EA the Current - 2023 Q2

Melinda Torisson, CEO, Meador Staffing Services accepts “Best Family Owned Business”award.

Pictured with Steve Stephens CEO, Amegy Bank, left and Robert Charlet, Market President & Publisher Houston Business journal, right.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER .....................................3

FEATURED ARTICLE ........................................4

MEMBERS IN MOTION .................................. 9

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE IN MOTION ............18

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ...............................25

MEMBER LISTING ..........................................28

FEATURED

HOUSTON PILOTS: A multitude of community involvement.

EXXONMOBIL: Supporting students at Lee College.

WHEELCHAIRS FOR WARRIORS: Helping mobilize veterans in need.

COASTAL ICE & WATER: Keeping the community hydrated.

BACODA: Committed to the community-wide effort, drug & alcohol abuse among our youth.

The Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, created in 1985, provides professional economic development services for the businesses and communities surrounding the 25-mile Houston Ship Channel. Since 2008, the Economic Alliance has supported 77 successful projects that have helped create 3,856 new jobs and over $17.8 billion of capital investment to the Houston Port Region.

250 Private Sector

We are proud to count among our members cities, communities, chambers of commerce and other government entities

Highlands-Lynchburg

Randy Boeding, R.Boeding Group, LLC

Buddy Tucker, Ohmstede Industrial Services Inc.

Chris Talley, Blast Builders

Connie Tilton, ExxonMobil

David Bush, Orion Group Holdings, Inc.

Elizabeth Fazio Hale, Gulf Coast Authority

Herb Hildebrand, San Jacinto College - Small Business Development Center

Janet Gonzales, Bank of Texas

Jim Griffin, San Jacinto College - LyondellBasell

Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology

Jonathan Schmaltz, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

Katie Yount, McDonough Engineering

Kristi Claypool, Meador Staffing Services

Leonard A. Bedell, Mobil Steel International, Inc.

2023 Board of Directors

David Szafranski, Enterprise Holdings

Matthew Goldston, ABIP CPAs & Advisors

Nathanael Ince, Pinnacle

Robert Armstrong, Kuraray America, Inc.

Russell Carter, Bohler Engineering

Stuart Cayer, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

Brent Cockerham, Moody Bank

Dave Tolson, Arete Advisors

Dennis Winkler, Winkler Public Relations

Doug Mansfield, Mansfield Marketing LLC

Dr. Lynda Villanueva, Lee College

John Grimes, LBC Tank Terminals

Brittany Wong, Shell Deer Park

Marcelo Moacyr, BGE

Paul J. Plauché, MobilOps

Roger Gossett, Diamondback Works

Stephen Kelman, Wood

Thomas Reeves, City of Baytown

Dr. Allatia Harris, San Jacinto College

Melissa Wolkenhauer, BIC Alliance

Bryan Wooten, INVISTA

Michelle Hundley, CenterPoint Energy

Steven Massey, Truist Bank

Charles Montgomery, Houston ILA Dock & Marine

Shareen Larmond, West Gulf Maritime Association

Nellie Baktashi, Houston Methodist

Ali MacLeod, BGE

Marcia Faschingbauer, Excargo Services Inc.

Nikki Mason, Covestro

Scott McAlister, Coastal Ice & Water

Mark Bookmyer, Lyondellbasell

Captain Clint Winegar, Houston

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

203 Ivy Avenue, Suite 200 Deer Park, TX 77536 (281) 476-9176

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Chair: Bob Bradshaw, INEOS

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. I firmly believe that this region produces its’ own unique culture, born out of blue-collar manufacturing work. The residents work hard and raise their families in tight-knit, small town communities that still support their local schools, Little Leagues and pack stadiums every Friday night in the Fall. I also believe that it’s that culture that inspires our companies to reach into the communities and pour resources back into them.

As Jim Griffin used to always say, these cities allow us (the petrochemical industry) to operate in their communities. That partnership and service attitude shows through in numerous ways, including grant programs, sponsorships of local fire departments, education foundations, non-profit charities, school districts and many more community first causes.

We’re fortunate to live in such a thriving economic ecosystem where jobs and education and quality of life all coexist. The Economic Alliance works everyday to continue and grow that prosperity, which is the American Dream.

God Bless,

Chad Burke President & CEO Economic Alliance Houston Port Region

Treasurer: Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College

Secretary: Rob Bacon, ExxonMobil

Vice Chair: Ryan Sitton, Pinnacle

Vice Chair: Mayor Michel Bechtel, City of Morgan's Point

Vice Chair: Monty Heins, DOW

Past Chair: Steve Cote, Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates

COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD

Sarah Arroyo, Lubrizol

Heather Betancourth, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC

Jessica Blackmore, Shell Deer Park

Sara Cronin, TPC Group

Amanda Fenwick, San Jacinto College

Jason Lee, Exponent Prosperity Accelerator Advisors, LLC

Lori Pace, ADIM Media, LLC

Kara Slaughter, LyondellBasell

Bill Stephens, Chevron

Aaron Stryk, ExxonMobil

Connie Tilton, ExxonMobil

Dennis Winkler, Winkler Public Relations

Tess Hammock, Community First ER

MaryJane Mudd, East Harris County Manufacturing Association

Sabrina Schwertner, Texas Chemical Council

Brian Waddle, Lee College

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE STAFF

Chad Burke, President & CEO

Chad Carson, VP of Economic Development

Marisela Ramirez, Events & Membership Director

Amanda Baucum, Marketing & Communications Director

Heather Carrico, Financial & Administrative Manager

Patti Bell, Workforce Development Manager

Karen Gregory, Contracts Manager

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Amanda Baucum, Marketing & Communications Director

EDITORIAL & SPONSORSHIP SUBMISSIONS

amanda@allianceportregion.com

Newsletter archive: https://allianceportregion.com/newsletters/

HOUSTON PILOTS DOING GOOD IN THE COMMUNITY

Houston Pilots is a voluntary association of 97 ship pilots providing pilotage services to vessels navigating the Houston Ship Channel. A leader in navigation safety and innovation since 1919, the Association’s goal is to safeguard the interests of the citizens of Harris County by ensuring the safe navigation of deep draft vessels transiting to the over 160 public and private docks along the 52 mile Houston Ship Channel.

