Infrastructure in Motion: Transportation & Mobility
Moderator: David Gornet
Executive Director
Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority
David Gornet has served as Executive Director of the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority since March 2024. He is also President of Gornet Consulting, LLC, an independent transportation planning consultancy he founded in 2014. Gornet brings decades of experience in transportation planning, infrastructure development, and project management, including nearly seven years as a Program Manager at Jacobs Engineering Group, 17 years as Executive Director of the Grand Parkway Association, and 18 years as Vice President of Transportation Planning at AECOM, formerly Turner Collie & Braden, Inc.
Gornet holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering, both from the University of Louisville, where he was involved with ASCE, Chi Epsilon, and Tau Beta Pi.
In addition to his professional work, Gornet has a longstanding commitment to community service. He has served as a committee member with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since 2009, volunteering with the Directions & Assistance Committee to support rodeo patrons and assist lost children. He was also a founding board member of the West Sugar Land Little League from 1993 to 1999, serving as Fundraising Chairman and Players Representative.
Ike Akinwande, S.E., P.E.
Assistant County Engineer
Fort Bend County Engineering
Ike Akinwande works for Fort Bend County as the Assistant County Engineer managing all mobility projects. Ike holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Civil Engineering, both from Rice University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Professional Structural Engineer (S.E.). Ike has been with Fort Bend for 7 years but has spent his entire 23-year career in the civil and structural industry working in the management, design, and construction of roads, buildings, and bridges. He started his career in the private sector working for Science Applications International Corporation and has since gone to work for state government with the Department of Transportation and local government with both Harris County and Fort Bend County. Ike is passionate about applying technological solutions to managing infrastructure and helping to push the industry forward.
Ron Papsdorf
Executive Director
Houston-Galveston Area Council
Ron Papsdorf serves as Executive Director of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) since July 2026, becoming the organization's fourth Executive Director in its 60-year history. He previously served as H-GAC's Chief Transportation Officer, working closely with the Transportation Policy Council to establish new standards of excellence for regional transportation planning. Before joining H-GAC, Papsdorf spent over seven years as Transportation Planning & Operations Director at the Denver Regional Council of Governments and three years as Federal Affairs and Local Government Liaison for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly 17 years with the City of Gresham, including nine years as Government Relations Director and seven years as Transportation Planning Manager, and began his career as a Senior Transportation Planner with the City of Scottsdale. Papsdorf brings extensive experience working with elected and appointed policy-makers, with a strong technical background in local government administration, multi-modal transportation planning, community and economic development, intergovernmental relations, and communications.
Papsdorf completed graduate studies in Environmental Planning at Arizona State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning from Michigan State University.
Papsdorf served as a Board Member of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center from 2010 to 2014 and continues as a Board Member today. He has been a member of ICMA (International City/County Management Association) since 2008.
Shane Pirtle, P.E.
Reitired Senior Consultant & 36A Member
SIS-TECH
Shane Pirtle served on the Port Freeport Commission from 2011 to 2023. Shane Pirtle is a retired senior consultant in Safety Instrument Systems and Instrumentation. Pirtle retired from The Dow Chemical Company after 30 years of service. He also has managerial and professional experience at other engineering firms. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Control Systems.
Pirtle is a Distinguished Alumni of Brazosport College holding an Associate of Applied Science and Associate in Engineering Science degrees.
Pirtle served seven years as mayor and council member for the City of Lake Jackson. Among his many civic activities, Pirtle is an active board member or past member of the United Way of Brazoria County, Brazoria County Economic Development Alliance, Brazosport Chamber of Commerce, Brazosport Business Roundtable, 100 Club of Brazoria County, Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County, Bay Area Council Boy Scouts, Brazosport Rotary and served on the United Way BC-LTRC.
Pirtle resides near Brazoria and is a founding member and Elder of The Refuge Church in West Columbia and has served in leadership roles with Christ Lutheran Church in Lake Jackson and Victory Church in Brazoria. He and his wife, Linda, of 38 years, have three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In his free time, Pirtle enjoys spending time with his grandchildren along with other activities such as ranching and hunting.
Pirtle has been a member of the Highway 36 Coalition since 2012 when appointed as the Port Freeport representative and has served as the Chair of the Executive committee for 3 years.
