/or support for solutions to the region’s flooding and drainage issues and storm surge protection • Legislation that allows budget flexibility to be retained by cities versus state influence • Maintaining the use of tolls for highway funding and Highway 99 as an evacuation route through North Galveston County and East Harris County • COVID-related costs incurred by municipalities in order to comply with state requirements and the consequences of those requirements Specific Issues • Municipal Oversight of Building Materials: Repeal or amend the bill: (86th Session: HB 2439, Passed – Effective 9/1/19) The Council feels that this is clearly a local issue to be decided by local government according to the best interests of the citizens affected.

• Public Money for Lobbying: (HB 281, Not Passed – House State Affairs Committee) This bill relates to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying activities.

Should local government have a say in bills that directly affect them? The Council says, “Absolutely. The question is how to do so, especially when public funds are involved.

BUSINESS

Blanket prohibitions put cities at the mercy of special interests, or worse, who may or may not understand issues and the effects on taxpayers.”

Related to the comptroller adopting new …

• Internet Sales Tax Rules: Sourcing Change Effective October 1, 2021 Texas has been regularly chipping away at municipalities’ sources of revenue and ability to collect funds even as the population grows and the need for services expands. If allowed, this would be one additional limit on how cities can deliver necessary services.

The Council of Mayors members are: Mayors Michel Bechtel/Morgan’s Point, Sean Skipworth/Dickinson, Pat Hallisey/League City, Jon Keeney/Taylor Lake Village, Terri Gale/Kemah, Kurt Otten/Clear Lake Shores, Louis Rigby/La Porte, Tom Kolupski/ Seabrook, Bob Warters/Nassau Bay, Donna Rogers/ Webster, John Skelton/El Lago, Jeff Wagner/ Pasadena, Jason Tabor/Santa Fe, Paul Horn/Alvin, and Mike Foreman/Friendswood. Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark has been a participant and contributor to the council. BAHEP attendees during meetings were roundtable facilitator Glenn Freedman, Ph.D., President Bob Mitchell, and Membership Director Harriet Pilgrim.

Houston Spaceport Training Center Study BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal and Marketing Manager Kim Morris participated in a teleconference on Jan. 27, 2021, with Dr. Karinda Barrett of MGT Consulting, Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz, and Dr.

VOLUME

14,

NUMBER

1

Sallie Kay Janes of San Jacinto College to review MGT’s final report on the Houston Spaceport Training Center Feasibility Study for the Multi-collegiate Campus at the Houston Spaceport EDGE Center. The EDGE Center is important to the Houston Spaceport as it provides training and assists in recruiting a variety of companies.

The study concluded that a multi-collegiate campus is feasible, and next steps should be taken to implement the new campus. University research partners that are considering joining the new campus include Rice Space Institute, Texas Southern University, University of Houston at Clear Lake, Texas A&M University, and San Jacinto College District.

BAHEP collaborated with MGT on the development, distribution, and evaluation of a series of industry surveys for aerospace employers to identify skills, training, and curriculum needed for new employees and the training needs for current employees.

The surveys were sent to members of BAHEP’s Aerospace Advisory Committee and its Education and Workforce Development Committee on Dec. 2, 2020. BAHEP worked with MGT to identify job skills for the development of training curriculum.

BAHEP participated in numerous reviews of the study to provide guidance to MGT and provided comments on drafts of the final report.

BAHEP Gives Convocation for San Jacinto College’s Continuing Professional Development BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal was the featured speaker during the virtual 2021 San Jacinto College of Continuing Professional Development Convocation on Jan. 13, 2021. Seal provided an economic update for the greater Houston region and discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to Bay Area Houston businesses and industries.

Pasadena Strategy for University Campus Assisted by BAHEP BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal organized a meeting on Jan. 28, 2021, between the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation Economic Director Carlos Guzman and University of Houston at Clear Lake President Ira Blake to discuss the potential for UHCL opening a satellite campus in the City of Pasadena.

