635EAST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization
Job Titles:
- Director and CEO of the Port of Beaumont
- Upper Coast Representative, Chairman
Chris Fisher is the port director and CEO of the Port of Beaumont. Fisher joined the Port of Beaumont in 1981. He was appointed to his current position on May 20, 2002. As port director, Fisher is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the port, currently the eighth largest in the nation in terms of tonnage and the top strategic port in the nation for handling military cargo.
Fisher is also the secretary-treasurer of the Foreign Trade Zone of Southeast Texas, Inc. He is a past member of the U.S. DOT Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC). Fisher is also a past president of the Texas Ports Association (2005-2008) and the Gulf Ports Association (2015) and currently serves as chairman of the Texas Department of Transportation's Port Authority Advisory Committee. Fisher is also the chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities' National Defense Committee.
Fisher began his career at the Port of Beaumont as a member of the port's security/police team while attending Lamar University. During that time, he obtained advanced certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Fisher holds a bachelor of business administration from Lamar University and a master of business administration degree from Lamar University.
Job Titles:
- Pharr Economic Development Corporation
Job Titles:
- El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization
Job Titles:
- Texas Motor Transportation Association
Job Titles:
- International Boundary and Water Commission
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Upper Coast Representative
Phyllis Saathoff is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of service in the port industry.
Saathoff began her maritime career at Port Freeport in 1992 serving as managing director and interim executive port director/CEO before joining the Port of Houston Authority in October 2012. She served in various capacities during her tenure at the Port of Houston Authority including, chief people officer and deputy executive director of Corporate Affairs. Saathoff returned to Port Freeport in April 2016 as the Chief Executive Officer.
Job Titles:
- El Paso International Bridge System
Job Titles:
- Director & CEO of the Port of Galveston
- Upper Coast Representative
Rodger Rees serves as the port director & CEO of the Port of Galveston, a public agency that handles more than $43.5 million in revenues, nearly 100 employees, and $246 million in capital projects. Rees oversees all cargo, cruise, and real estate departments.
He is responsible for the administration of all the Port's functions including business development and growth, strategic marketing and planning, finance, and operations of the Port's cruise terminals and marine facilities.
Under Rees' leadership, the Port increased its net profit from operations to $7 million from a budgeted breakeven point. He led the renovations of both cruise terminals including the expansion of the berths, and in December he signed an MOU with Royal Caribbean to build a third cruise terminal complex. Rees also took the lead in developing a new strategic plan for the Port that will be implemented later this year.
Before taking the helm at Port of Galveston in January 2018, served as the deputy executive director and chief financial officer for Port Canaveral, the world's second busiest cruise port. In this executive role, he was responsible for the management and safeguarding of the Port's financial assets as well as all financial functions of the port.
Rees is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a bachelor of science in Accounting. In addition, he is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of executive management in the private and public arenas.
Job Titles:
- Port Houston Representative
Roger Guenther was named the executive director of Port Houston in January 2014. With 34 years of experience at the port, Guenther brings operational leadership and a proven track record. He oversees the efficient and effective operations of Port Houston's public facilities, which handle a diverse range of imports and exports including container, general cargo, breakbulk, and bulk commodities, and include the area's largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the nation.
Guenther is also responsible for advocating for ongoing improvements and maintenance of the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The HSC is the busiest federal waterway in the U.S. and is ranked number one for waterborne tonnage. More than 200 public and private terminals conduct business alongside the HSC and, together, support $802 billion in annual economic value.
Before becoming executive director, he served as deputy executive director of Operations and was responsible for all container and breakbulk cargo operations, management and construction of capital development projects, facility and asset maintenance, and real estate interests. Since joining Port Houston in 1988, Guenther has served in various capacities related to facilities management, including master planning of the Bayport Container Terminal, redevelopment of the existing Barbours Cut Terminal, and procurement of all container handling cranes and equipment over the last three decades.
In 2016, Guenther was elected president of the Texas Ports Association and served through September of 2020. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees including the Texas Department of Transportation's Texas Freight Advisory Committee, the Port Authority Advisory Committee, the Board of Visitors of Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Advisory Council, the Port Terminal Railroad Association, the Greater Houston Port Bureau, and the Board of Directors of the National Association of Waterfront Employees. In 2021, he was appointed by Governor Gregg Abbott to the board of the Gulf Coast Protection District. His awards and honors include the 2017 Bronze Award Recipient-Houston International Seafarers, the 2018 Humanitarian Award (Philanthropic Male)-Latino Learning Center, and the 2018 Most Admired CEO-Houston Business Journal.
