Buttigieg names Port Houston leader to advisory committee: 'Our maritime industry plays a central role in our supply chains and our economic strength'

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Monday that Port of Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther has been named to the Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC), per a press release.

Guenther will be among the 28 individuals who advise the secretary through the Maritime administrator on matters pertaining to the nation’s maritime transportation, the release said. 

“Our maritime industry plays a central role in our supply chains and our economic strength as a nation,” Buttigieg said in the release. “These new members will help us deliver the maritime investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, fighting inflation and reducing delays for the American people.”

The MTSNAC, which is a chartered, non-federal body, additionally looks into the maritime sector’s integration with other segments of the transportation system, its website says.

The release said that Guenther is a part of a batch of 22 new appointees who hail from various sectors.

Guenther’s appointment was made after his induction into International Maritime Hall of Fame in May, according to the release.

Last month, Houston Daily reported citing Houston CBS affiliate KHOU, Guenther and the port oversaw the start of work on a $1 billion expansion project for the Houston Ship Channel called Project 11.

Project 11 intends to widen and deepen the 52-mile channel in phases during the next four years and is expected to boost the economy in the Houston area, per the report.

"This project will enable Port Houston to continue to grow and respond effectively to whatever the future demand supply chain has to offer," Guenther told KHOU, the publication reported.

According to Guenther’s biography on the port’s website, he became executive director in 2014.

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