Port Houston Blog

The Port of Houston and the Panama Canal was the theme of the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business Supply Chain Fall Symposium Nov. 4 at the institution’s main campus.

Caption: Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther and Sen. John Cornyn

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas’ senior senator, toured the Barbours Cut container terminal in early November, seeing firsthand the ongoing improvements at the Port of Houston Authority’s first container terminal. The facility opened in 1977.

A 2017 legislative briefing was provided by the government relations department for the Port of Houston Authority’s Small Business Advisory Council during its quarterly meeting that was held Nov. 7.

The Comptroller of Public Accounts launched the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle program in 2009 to encourage local governments to meet high standards for online financial transparency.  The Port of Houston Authority applied for and received Leadership Circle gold level awards in 2012 and 2013, and platinum level awards in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, that program changed to a new “Transparency Stars” program under the new comptroller’s administration and leadership.

The Port of Houston Authority hosted the U.S. Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Council (US-ASEAN) and two U.S. ambassadors, the Hon. Craig Allen (ambassador to Brunei) and the Hon. Ted Osius (ambassador to Vietnam) Oct. 4. The focus of the tour was for the U.S. ambassadors to speak and meet with various cities and communities about the importance of the US-ASEAN delegation and identify potential Asia-U.S. trade opportunities.

The Port of Houston Authority held a small business industry forum workshop Oct. 18, highlighting the port’s maintenance contracts and vendor opportunities. PHA Senior Director of Maintenance Paulo Soares gave a presentation providing an inside look of port maintenance operations to nearly 30 small business representatives.

The Port of Houston Authority welcomed environmental, trucking and transportation professionals for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Drayage Truck Incentive Program grant workshop Oct. 17 held at the Executive Building.

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Ishee, Deputy Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, and his staff visited with Port Authority leadership Oct. 17 for Houston Navy Week.