General Healthcare Update: Challenges, Collaboration, and the Future BAHEP hosted a virtual General Membership Meeting on Jan. 13, 2021, to highlight the challenges and collaborations of healthcare institutions and where this leads into

PAGE

3

the future. The panelists and topics they addressed were: • Todd Caliva, CEO, HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake, Workforce Shortage in the Healthcare Industry • Noel Cardenas, Senior Vice President and CEO, Memorial Hermann Southeast and Pearland Hospitals, Behavioral / Mental Health due to Strain with COVID-19 • Dr. Richard Ehlers, Executive Medical Director, Division of Houston Area Locations, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, The Challenges of Treating Patients with Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic • Steven Foster, FACHE, South Houston Market President, St. Luke’s Health System, Collaboration that Exists Between the Region’s Healthcare Institutions / Support for Healthcare Providers from the Business Community • Stephen K. Jones, Jr., CEO Clear Lake Campus, UTMB Health, COVID-19 Updates, including the Latest on Vaccines, Testing, and the Increase of Cases • Dan Newman, CEO, Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, Telemedicine During COVID-19 and Beyond To view the meeting, follow this link: youtu.be/5VD-mqRSh70

https://

Assisting CenterPoint Energy with Long Range Power Planning BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal participated in a Houston Region Economic Development Alliance meeting on Jan. 13, 2021, to help develop a strategy for economic development organizations to report projects early in the development phase to CenterPoint Energy. This will allow CenterPoint Energy to more effectively include these projects in its regional power planning process.

United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Discuss Air Travel Safety During Virtual Meeting BAHEP hosted representatives from United Airlines and Southwest Airlines to discuss air travel safety during its virtual General Membership Meeting on Dec. 2, 2020.

Rodney Cox, vice president, Houston Hub, United Airlines, and Quinnie Jenkins, manager, Community Outreach, Southwest Airlines, shared with BAHEP members the safety measures their respective airlines have put in place to make air travel as safe as possible so that they are prepared to welcome travelers onboard when they’re ready to travel again. More than 175 business leaders, educators, and elected officials attended the virtual meeting.

To view the meeting, follow this link: https://youtu.be/ uEHpPx-v1xQ BAHEP Hosts Patrick Jankowski of GHP for State of the Economy BAHEP’s State of the Economy General Membership

PAGE

4

Meeting on Feb. 25, 2021, was kicked off by BAHEP President Bob Mitchell welcoming the virtual attendees and thanking Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president, Research, Greater Houston Partnership, for delivering the State of the Economy address. BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal followed Mitchell with an introduction of Jankowski and brief recap of events one year ago when Jankowski delivered his 2020 State of the Economy.

Jankowski discussed the impacts of COVID-19 to the economy and the resulting structural changes to the economy. He discussed the impact on the “Alice Workers” or the working poor who have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic. He said recovery will be helped by the federal stimulus and vaccinations.

• BAHEP Strategic Plan Internal Factors • BAHEP Strategic Plan External Factors Dr. Freedman is also conducting focus group sessions with five BAHEP committees, the BAHEP Council of Mayors, BAHEP’s Board of Directors, and other economic development organizations.

Jankowski cited the economic impact of petrochemical operations being shut down during the recent cold weather in Texas and the longterm impact to infrastructure and Texas’ image. He said the state legislature will likely need two special sessions to address all the issues related to the pandemic and recent cold weather.

He closed out his presentation by saying, “It may take two to three years to recover.” To view the meeting, follow this link: https://youtu.be/EMFNrhnWt7g BAHEP Initiates Strategic Plan Update for 2022 – 2024 BAHEP’s Strategic Planning Steering Committee is leading the development of an updated Strategic Plan for 2022 through 2024. In the past, BAHEP developed five-year plans, but due to the dynamics of the economy, politics, and social change, it was decided that a three-year plan would be more appropriate.

The planning process is led by BAHEP member Dr. Glenn Freedman, CEO of EduSafe Systems, Inc. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee and Dr. Freedman developed three surveys for BAHEP’s Steering Committee to complete: • Mission, Vision, and Values

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Dr. Freedman and BAHEP President Bob Mitchell will conduct personal interviews with stakeholders some of which include Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, State Senator Larry Taylor, State Representative Dennis Paul, State Representative Greg Bonnen, M.D., and Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz.

Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president, Research, Greater Houston Partnership (left), and Bob Mitchell, president, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, are shown following Jankowski’s economic presentation on March 2, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Houston Economic Outlook was presented virtually by Jankowski to members of BAHEP. (Photo courtesy of Mary Alys Cherry)

Marketing Prospect Review Meetings BAHEP conducted a virtual Prospect Review meeting on Dec. 9, 2020. BAHEP has 33 projects currently in the pipeline that are considering Bay Area Houston.