Since 1919, Houston Pilots have lived and raised their families in the communities along the Houston Ship Channel. So it should come as no surprise that their commitment to keeping the channel safe and to investing in their local communities runs especially deep.

With special focus on the the neighborhoods and organizations surrounding Houston’s East End and communities along the Houston Ship Channel, Houston Pilots have provided support to a number of local community, educational and health related organizations over the years.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS MAGNOLIA PARK

Platted in 1890, Magnolia Park is one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods in the Houston area. The Dia de los Muertos festival was founded in Houston’s East End to build community between neighbors, support local artists and students, provide local small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods, and develop relationships between local community leaders. Houston Pilots are honored to be a sponsor of this community event which supports the East End and Magnolia Park neighborhoods.

EL CENTRO DE CORAZON

Houston Pilots believe that a healthy community is vital to a vibrant and strong work force along the Houston Ship Channel. With this in mind, they have supported El Centro de Corazon, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center with three locations in Houston’s East End, for over 12 years. El Centro provides a full range of pediatric and adult health care services for the medically underserved and uninsured.

MARITIME EDUCATION

Understanding how the channel underpins future local and regional prosperity, Houston Pilots have invested heavily in recruiting the next generation of maritime leaders from local communities.

Partnership maritime schools include Pasadena ISD, Houston ISD, LaPorte ISD, Galena Park ISD, and Texas City ISD. Additionally, Houston Pilots serve on the San Jacinto and Pasadena ISD Maritime Advisory Boards and provide guidance on curriculum, instructor qualifications, equipment, and facility requirements.

With a focus on under served and minority students, Houston Pilots typically hosts 4-6 interns every summer, and provides $120,000 a year in scholarships and financial support to local maritime education programs through their Houston Pilots’ Anchorwatch Foundation. Just recently, the Anchorwatch Foundation surpassed over $1million in support of maritime education. Consistent with the Houston Pilots focus on local communities, scholarships are awarded with preference towards students from local partner high schools.

EXXONMOBIL SUPPORTS LEE COLLEGE’S ENERGYVENTURE CAMPS, BLENDING FUN AND EDUCATION!

ExxonMobil Baytown recently donated $15,000 to sponsor Lee College 2023 EnergyVenture camps, an energy career exploration summer camp for middle school and high school students.

In addition to funding, ExxonMobil is providing volunteers to lead experiments and talk careers. Volunteers kick off discussions about their time at ExxonMobil and the journey that led them to where they are today. Students can ask questions and learn more about what it takes to have a career in our industry. Campers also learn about the world of chemicals and how the products that we make are used in everyday items.

“We appreciate ExxonMobil’s continued efforts to support Energy Venture camp at Lee College for the last 14 years,” stated Lee College Community Education and Senior Programs Program Manager Jordan Smith. “Through this support, students are able to see how vital the energy industry is to everyday life and decide if a career in the industry may be a good fit for them.”

Through ExxonMobil’s 14 years of sponsorship, more than $200,000 has been donated to support the camps and to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.

“We couldn’t make this camp possible without ExxonMobil’s support, and we hope to continue growing this program to create more opportunities for young members of our community to learn about the energy industry,” Smith added.

ExxonMobil is a proud sponsor of EnergyVenture Camp and thanks Lee College for helping to educate the next generation of energy leaders.

WHEELCHAIRS FOR WARRIORS, HELPING MOBILIZE VETERANS IN NEED

Wheelchairs for Warriors, a local area nonprofit, envisions a world where every wounded vet eran and first responder can confidently and independently pursue their dreams with the support of custom-fit, complex-rehab mobility solutions (wheelchairs). They serve those who served us – warriors critically injured in the line of duty. They travel to recipients around the country and custom fit each wheelchair to their specific physical and lifestyle needs, providing a range of solutions from daily use to adaptive sports wheelchairs.

In June, they visited Sue Downes in Cypress, TX to fit her for a custom wheelchair she desperately needs and has been unable to get through the VA. Sue enlisted as an Army police officer in Dec 2004 and deployed to Afghanistan in February of 2006. In November of that year, Sue’s unit was en route for an overnight mission; their Humvee was struck by five landmines powered by a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and also received enemy fire. Sue was gunning the .50 caliber machine gun – she was shot in the left hip, and her fellow soldiers (best friends) were both killed.

The blast took both of Sue’s legs below the knee, lacerated organs, caused a traumatic brain injury, and PTS. Sue underwent dozens of surgeries, and in March of 2007 she was given her fist pair of prosthetics.

Six months ago, Sue was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.). Her right hip is fused and a few of her spine segments have started to fuse as well. Sue has worn prosthetics for 16 years with success, but now her injuries and illness have caught up to her and she needs a wheelchair.

Sue says, “A wheelchair will give me back my independence – I can get around a store without my legs hurting, I can be more mobile in everyday tasks.”

To learn more about Wheelchairs for Warriors visit: wheelchairsforwarriors.org

To help fund Sue Downes wheelchair visit: https://give.wheelchairsforwarriors.org/suedownes

COASTAL ICE & WATER, KEEPING THE COMMUNITY HYDRATED PROVIDING HYDRATION SAFETY GUIDANCE

Coastal Ice & Water debuted a hydration safety guidance presentation available to customers and non-customers. Participants are encouraged to consider diet and behavior with increased consumption of water to safely hydrate, especially in Houston’s summer heat.

Placing a monitor under people’s tongues to read hydration levels grabs attention. Most display moderate dehydration. Some reach severe levels.

Skipping breakfast and drinking caffeinated beverages is confessed as the culprit in dehydration rates, notes Monica Beynaerts, Vice President, Sales for Coastal Ice, who brings fruit, pastries and water-soluble electrolytes for people to consume.

