HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced the appointment of Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther to the Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC). The MTSNAC will advise Secretary Buttigieg, through the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Administrator, on ways to identify and address matters relating to U.S. maritime transportation, its integration with other segments of the transportation system, impediments to the effective use of short sea transportation, and the viability of the U.S. Merchant Marine.
“Our maritime industry plays a central role in our supply chains and our economic strength as a nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the announcement. “These new members will help us deliver the maritime investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, fighting inflation and reducing delays for the American people.”
Guenther is among 22 new MTSNAC members comprised of leaders from sectors including commercial transportation firms, state and local public entities, trade associations, labor organizations, academic, and environmental groups, among others. In May, Guenther was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the maritime industry.
Port Houston, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently leading the Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11, a collaborative infrastructure project to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel to support safety and its continued historic record-breaking growth. According to the Corps of Engineers, the Houston Ship Channel is the busiest waterway in the nation.
Port Houston’s eight public terminals and more than 200 private facilities have an economic impact of nearly $802 billion in annual activity to the nation, and support more than 2.1 million U.S. jobs.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 public and private terminals, collectively known as the Port of Houston, is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas – 20.6 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product (GDP) – and $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.
