'This award further highlights the success of our local maritime community': Port Houston head Guenther named to International Maritime Hall of Fame

The Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey named Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther to the International Maritime Hall of Fame on Feb. 16, according to a press release.

Guenther is one of six global shipping leaders recognized for their "unwavering leadership and dedication to advancing the industry through innovation, determination and volunteerism,” the release said.

MAPONY/NJ Executive Director Stephen Lyman said the honorees "have represented a broad spectrum of leadership within the global transportation industry."

"[They] have earned the respect of their colleagues worldwide, deserving of this honor," Lyman said in the release. "We anticipate a record turnout for the event.”

Guenther and the five other honorees will be recognized at the 28th International Maritime Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in New York City in May.

“I am honored to be recognized and included on this list of leaders inducted before me who are pioneers of our industry," Guenther said in the release. "This award further highlights the success of our local maritime community and the commitment of Port Houston, our partners and our stakeholders to keep trade and commerce moving for our region, Texas and the nation.”

Raised in Baytown, Guenther has been with the Port Houston since 1988, holding a number of positions until he was named its executive director in 2014, the release said.

He played huge roles in the master planning and development of Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal and redevelopment of its Barbours Cut Terminal.

The release said he is currently helming Port Houston's Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11, which seeks to widen and deepen the channel in an effort to boost its continued growth as the country's busiest waterway.

A former president of the Texas Ports Association from 2016 to 2020, Guenther serves on a multitude of transportation-related boards of committees, including the newly formed Gulf Coast Protection District to which he was appointed last year by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

A native of Baytown, Guenther holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in international trade and finance from the University of St. Thomas. He's a married father of two.