Beynaerts holds attention with a tear-jerking ending – a father describing his son’s death from heat-exhaustion on the job.

“It is easy to remedy dehydration when you know the facts and have a solution,” Beynaerts concluded.

GRABBING ATTENTION WITH HYDRATION SAFETY TWIST AT EHS TRADE SHOW

Coastal Ice & Water continued its industry Hydration Solutions theme by introducing Hydration Safety Solutions during the Texas|Louisiana EHS Seminar. Coastal Ice’s booth offered cold, refreshing water, and a unique dehydration testing site.

Many safety professionals, surprised to test dehydrated, requested Coastal Ice bring its hydration safety guidance presentation to their sites. Plant managers, equally impressed, recommended testing as a method to garner employees’ attention.

“Our safety presentation helps employees understand how easy it is to be dehydrated and learn proper methods to hydrate,” said Scott McAlister, president of Coastal Ice & Water.

Coastal Ice ambassador and Olympic boxer Termite Watson visited industry safety professionals and plant managers during the seminar about knocking out dehyd ration which increases safety incidents. Termite delivered motivational presentations during the conference.

Knock out dehydration and reduce safety incidents. Olympic boxer & motivational speaker, Termite Watkins, visits with customers in the Coastal Ice & Water booth during the TexasLouisiana EHS Seminar in Galveston. Adding water and fruit to your diet and avoiding caffeinated beverages can help the fight against dehydration.

Elizabeth Taylor Wells, territory manager with goSafe, a Coastal Ice & Water safety partner, uses a goSafe hydration meter to read audience members hydration levels during a presentation on Next Level Hydration. Monica Beynaerts of Coastal Ice & Water presented to HBR SHE Resource Committee hosted at HASC.

BACODA | BAY AREA COUNCIL ON DRUGS & ALCOHOL

BACODA is committed to a community-wide effort to prevent and reduce the harmful impact of alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs among our youth. They accomplish this by utilizing a multi-prong approach.

The first approach features prevention education within the Youthworks Program. This program uses school-based prevention education for grades 1st-12th. They also provide positive alternative activities and presentations for after school programs, youth-based non-profits, community partners and, of course, parents.

The second approach involves BACODA’s five community coalitions which implement environmental strategies. The coalitions rely on effective partnerships, collaborations, and volunteers to bring awareness to their communities, educate leaders and policy makers, and evoke change. Coalitions can be found in Brazoria County, Galveston County, Matagorda/Wharton and Southeast Harris and the city of Pasadena.

The third approach concentrates on counseling services for those seeking assistance with substance use and substance use disorders. BACODA offers direct services providing a combination of critical activities including psycho-educational classes, crisis counseling, assessments, problem identification, and referrals. All sessions are conducted by a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC). For more information or to make an appointment, please call 800-510-3111. Youth, adults, and families are welcome.

BACODA’s impact in the community can be seen throughout the region. With collaborations with local municipalities, law enforcement, health promotion agencies and faith-based organizations, events and projects are happening at full speed! Recently, BACODA received a grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to sponsor and support projects to reduce stress and increase wellness. Below are some of the projects sponsored by BACODA:

• Increase community beautification by designing and painting full size murals in Freeport, Kemah, and Dickinson. The mural in Kemah features a smoke and alcohol-free picnic area for all to enjoy.

• Community gardens in Galveston and Oyster Creek allow collected food to feed those in the community.

• New “ninja” style park in Pasadena located across from an elementary school to increase exercise opportunities for youth.

• Provided a cement court for Sanford Community Center in Palacios which allowed local youth to games and socialize safely.

• Purchase supplies to support the Clothes Closet at La Porte HS for students in need.

• Sponsored an awning at the Hesed House in Wharton to allow for community gatherings and outdoor events.

It is easy to follow along with BACODA’s current projects, coalition meetings and prevention activities by visiting www.bacoda.org and following on FB, Instagram and Twitter! For additional information, please call 800-510-3111.

MEMBERS IN MOTION

HOUSTON METHODIST

This year Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital is celebrating 75 years of serving Baytown and the surrounding community. Our founders set out to create a modern hospital that provides the very best in innovation and health care for those living in the community, well into the future. I am proud to say we continue to fulfill their vision as one of the nation’s top complex care medical centers and one of America’s best places to work. We are grateful to our community for their support and fortitude throughout the years and we look forward to continuing to grow together. We are proud of our history, excited for our future, and look forward to Leading Medicine in our community for decades to come.

David P. Bernard, MBA/MHA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

3PBD is proud to announce three new additions to our Alliance Partners’ Network. Welcome to the network Billy Bray/Outsourced Risk Managers, Arquella Hargrove/Alchemy Consulting Group, & Bart Pitcock/CommonWealth Sales Consulting! You can learn more about them at https://3pbd.net/3pbd-alliance-partners.

If your business has a need for one of these companies or you would like to make a connection with one of them, message me and I will schedule a call to personally introduce you.

CRAIG & HEIDT, INC. CIVIL CONSTRUCTORS

Congratulations to Craig & Heidt Civil Constructors for achieving 50 years as an incorporated business! On May 5th, Craig & Heidt hosted a celebration in recognition of five decades in the civil construction industry. As a family owned and operated business, Craig & Heidt employs over 40 full time team members and provides turnkey civil construction services including design, engineering, and construction. Their client list reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the Texas petrochemical and industrial landscape. They are steadfastly loyal to their clients and are dedicated to doing what is necessary to execute a successful and safe project. Craig & Heidt has been recognized on the National stage, earning numerous Excellence In Construction awards from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), as well as accolades for safety excellence including the ABC STEP, ABC AQC, and ABC Top

next decade, they are led by the 4th generation of

veterans, respectively. To learn more about Craig &

Performer awards. As Craig & Heidt embarks on the

Craigs - Joe Craig and Paul Craig, who are Marine and Army

Heidt, visit www.craig-heidt.com.