Phyllis Saathoff
Executive Director/CEO
Port Freeport
Phyllis Saathoff has dedicated more than three decades to advancing Texas’ maritime industry through thoughtful leadership, sound financial management and a commitment to creating long-term value for the communities and businesses the state’s ports serve. As Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Port Freeport, she leads one of the nation’s fastest-growing ports, overseeing operations, infrastructure development and strategic initiatives that support international trade and economic growth.
After beginning her career at Port Freeport in 1992, Phyllis served in several leadership roles before joining the Port of Houston Authority executive team in 2012. She returned to Port Freeport as Chief Executive Officer in 2016, where she has led the organization through one of the most significant periods in its history.
Among her greatest accomplishments was leading the successful completion of the Freeport Harbor Channel Improvement Project, a multi-year effort that deepened the federal navigation channel to 56 feet and established Port Freeport as the deepest port in the Gulf of America. The project strengthens the Port’s ability to serve larger vessels, expands opportunities for existing and future customers, and reinforces Texas’ role in global commerce. During her tenure, the Port has also expanded its container, automotive and breakbulk operations while making significant investments in terminal infrastructure, rail connectivity and cargo-handling capabilities.
Phyllis is widely respected throughout the maritime industry and has served in leadership roles that help shape transportation policy and port development across Texas and the nation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Port Authorities, is a past chair of the Port Authority Advisory Committee to the Texas Department of Transportation and is the Immediate Past President of the Texas Ports Association. Phyllis has also served as President of the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones and served on numerous community organization boards.
A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Professional Port Manager®, Phyllis earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Her leadership has been recognized with the University of Houston-Clear Lake Distinguished Alumni Award, the Stephen F. Austin Leadership Award, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Russell H. Perry Award, the Junior Achievement 2025 Hall of Fame Award, the 2026 Outstanding Woman of the Year Award from the Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce, and, most recently, recognition as a 2026 Top 30 Influential Woman of Texas. These honors reflect her longstanding leadership and contributions to Texas’ maritime industry and the communities it serves.
Water for a growing population: Infrastructure opportunities and challenges
Moderator: Jeff Haley
Founder & President
Si Environmental, LLC
Jeff Haley is the President and founder of Si Environmental, LLC, a Rosenberg-based company specializing in the operation, maintenance, and management of water and wastewater utility systems. A longtime Fort Bend County resident, Haley grew up in the Richmond-Rosenberg area and has nearly three decades of industry and business leadership experience.
Haley founded Si Environmental in 2012 and led the company through significant growth, establishing it as a leading provider of residential water and wastewater facility operations in the Greater Houston area. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its operations and service capabilities across Texas while maintaining a focus on customer service, reliability, and community relationships.
A graduate of Texas Lutheran University, Haley earned his degree in accounting in 1992. In addition to his business leadership, he has been actively involved in the Fort Bend community, including serving as Chairman of the Board of the Central Fort Bend Chamber. He was named the Chamber’s 2015 Business Person of the Year in recognition of his business and community involvement.
Through his leadership at Si Environmental and involvement in the community, Haley brings extensive experience in water and wastewater operations, business development, infrastructure, and the needs of growing communities throughout Fort Bend County and Texas.
David Oliver
Partner & Chair
Allen Boone Humphries Robinson, LLP
David Oliver serves as Partner and Chair of the Firm's Executive Committee at Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP (ABHR), where he has practiced since 2004. Oliver's practice focuses on urban development, with an emphasis on the acquisition and financing of critical infrastructure facilities serving residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects. He serves as general counsel and bond counsel to special purpose local governments that provide water, sewer, drainage, road, and park facilities to developments across the greater Houston region, and represents private developers in negotiations with local government entities on land and economic development matters. His clients construct, finance, and operate water, sewer, drainage, road, and park facilities across Texas. Oliver is admitted to practice in both Texas and Louisiana.
Oliver holds an LL.M. in Taxation, with honors distinction, from Georgetown Law, a J.D. from Louisiana State University and a B.S. from Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Omicron Delta Kappa.
Oliver is a member of the American Bar Association and the Houston Bar Association, among five professional organizations he belongs to.