Following a review of BAHEP’s newest projects during the meeting, attendees heard from featured speaker Steve Spillette, president of CDS – Community Development Strategies, who gave an update of what he’s seeing in growth patterns around the region, especially in the high-growth sectors.

BAHEP staff members that facilitated the Prospect Review were: BAHEP Executive Director for Economic Development Dan Seal and Marketing Managers Barbara Cutsinger, CA Shields, and Kim Morris.

Galveston County Regional Economic Development Allies Weekly Meeting BAHEP participated in a series of virtual meetings of the Galveston County Regional Economic Develop-

VOLUME

14,

NUMBER

1

PAGE

ment Allies during this report period led by Dane Carlson, director of Galveston County Economic Development. Attendees reported on developments and related activities in their municipalities, including reports by Carlson on projects inquiring about opportunities in Galveston County.

Joining the meetings were: Scott Livingston and Devin DePascal – City of League City, Garrett McLeod and Nick Finan – City of Texas City, Michelle Hay and Jeff Sjostrom – Galveston Economic Development Partnership, Fred Welch – Hitchcock, Scott Jones – City of Dickinson, Tyler Robert and Dane Carlson – Galveston County, and Dan Seal, Kim Morris, and Barbara Cutsinger – BAHEP. BAHEP Presents Hot Projects to Business Groups BAHEP Marketing Manager Barbara Cutsinger presented her Hot Projects covering commercial, industrial, and residential developments in Bay Area Houston to the following business groups: • Keller Williams Realty – more than 100 attendees either in person or via Zoom Jan. 6 • Women’s Council of Realtors – 80 attendees Jan. 14 • Bay Area Builders Association – 40 attendees Feb. 2 • BACREN – Bay Area Commercial Real Estate Network – 60 attendees Feb. 25

5

BAHEP’s Dan Seal Comments on Strong Clear Lake Area Leasing Market Realty News Report reported on leasing in the NASA/ Clear Lake area, a submarket that has shown resiliency during the pandemic and stability over the years, citing the lease of 19,000 square feet to Hargrove Engineers + Constructors as an example of the resiliency.

Dan Seal, BAHEP executive director for Economic Development, interviewed by Realty News Report, said, “The Hargrove Engineers + Constructors lease transaction is great news and more indication of the strong Clear Lake office market. The robust occupancy levels of the overall Bay Area Houston office market are not surprising either given the region’s continued strengths in the aerospace, chemical, medical/life science, and logistics sectors. We are hopeful that the stability, and even growth, in these sectors may mean that we are beginning to see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and that, once COVID levels lesson further, the area will show even more positive upticks in the real estate markets.”

BAHEP Writes Letter Urging FAA to Continue Slot and Schedule Relief for Airlines BAHEP President Bob Mitchell submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take swift action and continue the existing slot and schedule relief for the duration of the International Air Transport Associa-

Public Relations & Media Communications BAHEP Participates in News Conference on Axiom Space Locating its Operations at Houston Spaceport BAHEP President Bob Mitchell participated in a news conference on Dec. 22, 2020, which announced that Axiom Space will locate its commercial space station development and operations at the Houston Spaceport. BAHEP previously assisted Axiom Space with interim facilities for its operations and provided information on potential incentives that might be available as well as potential builders/developers for its facilities.

Also participating in the news conference were City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz, and Greater Houston Partnership President Bob Harvey.

BAHEP President Bob Mitchell is shown at the Axiom Space announcement ceremony held Dec. 22, 2020, at Houston’s City Hall. Pictured behind Mitchell is Axiom Space co-founder and President/CEO Michael Suffredini. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (far left), Houston Airports Aviation Director Mario Diaz (behind Mayor Turner), and Greater Houston Partnership President and CEO Bob Harvey (not shown) provided comments as well. (Photo courtesy of the City of Houston)

PAGE

6

tion (IATA) 2021 summer season. The slot waiver allows carriers to redirect resources to repatriation and cargo flights, bringing citizens home, transporting critical medical supplies to areas of need, and, most recently, transporting the COVID-19 vaccines.

He said a continuation of that relief is critical given the ongoing uncertainty associated with the pandemic.