INEOS - THE DAILY MILE The Daily Mile is a children’s health and wellness initiative supported by INEOS. Earlier this year, The Daily Mile announced that one million US children are now taking part in the initiative.

The Daily Mile takes classroom teachers and their students outside for an additional 15 minutes of movement. Participants start by walking, jogging, running, or rolling at their own pace. Within a month, most children build enough endurance to run for the entire 15 minutes. For most, this equals the distance of a mile.

This simple initiative has proven benefits. Children’s physical health improves. Their mental well-being and learning improves. To help even more children be their best selves, the Daily Mile is giving $50k to schools for health and wellness initiatives.

To learn more about the Move 2 Movement $50K Giveaway, visit www.thedailymile.us/50K.

SUCCESS STARTS WITH THE RIGHT TRAINING PARTNER

MEMBERS IN MOTION

MEADOR STAFFING SERVICES was named as one of the 68 honorees for the Houston Business Journal’s inaugural Best Family-Owned Business Award.

The companies selected demonstrated both financial success and commitment to the Houston community. This award recognizes and highlights the success that Meador Staffing has demonstrated throughout the past 54 years and the importance of family-owned businesses and how they impact the economy and communities they serve.

Team members from Meador Staffing celebrated at a luncheon hosted by the HBJ at the Marriott Marquis June 15.

RINER ENGINEERING A UES COMPANY Founded in 2006, Riner Engineering (https://rinerengineering.com), a geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing and inspection firm was acquired by UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, in June 2023. RINER with 170 engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff based in offices in the Houston headquarters, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, joins the Texas Region of UES, along with previously acquired Dallas-based Alpha Testing and Corpus Christi-based Rock Engineering and Testing Laboratory. RINER’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

Brian Powell, P.E., President of the UES Texas Region and UES CEO Dave Witsken have remarked on the expansion with enthusiasm noting the increased level of skills, experience, services, and solutions RINER brings to their Texas/UES teams. RINER+Alpha+Rock = #BetterTogether

THE PORT BUREAU Captain Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret) retired from the Port Bureau in May 2023. Bill came to the Port Bureau in 2009. He has led the Port Bureau in its mission to provide its 260+ members with vessel movement and port information, networking and promoting maritime values in the broader community. Before coming to the Port Bureau, Bill served 31 years in the U.S. Coast Guard in a variety of challenging jobs, including serving as a diplomatic liaison officer to the Panama Canal. His last assignment was command of the largest operational unit in the Coast Guard: Sector Houston-Galveston. He led 2,600 personnel in the highly successful response to Hurricane Ike in 2008. The response included saving 235 lives, cleaning up 240 oil spills, and the largest waterway restoration effort in the history of the Coast Guard.

The new president CAPT Eric Carrero started July 1, 2023. Welcome aboard!

Happy Retirement Captain Bill Diehl!

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Speakers/panelist from

bit.ly/2023GCIF

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSOR

Tolunay Wong Engineers Inc.

McCarthy Building Company

Houston Pilots

Gulf Coast Authority

McDonough Engineering Corp.

Kuraray America Inc

INEOS

Turner Industries

LBC Tank Terminals

UBS - Signature Wealth Management

Houston Community College

Targa Resources

Current sponsors as of 7.25.23

MEMBERS IN MOTION

INEOS - BMC COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES TEAM (CAT) UPDATE

BMC COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD 3 LOCAL STUDENTS $1000 EACH

INEOS Community Scholarships that were offered to the local high schools – Deer Park ISD and La Porte ISD. Altogether, 3 local students were recognized for their contributions in the community through volunteering, academic excellence, and school participation with $1000 scholarships to the school of their choice.

EASTER BASKET DRIVE FOR CHILDREN AT LOCAL SHELTERS

The BMC CAT sponsored an Easter Basket Drive to benefit the children at Sarah’s House & The Bridge Over Troubled Waters in April 2023.

Together, we were able to provide baskets for a total of 47 kids at these shelters.

We were also able to take the extra catfish meals from our Tornado Appreciation event and donate them to Sarah’s House for their community.

MOTHER’S DAY DRIVE

The BMC CAT gathered donations from our workforce to generate enough funds to provide gift bags to the mothers at The Bridge Over Troubled Waters including personal care items and makeup, tumblers, coloring books, and personal motivational journals. Together we were able to donate enough bags for 40 mothers.

BAYSIDE PRINTING CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Houston’s Bayside Printing. While much has changed since 1973, Bayside has remained true to its commitment to quality, service and friendliness that it is famously known for. Owner Rose Mary Bundscho echoes this company mantra; “Our people make our company successful. It is my pleasure to know and work with all our dedicated employees that put our customers first and continually strive to improve all that we do.”

Bayside Printing, Inc. is an award-winning commercial printing firm located in the north Houston area. They are a woman and minority-owned company (MWBE) and are certified by the City of Houston and the State of Texas as a HUB supplier.

SAN JACINTO COLLEGE is rolling out new programs to meet the needs of the growing workforce in Houston and along the Texas Gulf Coast. New programs include: autonomous vehicle repair (certificate), biotechnology (certificate and associate degree), engineering technology (associate degree), heavy diesel equipment and crane repair (certificate and associate degree), medical laboratory technician (certificate), and plumbing (certificate). The College will also launch its second bachelor’s degree, a Bachelor of Applied Science in early childhood education (EC-3) to help meet the growing teacher shortage across the region.

Most of the new programs will begin this fall. The bachelor’s degree and biotechnology programs will roll out in spring 2024. With these new programs, students will have the opportunity to gain the skills to enter the evolving job market with confidence.