Guenther has a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA in International Trade and Finance from the University of St. Thomas.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Port of Victoria
- Lower Coast Representative, Vice Chairman
Sean Stibich serves as executive director of the Port of Victoria. He also serves as the general manager and architect of the next-stage evolution and growth roadmap for this full-service inland port and 35-mile barge canal. Since joining the port in 2019, which operates under the governance of the Victoria County Navigation District Board, he has championed a portfolio of strategic initiatives that strengthened both the port's operations and its competitive position as a key transportation center to the chemical, steel, petroleum and agribusiness industries for intermodal service delivery.
He joined APM Terminals as the assistant operations manager for Port of Miami. He was recruited to Ceres Terminals in New Orleans, where he was promoted to marine manager responsible for the full scope of loading-unloading operations at one of North America's busiest cargo ports. From there, he joined Rickmers-Linie in Houston as port captain, directing and leading a highly complex operation comprised of 7 ports across the Americas.
In 2014, Stibich was named port captain and cargo superintendent for Hansa Heavy Lift Americas' Houston operation, with his role elevated in 2016 to encompass serving as acting head of marine operations. He played a central role in enhancing a broad spectrum of operational and financial aspects of the division, achieving success in both business development and the performance of the company's fleet of 13 heavy lift ships. Most recently, he was global manager of sales and business development with GullsEye Logistics Technologies, where he directed the global go-to-market strategy for a startup provider of enterprise marine terminal operations software solutions.
He represents Port of Victoria as president of the Victoria Barge Canal Association and as a core member of the South Texas Transportation Conference, the Alliance for I-69 South Texas West Board, the Victoria MPO Policy Advisory Committee, the University of Houston-Victoria Provost Advisory Board, and the Victoria Rotary. He has promoted the port's interests and influenced business development and regulatory agendas through his interactions with FEMA, USACE, and federal and state legislators.
Stibich has a bachelor of science in business in marine transportation from SUNY Maritime College.
Job Titles:
- Lower Coast Representative
Sean Strawbridge has over 30 years of experience in the global transportation and energy sectors in both public administration and the private sector. He's held leadership roles in corporate development, large infrastructure development, capital structuring and public/private partnerships.
In his former role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Corpus Christi, he led the third-largest port in the United States total waterway tonnage and the largest gateway for U.S.-produced energy exports. With over $1.2 billion in assets under management, Strawbridge assembled a high-performance executive team to manage the meteoric growth Port Corpus Christi has experienced. A veteran of world-class organizations such as the Port of Long Beach, Ports America Group, Oxbow Energy, and Sea-Land Service, Inc., he has written extensively on the evolving marine terminal and trade flow paradigms.
He is an active member of the South Texas Coastal Bend community and sits on a number of Boards, including the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, South Texas Military Task Force, the Art Museum of South Texas, the American Heart Association of the Coastal Bend, as well as the Buccaneer Commission and the USS Lexington Board of Directors. Strawbridge was recently appointed to chair the Education Task Force for the Texas Railroad Commission. Strawbridge was recently appointed to chair the Education Task Force for the Texas Railroad Commission.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Arizona State University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director at the Port of Harlingen Authority
- Lower Coast Representative
Walker Smith is the Executive Director at the Port of Harlingen Authority, appointed in March 2014. As director, he has added a national agriculture chemical supplier and two international petroleum distributors as customers of the Port. He has also been successful in establishing an overweight corridor extending to the US/Mexican border that will increase imports & exports and help the region take advantage of the new energy reform in Mexico. Since 2014, under Walker's leadership, the Port has flourished.
Job Titles:
- Director of Governmental Affairs for the Sabine River Authority
Johnson is a longtime legislative staffer and most recently served as a special advisor to Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan. Before his time at the office of the speaker, he worked as the chief of staff to then State Representative Dade Phelan. Johnson served as the representative's chief advisor on all legislative and political matters, state budget recommendations and local house district issues.
Johnson is a graduate of Lamar University.