Mitchell said a continuation of the existing waiver avoids drastic schedule adjustments that would have ramifications throughout the system, disadvantaging the people, communities and businesses that rely on air connectivity. Without further action by the government, carriers will be forced to operate “ghost flights” for the sole purpose of retaining schedules or slots, further destabilizing airlines and needlessly increasing carbon emissions, which have been carefully managed as a result of efficient flying and investments in sustainable alternative fuels.

Mitchell urged the DOT and the FAA to provide certainty and relief for carriers by extending the existing waiver until we are well on the road to recovery.

Letter of Support for San Jacinto College Faculty Member to Receive Award BAHEP President Bob Mitchell wrote a letter supporting Dr. Sarah (Sallie Kay) Janes, associate vice chancellor, Continuing and Professional Development, San Jacinto College District, on receiving the ACTE® Impact Award. The ACTE® Impact Awards recognize groups and individuals from the education, business, and industry communities who enhance career and technical education (CTE) by contributing to the improvement, promotion, development, and progress of CTE. Mitchell concluded his letter by saying, “I would like to emphaDr. Sarah (Sallie size … the integral Kay) Janes role that Dr. Sallie Kay Janes has held in the development of curriculum to meet the workforce and education needs of the major industries of the Bay Area Houston region. The ACTE® Impact Award would be a meaningful recognition of all that Sallie Kay has accomplished on behalf of us all.”

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Special Initiatives Storm Surge Protection Initiative for Bay Area Houston Public-Private Partnership Strategy for Financing Coastal Barrier BAHEP President Bob Mitchell met with municipal stakeholders on Feb. 2, 2021, to review the preliminary results of a proof-of-concept study being conducted by re:focus partners into the use of insurancelinked resilience bonds as a mechanism to finance the construction of the Coastal Barrier.

The group discussed the insurance risk pool structure and its set-up, the public-private partnership and its set-up, and addressed the need for enabling state legislation to implement the public-private partnership.

The group outlined the next steps, including a legislative strategy for the 87th Texas Legislature in 2021. re:focus partners identified in its Feasibility Report the key benefits of the Coastal Barrier / Coastal Spine.

Morgan’s Point Mayor Michel Bechtel raised threequarters of the $100,000 necessary to fund the study from regional municipalities that have a strongly vested interest in the protection that the Coastal Barrier will provide. A contract between re:focus partners and the Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance (BACPA) was signed to begin the study in 2020.

BAHEP Meets with USACE Commanding General to Discuss Coastal Barrier System On Feb. 2, 2021, Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, the 55th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), took a helicopter tour of Galveston Bay to personally view the proposed construction site of the Coastal Barrier System.

Following the general’s tour, Bob Mitchell, president, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, joined Texas State Sen. Larry Taylor, Morgan’s Point Mayor Michel Bechtel, and Kelly Burks-Copes, Ph.D., research ecologist with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center who is spearheading the Coastal Barrier project for the USACE. They discussed the tour with Lt. Gen. Spellmon who said that he was very impressed with what he had seen and learned about the Coastal Barrier System.

The final USACE report is due to be sent to Wash-

VOLUME

14,

NUMBER

1

ington, DC, where it is anticipated that Lt. Gen. Spellmon will add his signature of approval to it later this year.

USACE approval of the project will open critical funding resources for construction of the Coastal Barrier.

Preserve NASA Funding Levels Citizens for Space Lt. Gen. Exploration Advocate Scott A. Spellmon for NASA Budget and Missions Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BAHEP’s Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) Committee advocated virtually to 50 freshmen congressional members or staff for human space exploration on March 3, 2021. To advocate by distance, CSE gathered 22 students and community members from around the country to reach out to the congressional offices to deliver CSE’s newest point message on the importance of NASA to the nation’s economy and STEM education.

As expected with freshmen offices, the level of awareness of NASA programs was mostly “somewhat knowledgeable.” It was encouraging that almost all the staffers were “highly engaged” in the meetings and “very” or “somewhat” supportive of NASA. The top reasons for supporting NASA are the economic impact of NASA, NASA’s outreach supporting STEM education, the agency’s leadership, and its technology spinoffs to the commercial sector.