HARRIS COUNTY PRECINT 2 helps CTE students at Sam Rayburn High School by donating to two end of year projects. One of the project needs consisted of cables, fasteners, and other building material. The other project funds were allocated towards a laser cutter, updated tools, and an electric motor/power supply for the juniors to build an electric go-kart. Brock Wilson, is head of the Engineering - Industrial Arts - Technology – Robotics at Sam Rayburn High School. He places projects on the website throughout the year. His small yearly budget does not go far with over 140 engineering students. https://www.donorschoose.org/brock-wilson is the link to his DonorsChoose site, help out if you can.

CHEVRON PASADENA REFINERY in partnership with DonorsChoose, seeks to provide students with resources that increase access to STEM opportunities. Chevron Pasadena Refinery was especially excited to fund Sam Rayburn High School teacher Brock Wilson, head of the EngineeringIndustrial Arts - Technology – Robotics in the Pasadena Independent School District request on DonorsChoose for approximately $8k in tools and equipment for his engineering classroom. He has many students interested in mechanical engineering and they are working as a team to design and build an electric-powered go-kart. DonorsChoose is a platform that helps provide teachers with materials they need in the classroom.

“ I am overwhelmed and grateful for the generous donations you have made to support my classroom and my students. I look forward to sharing the progress my students make with their new tools and supplies next year and I can’t wait to share the great news with my students.” With gratitude, Mr. Brock Wilson

During Teacher Appreciation Week, Chevron launched a 2X STEM match offer for equity focus schools on DonorsChoose. There are currently over 1,500 projects qualifying for Chevron’s support and 25 projects have already reached their project goal!

Mr. Brock’s students designed and built the new Chevron logo and podcast studio signs for the renovation of the Gulf Coast Growth Show podcast studio at Economic Alliance Houston Port Region.

MEMBERS IN MOTION

EXCARGO wins 2 awards for our Safety program at the ATA 2023 Safety, Security & Human Resources National Conference & Exhibition!!! The ATA National Truck & Industrial Safety Award recognizes the extraordinary Safety accomplishments of Truckers across the US by operation type and size. Judging is based on safety records, vehicle accident rates, lost workdays, and vehicle maintenance.

Safety is at the core of every decision we make. Every department at Excargo has a hand in Safety and making sure our fleet is elite. Henry Vargas has lead our Safety program since 2019 and continues to show exemplary results. Our driver turnover is the lowest it has ever been, and we are continuing to break our safety score records!

CITY OF DEER PARK Finance Director Nicole Ganey has earned the designation of Certified Government Financial Officer from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT).

The CGFO program is intended to encourage a level of knowledge and professionalism in the field of government finance. It is also intended to encourage the development and maintenance of professional competence for practicing governmental finance officers. For purposes of the CGFO program, a finance officer is any individual occupying a professional-level position that includes oversight and/or supervision of one or more financial functions in a government entity.

Assistant City Manager Sara Robinson congratulated, “The Deer Park family is so proud to have Nicole on our team. Her dedication and ambition are second to none, and obtaining the CGFO designation is an exemplary example of that. Congratulations, Nicole – you are a shining star, and your future is bright!”

Nicole Ganey stated, “I feel honored to have earned my CGFO certification from GFOAT, as it will provide me with new opportunities for professional growth and help me better serve the City of Deer Park. This achievement marks one of many milestones in my career.”

City Manager Jay Stokes expressed, “I’m am incredibly happy to see Nicole achieve the CGFO designation, both for the City of Deer Park and for her professionally. She is an outstanding Director of Finance, and we all enjoy working with her immensely.”

GFOAT is an affiliate organization of the Texas Municipal League (TML), which represents some 98% of Texas’ urban population through its 1,100 member cities and towns. TML provides affiliate services, membership management, and conference planning support. As partners, TML and GFOAT offer the best in representation and assistance to cities and their finance professionals.

GULF COAST INDUSTRY FORUM special section will be featured in the HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. This section will be seen by HBJ’s audience of over 50,000 weekly readers in both the print and digital versions of their September 8 publication and will also be distributed to every table at the September 21 event in Pasadena.

This section will include a preview of the upcoming Forum as well as allow our members the chance to receive special rates on promoting their company within the section. Space and material closing is August 15. Please reach out to Traci Pelter for more information. Traci Pelter, Vice President of Sales at Houston Business Journals, tpelter@bizjournals.com or 832-316-4550.

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE IN MOTION

BREAKING GROUND - 60 NEW JOBS & $250 MILLION INVESTMENT KAO is building a new tertiary amine production plant at 5010 Underwood Road in Pasadena, Texas. The company broke ground in late April ’23. The production facility will meet the growing demand for sterilizing/cleaning applications but also for wide range of other industrial and consumer applications. Scheduled to begin operations in January 2025.

INDUSTRIAL PROCUREMENT FORUM – CONTRACTORS

Economic Alliance along with co-hosts BIC Alliance hosted the Industrial Procurement Forum on May 11 at the San Jacinto College – LyondellBasell CPET Building. This event gathered 200 in attendance and 10 exhibitors. Our Keynote Speaker was Corey Johnson of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. and a contractors Procurement Managers Panel consisting of Carsten Bernstiel of Kiewit, Mike McClellan of KBR, Scott Watson of PCL Construction and Stuart Folse of Cajun Industries, LLC. The panel was moderated by Jeremy Osterberger of BIC Alliance.

LUNCH WITH COASTAL ICE & WATER Thank you to our member Coastal Ice & Water, LLC for treating us to an appreciation lunch back in May. The team truly appreciates your kindness, friendship, and all that you all do for the region. Thank you for your continued support and for keeping us all hydrated!

Who keeps you hydrated? Coastal Ice & Water, LLC quenches our thirst! https://www.coastal-ice.com/

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE BOOK CLUB

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a book that explores the hidden forces behind successful people.

GRADUATION/FAREWELL TO INTERN

BRITTON SMITH We celebrated our Intern Britton Smith with a Farwell/Graduation lunch in May. A graduate from University of Houston, we are grateful for the time he spent assisting the Economic Alliance Staff. Thank you to the University of Houston - Clear Lake for their partnership.

