Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Lawrence "Larry" Coben, Ph.D., and Bruce Niemeyer to the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. Their terms will continue at the discretion of the Governor. The Texas Economic Development Corporation works in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism to promote Texas as a prime location for business both domestically and internationally.

Lawrence "Larry" Coben, based in Houston, is currently serving as Chairman, President, and CEO of NRG Energy, Inc. His previous roles include chairman and CEO positions at various affiliates of Tremisis Energy. Coben has also been on the boards of SAESA and Prisma Energy and served on Morgan Stanley Infrastructure II's advisory board. He founded the ESCALA Initiative and was a former board president of New York Stage and Film. Coben holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale University, a Master of Arts and Doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

Bruce Niemeyer resides in The Woodlands and is the president of Americas Exploration and Production at Chevron. At Chevron, he has held positions such as corporate vice president of strategy and sustainability, as well as vice president of mid-continent business unit. Niemeyer participates in industry groups including the Upstream Committee of the American Petroleum Institute and serves on the executive committee of the Greater Houston Partnership. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

These appointments require confirmation by the Senate.