Space Day 2021 at State Capitol BAHEP President Bob Mitchell participated in the NASA Johnson Space Center’s “Space Day in Austin” on March 4, 2021, via a series of virtual meetings with NASA JSC Center Director Mark Geyer, Texas legislators, and Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

Mark Geyer’s topics of discussion included the NASA economic impact to Texas and the Johnson Space Center’s role in supporting Artemis, the plan to launch the first woman and next man to the moon. Bob Mitchell discussed the importance of the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) to the State of Texas.

Arturo Sanchez with NASA JSC discussed the accomplishments of the Texas Aerospace Scholars Program.

The state legislators participating in the meetings were Sen. Larry Taylor, Sen. Jane Nelson, Sen. Boris Miles, Sen. Royce West, Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D., Rep. Dennis

PAGE

7

Paul, and Sen. Brandon Creighton’s policy analyst.

Bob Mitchell Participates in Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee Meeting BAHEP President Bob Mitchell, a member of the Governor’s Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee, participated in a virtual committee meeting on March 8, 2021, to provide an update on the Houston Spaceport, NASA Johnson Space Center’s Space Day 2021 in Austin, BAHEP’s commercial aerospace initiative, and BAHEP’s Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) virtual meetings with freshmen congressional members to educate them on the importance of NASA to the economy and STEM education.

Aerospace Startup Support Community – NASA BAHEP President Bob Mitchell and Marketing Manager Kim Morris attended virtual meetings with NASA’s Dan Jacobs and Sam Gunderson on Dec. 17, 2020, and Jan. 21, 2021, to hear presentations on NASA Johnson Space Center’s proposed Aerospace Startup Support Community and discuss how BAHEP can assist the effort to provide a single approach to supporting the startup community in the Houston region.

The January meeting included Jack Fisher of Collins Aerospace who discussed TexSpace, an Innovation Hub, and its purpose to energize the Houston innovation ecosystem with respect to the space economy and how it can intersect, support, and facilitate other Houston incubator/ accelerator initiatives. Jacobs and Gunderson discussed three elements of the NASA JSC initiative to include mentoring services, seminars, and available NASA technical experts to the startup community.

Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium (BayTech) 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; 2) secure customers for, and provide simplified access to, NASA Johnson Space Center’s capabilities and facilities through its Space Act Agreement; and 3) pursue partnerships to support technology development.

PAGE

8

testing needs. Since late July 2020, NASA JSC has been able to offer some of its electronic workmanship training classes in a virtual, online manner, and since mid-October 2020, it has been able to host limited inperson classes. BayTech is in discussion with an aerospace company about providing destructive fastener testing and wire testing services.

The Receiving, Inspection Test Facility (RITF) provides testing, evaluation services, and training to the aerospace community and industry. It is a unique laboratory with a wide range of both electrical and mechanical testing, analysis, and training capabilities. (Photo courtesy of NASA Johnson Space Center)

BayTech’s discussions with the NASA JSC Human Health and Performance (HH&P) Directorate and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) are on hold during this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At a later date, BayTech will return to discussions to identify common research interest areas and facilitate research collaborations as well as to discuss the potential for utilization of the HH&P state-of-the-art biomed labs by UTMB biotechnology startup organizations.

Certified Manufacturing Technician Training BayTech (Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium) has prepared a proposal to submit for a Wagner-Peyser grant to offer certified manufacturing technician training to unemployed high school graduates and others. The federal government funds the Wagner-Peyser grant through the Texas Workforce NASA Johnson Space Center Test Facility Investment Council of the Texas Governor’s Office Support and is administered by the Texas Workforce ComFor calendar year 2020, BayTech executed approximate- mission. ly $30,000 in agreements with commercial companies for their use of NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) ca- The training will be delivered by the San Jacinto Colpabilities. The customers BayTech supports with this lege EDGE Center located at the Houston Spaceport. work include traditional aerospace organizations and Students who complete the training will be awarded a suppliers and oil & gas service companies. NASA JSC nationally recognized certification as a manufacturwas at Stage 3 support (essential personnel only onsite ing technician through the Manufacturing Skills with most working remotely due to the COVID-19 pan- Standards Council (MSSC), and then the BayTech demic) until Oct. 19, 2020, when it returned to Stage 2, allowing some workers to return onsite.