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

We hosted our first New Member Orientation of the year on May 17th in the Board Room. We welcomed over 30 members with networking, refreshments, and a short presentation on how to get involved. Our committee chairs also shared an update on the task force that they represent. We plan to host another orientation in the fall, be on the lookout for your invitation.

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE IN MOTION

ERNIE’S TASTING Economic Alliance

Houston Port Region team & Russell Carter, Chairman, Gulf Coast Industry Forum participated in a tasting at Ernie’s Cafe & Catering! We’re gearing up for our Forum in September. We hope you enjoy our lunch options. Thank you to Ernie and his staff for excellent service! For catering consider Ernie’s: www.erniestheoriginal.com/

CAMILA FLORES JOINS ECONOMIC

ALLIANCE Economic Alliance

Houston Port Region welcomes Camila Flores who has joined our team as an Administrative Intern.

Camila is a dual credit Deer Park High School and San Jacinto College ‘23 graduate with an associate in general studies. She is attending the University of Houston this fall, majoring in Computer Information Systems and minoring in Data Science.

Join us in welcoming her in this exciting new chapter of work experience and networking with Economic Alliance!

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON

The Economic Alliance, Women In Alliance Committee hosted the Women’s Leadership Luncheon on June 21 at San Jacinto College LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology.

Showcasing a panel for the first time including: Brittany Franklin with Sky High for Kids, Joy HorakBrown with New Hope Housing, and Kirsten Whittingham with Axiom Space - moderated by past committee chair Melinda Torrison with Meador Staffing Services. This Panel was Outstanding!!

A special thanks to our sponsors Harris County, Texas, San Jacinto College, Eli Valet, Bayside Printing Company, Whitmire | Munoz HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast for supporting this event.

Save the Date: Wednesday, October 18th for our next Women’s Leadership Luncheon, Harris County Commissioner Leslie Briones will be our Keynote speaker.

BOARD & MEMBERSHIP

MEETING

Thank you

Houston Pilots for hosting the Economic Alliance

Houston Port Region board & membership meeting! Captain Clint Winegar gave a great presentation & overview of what the Pilots do daily, maneuvering vessels safely and efficiently to and from docks via the narrow and congested Houston Ship Channel.

Thank you to the Board, members, and taskforce/ committee leads for your updates!

TASK FORCE, COMMITTEE & EVENTS

BUSINESS GROWTH TASK FORCE

The Business Growth Task Force continues to meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 9am in person with a virtual option. Committee members share business updates and news in the region. Every meeting we highlight a member, and they share insight and how to connect with their business. This committee plans 4 events a year. The first event being the Economic Forecast Reception that took place on April 6th. All events have opportunities for sponsorship and booth options to share promotional information, check our website for future events. For more information on the task force and to be signed up to receive meeting invites, contact Marisela Ramirez at marisela@allianceportregion.com.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE

INEOS hosted the April Economic Development Task Force at their Battleground Research and Development building. Nearly 30 Task Force members got to see firsthand the facility and what the R&D folks do on a day-to-day basis at INEOS. It was a very informative tour and provided a great chance for members to network and want to thank INEOS staff again for taking the time to host us and organizing the tour.

Our June Task Force meeting was hosted by staff at the Nouryon Chemicals Battleground Site. Nearly 30 attendees received a demonstration of Nouryon’s operations and a close look at recent investments at the facility. We are thankful for them opening the doors for our group.

Keep a lookout for invites to our Fall meeting that we are currently planning. This one will be more of a social setting, and we are still working on a few ideas and should be committing to one in the next few weeks. All 3 our Task Force meetings this year have been off-site and have highlighted some key assets and operations in the Houston Port region. We are open to meeting ideas and/or those that want to host a meeting. Reach out to either Chad Carson or Kristi Claypool to see if it’s a fit.

Membership Highlight: Sam Craig presented on behalf of Craig & Heidt at the April meeting.

Membership Highlight: Wendy Ghormley presented on behalf of Live Oak Bank at the May meeting.

Membership Highlight: Ed Parker presented on behalf of 3PBD at the June meeting.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE

Dr. Allatia Harris, Workforce Task Force Chairman and Vice Chancellor of San Jacinto College welcomed attendees to the Workforce Task Force meeting on June 22, 2023 at TALKE, USA in Mont Belvieu.

We strive to coordinate regional programs and stakeholders and to market regional petrochemical, maritime and logistics career paths and opportunities to students, teachers, counselors, and parents. In our efforts to provide timely topics we surveyed our committee members in April to help us provide meaningful meetings that meet their needs and interests. Based on the results of that survey our June meeting covered Logistics and Transportation and was held on site at Talke USA in Mont Belvieu. We had two community colleges, four school districts, and nine business or government entities represented. Talke shared their history, hiring and promoting within, and about their packaging and shipping departments. A great big thank you to the TALKE staff.

This task force usually meets on the third Thursday every other month, from 3:00pm – 4:00pm, unless on site options require a different time. Our next meeting is August 17, 2023 via zoom or in person at Economic Alliance Houston Port Region.

We have connected with over 3500 students, parents, teachers, administrators, and underemployed adults through June 2023. Dream It Do It has attended 13 career fairs, one conference and one community event as well as presentations in four classrooms and three large groups. Our outreach has been at 12 school districts in our immediate area and two community colleges as well as reaching 25 additional school districts in the Beaumont Youth Expo and 14 at Women in Industry held in Galveston.

DREAM IT. DO IT.

The goal of the Dream It Do It Southeast Texas program is to highlight career opportunities in our region by working with our industry partners who volunteer. We focus on petrochemical, logistics, transportation, maritime and construction industries.

Thank you to our volunteers who bring such valuable insight into the high-demand, high-wage careers in our area. Our volunteers during this 2nd Quarter are Stacy Putman (Ineos), Morris Guy (San Jacinto College), Britton Smith (Economic Alliance), Tyler Padgett (San Jacinto College), Flor Escatel (San Jacinto College), Kelly Groaning (San Jacinto College), Jay Roberson (Turner Industries), and Alex Suescun (Pulido Transportation).