Lawrence Dean
President & CEO
Community Builders Advisory Services
Lawrence Dean is co-founder of Community Builders Advisory Services, the next great Texas-based and locally focused housing industry advisory firm. Prior to this new opportunity, Lawrence held the role of Senior Vice President, Homebuilder Lending with Veritex Community Bank. In this role he engaged with mid-sized to large volume homebuilders and land developers assisting with large scale construction lines of credit and acquisition/development financing. Prior to this role, Lawrence spent nearly a decade as the Houston Regional Director of Zonda (formerly Metrostudy), a definitive authority on the residential construction real estate and housing market. Lawrence also led a team in Metrostudy’s consulting entity advising diverse clients, including builders, developers, and investors, on specific sites and potential development programs.
Lawrence has also held management roles in land acquisition and development for some of the region’s largest builders, including Ryland, KB Home, and D.R. Horton. In the real estate consulting arena, he was also Vice President of a local boutique consulting firm. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of Houston and Texas A&M University.
Lawrence is the 2024 president of HomeAid Houston as well as serving as a Trustee of GHBA HomePAC and as a Director of Harris County Municipal Utility District #478.
Jeff Dewese
President
The Signorelli Company
With more than two decades of real estate experience, Jeff Dewese leads The Signorelli Company’s land development operations. His oversight includes acquisition, planning, construction management, landscape architecture, reimbursement entity and HOA management and development. Since joining the firm in 2017, Dewese has overseen the development and operations of more than a dozen communities, including Granger Pines, which was named the Greater Houston Builders Association Developer Community of the Year in 2021, Cielo, a 265-acre community in Conroe and Austin Point, a 4,700-acre, regionally transformative development in Fort Bend County.
Prior to joining The Signorelli Company, Dewese gained invaluable experience in construction, purchasing, sales, land project management and leadership working for various reputable local and national builders. Dewese has collaborated with numerous Houston-area municipalities, local governments and school districts to balance developer goals with municipal requirements and create master planned communities that benefit residents, the city and county.
Dewese holds a BBA in Marketing from Texas A&M University and is a member of the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M. He is also an active alumnus of Leadership Montgomery County, volunteers with Angel Reach, and serves as a leader and volunteer with Cub Scouts.
From Risk to resilience: fort bend region's one water strategy
Moderator: Russ Poppe
First Assistant Engineer
Fort Bend County Drainage District
Russ Poppe has over a quarter century of design and program management experience in water resources and civil engineering that spans both the private and public sectors. Poppe has extensive experience in flood risk management working with federal and state partners such as the Corps of Engineers, FEMA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas GLO and TWDB. Poppe is also currently President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Houston/Galveston Post, is a voting member of the Lower Colorado-Lavaca Region 10 Regional Flood Planning Group, serves on his MUD board, and is a Houston Wilderness board member while fulfilling his duties as First Assistant Engineer at the FBC Drainage District.
Alan Leonard
Director of Policy
Texas Water Foundation
Alan Leonard is the Director of Policy for Texas Water Foundation. He most recently executed legislative affairs for the Department of Energy’s office that conducts all-hazard risk management and emergency response support for the U.S. energy sector. Prior to that, he worked at Austin Water on legislative and policy issues and reviewed a number of Texas state agencies as an analyst for the Sunset Advisory Commission. He holds a Masters of Global Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Marcus Stuckett
Executive Director
Harris County Flood Control District
Marcus Stuckett is the Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District. He brings over 23 years of regional drainage and flood mitigation experience, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and a Certified Floodplain Manager. He is also an active member of the American Council of Engineering Companies' Stormwater Committee and the Texas Floodplain Management Association.
Stuckett earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Mississippi.
Stuckett most recently served as Associate Vice President at Pape-Dawson Engineers, where he led the firm's public sector hydrology and hydraulics practice. Before that, he spent more than seven years at the Harris County Flood Control District, including as Engineering Division Director, where he led a team of more than 70 employees and oversaw more than 100 flood mitigation projects representing over $750 million in construction value. He also worked as a Supervising Engineer for the City of Houston, managing major stormwater infrastructure projects. As Executive Director, his priorities include advancing projects funded through the Harris County Flood Bond Program, strengthening partnerships with municipalities and regional agencies, and reducing flood risk through watershed planning, channel maintenance, and infrastructure improvements.
Matt Froehlich, P.E.
Owner & Director
BGE, Inc.