This impacted BayTech’s ability to utilize NASA JSC services since mid-March 2020, and as a result, some potential business discussions were put on hold including discussions with Samtec Inc. to determine if BayTech can support its component testing needs and LDARTools about providing thermal vacuum testing for a component. Both of these companies were able to find alternate support for their

BUSINESS BRIEFS

VOLUME

14,

NUMBER

1

team will work with its industry partners to place these individuals in a job. BayTech has not yet submitted the proposal to the Texas Governor’s Office as that proposal solicitation is on hold while the State of Texas deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the solicitation is reopened, BayTech will submit the proposal.

Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) What is SATOP? 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 for qualified requests. 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 Provides Assistance to Small Business Owner A minority, woman-owned business located in Harris County was referred to several resources in Houston to receive assistance as she seeks a partner for her Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) proposal. Since her request for assistance was not within the scope of services offered by SATOP, the SATOP project engineer conducted research and provided the contact information for organizations that provide the kind of assistance she is seeking: Houston Exponential, Cannon Houston, Fannin Innovation, and the University of Houston SBDC. SATOP Receives New Request for Technical Assistance Another minority, woman-owned business located in Harris County submitted a request for technical assistance in completing the development of a prototype of a system that is designed to track personnel on naval vessels. SATOP Alliance Partner MRI Technologies volunteered to assist the business owner, and research by an engineer is in progress.

PAGE

9

MEMBERSHIP Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership owes much of its success to the active participation of its members. Following is a current list of BAHEP members: New members in 2021 are shown in boldface.

Acadian Ambulance Service ACU of Texas Advantage BMW Mini of Clear Lake AECOM The Aerospace Corporation AeroSys, LLC AEXA Aerospace, LLC Aggreko Airbus DS Space Systems, Inc. All Points Logistics, LLC Allegiance Bank Texas Alpha Space Test & Research Alliance, LLC Al-Razaq Computing Services The AM Agency Amazon Web Services American Acryl American Cancer Society American Heart Association AMOCO Federal Credit Union Anadarko Industries, LLC Archer Group ARES Aerospace and Technology Services ASRC Federal AssuredPartners, Inc. AVERA Companies Axiom Space, Inc. Ayrshire Corporation Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance Bay Area Commercial Real Estate Network (BACREN) Bancorp South Bank Barlow Jones, L.L.P. Barrios Technology Bastion Technologies, Inc. Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre Bay Area Houston Magazine Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership (BAYTRAN) Bay Area Surgicare Center Bay Area Turning Point, Inc. Bay Oaks Country Club Baybrook Mall - Brookfield Properties Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium (BayTech) The Boeing Company Booz Allen Hamilton Bowers & Sadler, LLP

PAGE

10

Brewer Construction Services The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc. Capital Bank - Pasadena Clear Creek Independent School District CDS Community Development Strategies CenterPoint Energy Chemical Process and Production, Inc. CHI St. Luke’s Health Patients Medical Center Cimarron City of Clear Lake Shores City of Dickinson City of El Lago City of Friendswood City of Houston City of Houston, Houston Airport System City of Kemah City of La Porte City of League City City of Morgan's Point City of Nassau Bay City of Pasadena City of Seabrook City of Taylor Lake Village City of Webster CIVET Real Estate CLC Properties Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Coldwell Banker United Realtors College of the Mainland Colliers International Collins Aerospace Comcast Business Communities In Schools - Bay Area, Inc. Community Impact Newspaper Courtyard By Marriott Houston NASA/Nassau Bay Coventry Development Corporation - Houston Craig Technologies Crean Inc. Criss Cross Commercial Group Crowder Funeral Homes Curran Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors Cyber One Solutions, LLC CYFOR Technologies, LLC Cypress Bay Subdivision/Marina Bay Village DB Consulting Group Del Papa Distributing Company Deloitte Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Dickinson ISD DRDA, PLLC Economic Alliance Houston Port Region