If you’d also like to share your knowledge with the future workforce, we are always looking for volunteers to come speak about their careers in the petrochemical, logistics, maritime, construction, and transportation industries. If you would like to help, please email Patti at patti@allianceportregion.com

WOMEN IN ALLIANCE COMMITTEE plans 3 Women’s Leadership Luncheons throughout the year. This year we have successfully hosted 2 events. We are looking forward to our October event and hope that you join us! The committee meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 3pm. If you would like more information on how to get involved or how to sponsor an event, please send Marisela an email at marisela@allianceportregion.com.

Current sponsors as of 7.17.23

TASK FORCE, COMMITTEE & EVENTS OUR NEXT EVENT

Sponsorships Available

THE COAST WITH THE MOST GROWTH

The Gulf Coast Growth Show is a knowledge sharing platform where industry leaders with backgrounds in Petrochemical, Transportation/ Infrastructure, Workforce Development, Capital Investment, Logistics, Governmental, and a wide range of others are interviewed.

Over the last six months we’ve hosted 18 guests, close to 7 hours of footage, 7,474 views, watch time 452 hours, and gained 52 subscribers. The show is growing. Don’t miss an episode, subscribe & watch today, or listen where you get your podcasts.

GULF COAST GROWTH SHOW

UPCOMING EVENTS 2023

AUGUST

Business Growth Task Force

Wednesday, Aug 2 9:00am – 10:00am

Women In Alliance Committee

Wednesday, Aug 9 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee

Tuesday, Aug 15 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Workforce Development

Thursday, Aug 17 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Public Policy

Tuesday, Aug 22 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Economic Alliance Board Meeting

Wednesday, Aug 30 3:00pm - 5:00pm

SEPTEMBER

Business Growth Task Force

Wednesday, Sep 6 9:00am – 10:00am

Women In Alliance Committee

Wednesday, Sep 13 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee

Tuesday, Sep 19 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Gulf Coast Industry Forum

Thursday, Sep 21

Public Policy

Tuesday, Sep 26 3:00pm - 5:00pm

OCTOBER

Business Growth Task Force

Wednesday, Oct 4 9:00am – 10:00am

Women In Alliance Committee

Wednesday, Oct 11 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Gulf Coast Industry Forum Committee

Tuesday, Oct 17 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Workforce Development

Thursday, Oct 19 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Public Policy

Tuesday, Oct 24 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Economic Development

Wednesday, Date & Place TBD 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Topical Forum: The Four Legs of Houston’s Economy

Thursday, July 27 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Gulf Coast Industry Forum

September 21, 2023

Pasadena Convention Center 7902 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX 77507

Women's Leadership Luncheon

Wednesday, October 18

San Jacinto College - LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical Energy, & Technology 7901 W Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX 77507

Procurement Forum - Owners

Thursday, November 7

San Jacinto College - LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical Energy, & Technology 7901 W Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX 77507

MEMBER-DRIVEN AND MEMBER SERVICE ORGANIZATION

OUR STRUCTURE consists of an Executive Board, an Elected Board and eight initiative chairs supported by members through their direct involvement. Our staff works to carry out the directives of each these

Upon becoming a member, you are invited to attend a Task Force meeting, luncheon, or other events so that you can get a better idea of how we operate and what Economic Alliance offers.

8 TASK FORCES AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY MEMBER INVOLVEMENT

Economic Development Task Force

To facilitate new and expanded capital investment and job creation along the Houston Port Region.

Workforce Development Task Force

To provide a forum that facilitates information sharing and promotion of workforce development initiatives to address the growing skilled workforce gap.

Quality of Life Task Force

To enhance our region’s marketable image and quality of place, including assets marketed to attract both tourists and corporate relocation.

Women’s Leadership Luncheon

To showcase female leaders in our industries and encourage an empowering dialogue on the success of female leadership in the industries they represent.

Transportation Task Force

To identify and support transportation projects in order to accommodate rising freight demand in the economy and ensure safety and quality of life for citizens.

Public Policy Task Force

To provide a forum that facilitates information sharing and education on public policy issues affecting the Houston Port Region’s economic development.

Business Growth Task Force

To provide mechanisms for the education and development of regional businesses in order to sustain and grow regional commerce for our communities.

Gulf Coast Industry Forum

To bring industry, government, and community stakeholders together to hear regional information affecting the Houston Port Region.

MEMBER BENEFITS

ECONOMIC ALLIANCE IS A DRIVING FORCE in the Houston Port Region. Economic prosperity and successes are growing faster than ever due to the participation by our members. We convene a large, trusted network and encourage you to join our talented, well-connected organization.

A VALUED MEMBER:

MCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES, INC. deeply values our membership with the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. All they do, advocating for and advancing the interests of the economic powerhouse that is the Houston Ship Channel, and surrounding areas, is amazing and appreciated. Thank you Chad Burke and Team!

JONATHAN W. SCHMALTZ, DIRECTOR, BD

MEMBER BENEFITS ARE REFLECTED IN ENHANCING YOUR OPERATIONS NETWORK

Expand your immediate circle of acquaintances and begin meeting new people in adjacent circles — and beyond. Members, staff and partners can be the solution and lead resources related to your operations.

Become recognized as an active business member of a world class team within the Houston Port Region. Our service footprint is the most sought-after region in the World for Petrochemical, Manufacturing, Maritime and Logistics operations.

Align yourself with strategic initiatives that are making an impact on our regional economy and residents.

Economic Alliance is one of the most impactful and influential business organizations in Texas. Participate in economic development, public policy, transportation/infrastructure, workforce development and quality of life initiatives.

Gain knowledge and contribute to the information sharing and convening of industry leaders. Events and task forces can highlight your operations and/or be a vehicle to gain insights from fellow members.

Leverage relationships and established communication channels to have issues heard.