BUSINESS BRIEFS

EduSafe Systems, Inc. Edward Jones - Roy Salas Elizabeth Smith Life and Health Express Employment Professionals The Eye Clinic of Texas Fast Signs - Clear Lake Friendswood Chamber of Commerce Friendswood ISD Frost Bank Galveston Bay Foundation Galveston County Galveston County Daily News Galveston Economic Development Partnership Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce GB Tech, Inc. GeoControl Systems, Inc. Greater Houston Partnership Greer, Herz & Adams, LLP Gregg & Gregg, P.C. Griffin Communications Group Griffin Partners, Inc. Guidry News Service Gulf Coast Authority Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union Gulf Coast Limestone, Inc. Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP Harris County Haute Flowers & Events HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast Health & Safety Council Higginbotham HIGHER Up Texas Highpoint Insurance Group, LLC Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake HomeTown Bank, N. A. Houston Association of Realtors Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Houston Precision Fasteners ImageNet Consulting Intuitive Machines, LLC J&P Technologies J. A. Billipp Company Jacobs JES Tech Joiner Architects, Inc. JSC Federal Credit Union Kaneka North America LLC KBR Keller Williams Realty Clear Lake Kemah Boardwalk

VOLUME

14,

NUMBER

1

Keough Law Firm, PLLC Kuraray America, Inc. La Porte Independent School District Lakewood Yacht Club The Law Office of Phil Griffis League City Regional Chamber of Commerce Leidos Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Lockridge Packaging, LLC Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. Logical Innovations, Inc. Lone Star Flight Museum MadisonMarquette Marina Bend at Clear Creek Marsh Darcy Partners, Inc. MDT Financial Advisors, LLC Meador Staffing Services, Inc. Media Riders, Inc. Medistar Corporation MEI Technologies, Inc. Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital Merrill Lynch Monica Millican Minuteman Press - Bay Area Moody Bank MRI Technologies My FlooringAMERICA NanoRacks, LLC NASA Alumni League - JSC Chapter NASA Johnson Space Center Nestle Waters N.A. NeuroPsychiatric Hospitals Norman Frede Chevrolet Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Oceaneering Space Systems, Inc. One Stop Tents & Events Pasadena Economic Development Corporation Pasadena Independent School District Pasadena Texas Chamber of Commerce Payne’s Plants PBK Pearland Economic Development Corporation Pelican View Drone Services Pennino and Partners Peraton Perry’s Restaurant Group Port Houston Raytheon Technologies The Rothe Companies—Houston Operations Royal Harbor Partners, LLC S&K Global Solutions

PAGE

SAIC San Jacinto College District Sandler Training Savills, Inc. Schaumburg & Polk, Inc. Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) Shriners Children’s Texas Sierra Nevada Corporation Signature Flight Support South Belt Ellington Leader South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center Southwest Airlines Company Space Center Houston Space City Films, Inc. SSCI Environmental & Consulting Services Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Star Service, Inc. Summit Management Group TechTrans International (TTI) Teledyne Brown Engineering Terracon Consultants, Inc. Texan Bank Texas A&M University at Galveston Texas Chiropractic College Texas Citizens Bank Thrivent Financial Tommy’s Restaurant Oyster Bar Truist Bank Trustmark National Bank, Texas TXU Energy UHCL Center -Economic Development & Research United Airlines United Equities, Inc. Universities Space Research Association-USRA University of Houston-Clear Lake The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Uprite Services UTMB Health Veritex Community Bank Welcome Group, LLC Wells Fargo Business Banking Whitley Penn Wile Interests Wendell Wilson & Dr. Pat Potter Wilson Wings Over Houston Air Show YMCA of Greater Houston Zann Commercial Brokerage, Inc.

11

18045 Saturn Lane Houston, Texas 77058 P.O. Box 58724 Houston, Texas 77258-8724 Phone: 832.536.3255 Fax: 832.536.3258 Web: www.bayareahouston.com E-mail: info@bayareahouston.com Facebook: BayAreaHoustonEcon Twitter: @BAHEP

The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, or BAHEP, is a member-driven organization that provides the leadership to stimulate regional economic development and employment. Utilizing a collaborative committee structure, we engage more than 265 investor companies, business professionals, local governments, and educational institutions, in southeast Texas, to bring about prosperity and a high quality of life for the 800,000 people who live and work in the region. Our members include business partners within our 14 member cities, Galveston and Harris counties, the Houston Airport System, and Port Houston.

Clear Lake Shores Dickinson El Lago Friendswood Houston Kemah La Porte League City Morgan’s Point Nassau Bay Pasadena Seabrook Taylor Lake Village Webster

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership sincerely thanks Harris County, Galveston County, Port Houston, the Houston Airport System, CenterPoint Energy, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines without whose continued support BAHEP’s work on behalf of the region would not be possible.