Economic Alliance develops regional priorities through our members input and the organization is a respected voice with invaluable connections to key decision makers.

JOIN OUR GROWING LIST OF MEMBERS!

PARTNER LEVEL

Stakeholder, Corporate, and Proprietorship Members

*STAKEHOLDER MEMBERS IN BOLD

3PBD

3V Industrial, LLC

ADS Customs Signs

AL Law Group

All About Business

American Acryl

Angler Construction

Apache Industrial

Apache Oil Company

ARCO Design/Build

Arete Advisors

Arkema Inc.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Association of Bayport Companies

Audubon Engineering

BakerRipley

Bank of Texas

Bay Area Council on Drugs & Alcohol (BACODA)

Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

Bayport Polymers, LLC (Baystar)

Belt Harris Pechacek, LLLP

Bendel Tank & Heat Exchanger

BGE

Blast Builders

BMF Industries

BMWC Constructors

Brady, Chapman, Holland and Assoc.

Bridgepoint Consulting LLC

Butler-Cohen

Capital One Bank

CDT3 Training

Cenikor Foundation

Chemic Engineers & Constructors, Inc.

Cherry Companies

CHI St. Luke’s Health Patients Medical Center

Cima Services, LP

Clark Freight Lines Inc

Clark Industrial Services, LLC

Clough USA

Colson X-Cel USA

Community First ER Core Trucking of Texas

CRA, Inc

Craig & Heidt, Inc

Cumulus Digital Systems

Del Mar Safety Solutions

Detection & Measurement Systems

Diamond Rigging and Crane Inc

Dunavant Trans Gulf Transportation & Distribution Group

Dupre Logistics

E.E. Reed Construction, L.P.

Earmark Management and Consulting LLC

East Harris County Empowerment Council

Economic Incentive Services, LLC

Edna Rice Executive Recruiters Inc.

Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

EnviroAI

Excargo Services

Farley & Partners LLP

Fifth Ring Fire Security, Inc.

First Horizon Bank

Gallant Builders

Galveston Bay Foundation

Gateway Printing & Office Supply, Inc.

Get Choice

Global Relations

Greater Houston Partnership

Gulf Coast Authority

Gulf Coast Solutions Inc

H+M Industrial EPC

Halff Associates, Inc.

Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP

Hanson Professional Services

Hargrove Engineers + Constructors

HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast

HDR Engineering, Inc.

Houlden Enterprises, LLC

Houston Chronicle Media Group

Houston Construction Services

Houston ILA Dock & Marine

Houston Pilots Association

Houston Wilderness

Houston Yacht Club

Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston

Industrial Tax Consulting

Innovative Alternatives, Inc.

Innovative Office Environments

InnovEarth Corp.

Invista

iOne Benefits Group Inc

JBJ Management

Kai Koa IT Solutions, LLC

Kaneka North America LLC

KCI Publishing Corporation

Kenco Bucket Trucks

KeyHire Solutions

Knudson LP

Lakewood Yacht Club

LaneMKTG

Langan Engineering and Environmental Services Inc.

Les Ellard Insurance Agency, Inc.

Linbeck Group

Liquid Capital Business Funding

Live Oak Bank

Longleaf Industrial Lubrizol

Magnolia Park Arts & Community

MAT Health & Financial Solutions

McDonough Engineering Corporation

Meador Staffing Services

Metro Star Vanpool

Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc.

Moody National Bank

Mosher Seifert & Company, CPA

MPACT Strategic Consulting

National Property Holdings

NiSoft

Nissan Chemical Houston Corp

Ohmstede Industrial Services Inc.

Orbital Engineering, Inc.

Orion Group Holdings, Inc.

Outsourced Risk Managers, LLC

Paycor

PDG Architects

Pfeiffer and Son, Ltd.

Phelps State Farm Insurance

Pinnacle

Pivotal

PKF of Texas, P.C.

Place Chaplains

PlainsCapital Bank

Plantgistix

Pro Citrus Network

Project Joy & Hope

Project One Logistics

Pulido Transport

Qualified Properties, Inc.

Ram Alloys, LLC

Reliant Nationwide Staffing

Riner Engineering a UES Company

Ritter Forest Products

Royal Harbor Partners

Sam Houston Area Council, BSA

San Jacinto River and Rail

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.

Sesco Cement

Shell Federal Credit Union

Sign Craft

Sky High for Kids

Slack & Co. Contracting, Inc.

SMART Group Houston

Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc

Space City Services

SRI Global Inc

Statesman Corporation Finance, LLC

Stellar Bank

Stockstill & Associates

Structure Tone Southwest

Sudduth Search

Sunstate Equipment LLC

Swagelok Southeast Texas

Tandem LAMarr Trucking & Excavating, Inc

Terracon Consultants, Inc.

Terrapass

Texas Deepwater Partners (TDWP Partners LLC)

Texas First Bank

Texas JDC Diving Inc

Texas Mutual Insurance Co

Texas Southern University

The Boeing Company

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc.

The Gates at Main Steet/Linensndecor

The McDonnel Group

Tier 1 Integrity

Tolunay-Wong Engineers, Inc.

TPC Group

Truist Financial

Trustmark National Bank

UBS Financial Services Inc.

Union Pacific Railroad

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Uprite Services

VLS Environmental Solutions

Voovio Technologies US Inc

Wheelchairs for Warriors

Wildcat Solutions

Wood Workforce Solutions

203 Ivy Avenue, Suite 200

Deer Park, TX 77536

281.476.9176

allianceportregion.com

MISSION

INITIATIVES PROMOTING GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND POLICIES TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

PUBLIC POLICY

Identifying and advocating on issues of Houston Port region significance

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Closing the skilled worker gap and connecting economic opportunities to impact equity

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

INSIGHTS/THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Producing events around topics and issues relevant to industry

TRANSPORTATION/ INFRASTRUCTURE

Building consensus on transportation/ infrastructure project list for TxDOT

QUALITY OF LIFE

Supporting community enhancement and impact projects