Matt Froehlich has over 23 years of experience as civil engineering consultant primarily focused on water and wastewater. He leads BGE, Inc.’s efforts as program manager and engineer for the North Fort Bend Water Authority and West Fort Bend Water Authority. Matt currently serves as the Vice President of the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association, on the Advisory Council for the Association of Water Board Directors, and as the Chairman of the Fort Bend Regional Partnership’s Infrastructure and Development Forum. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas and resides in Katy with his wife and two children.
Data Center Power: Myths, facts, and the fine print
Moderator: Gabriela von zur Muehlen
Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer
Texas Association of Business
Gabriela von zur Muehlen serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer for the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the state chamber of commerce representing businesses across Texas. In this role, she leads TAB’s public policy and advocacy efforts, working with state leaders, employers, and industry stakeholders to advance policies that strengthen Texas’ business climate and economic competitiveness.
Von zur Muehlen is engaged in a broad range of policy issues affecting Texas employers, including economic development, workforce development, regulatory policy, infrastructure, financial services, technology, and emerging issues surrounding data centers and artificial intelligence. She also represents the Texas business community before policymakers and has testified before the Texas Legislature on issues affecting economic growth and the state’s business environment.
A graduate of Baylor University, von zur Muehlen has built her career in public policy, government affairs, and business advocacy. In her leadership role at TAB, she works to ensure the perspective of Texas employers is represented in major policy discussions while supporting initiatives designed to maintain Texas’ position as a leading state for business, investment, innovation, and job creation.
Jess Heck
Director
Data Center Coalition
Jess Heck serves as Director of Texas Government Affairs at the Data Center Coalition (DCC), the member association serving as the voice of the data center industry.
Jess brings over a decade of experience in government affairs, public policy, and legislative strategy. Prior to joining DCC, Jess served as Director of Government Relations for the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), where she was the primary liaison to the Texas Legislature. In this role she worked on policy issues affecting the state’s electric, water, and telecommunications sectors, including grid reliability, transmission planning, resource adequacy, and economic development. She advised commission leadership, managed policy analysis, and coordinated engagement with elected officials and stakeholders across Texas.
Prior to the PUCT, Jess led government relations efforts for an energy company, overseeing federal, state, and local government strategy. She secured public funding for workforce development initiatives supporting the energy industry and led engagement with policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders across multiple states on issues affecting infrastructure development, energy policy, and business growth.
Earlier in her career, Jess worked in the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, and the Governor’s Office. Jess holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Energy from Texas A&M University. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her golden retriever, June.
Chris Tomlinson
Columnist
Houston Chronicle
Chris Tomlinson is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News, focusing on politics, money and life in Texas. He writes two columns and his Tomlinson’s Take newsletter weekly drawing on his 30 years of reporting experience. Tomlinson was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2025, and the Texas Managing Editors Association named him opinion writer of the year in 2021.
He is a New York Times bestselling-author of Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth and Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families who Share the Tomlinson Name-One White, One Black.
Previously, Tomlinson was the supervisory correspondent for The Associated Press in Austin, responsible for political reporting in Texas. From 2001-2009, he was a foreign correspondent and served as the East Africa bureau chief in Nairobi, Kenya. Tomlinson has reported from more than 30 countries, including Rwanda, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Congo.
Before becoming a journalist, he spent seven years in the U.S. Army. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992 with special honors in humanities. He currently serves on the board of advisers of The Texas Book Festival and the Museum of Human Achievement.
keynote speaker
Doug Robison
Founder and Executive Chairman
Natura Resources
Doug Robison is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Natura Resources, where he provides strategic leadership for the company's mission to deploy advanced molten salt reactor technology to address growing global energy, water, and medical isotope needs. Since founding Natura in 2019, he has helped establish the partnerships, regulatory strategy, and commercialization pathway that have positioned the company among the leaders in advanced reactor development in the United States.
A third-generation oil and gas professional, Doug brings more than four decades of experience spanning energy operations, law, policy, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. Throughout his career, Doug has worked at the intersection of technology, operations, and energy development. His experience includes enhanced recovery projects, secondary and tertiary recovery operations, complex upstream developments, and large-scale energy infrastructure projects. He has built a reputation for identifying emerging technologies, evaluating their commercial potential, and assembling the financial, operational, and regulatory frameworks needed to bring them to market. Having spent much of his career in the Permian Basin, Doug recognized the growing need for new solutions to energy production, water management, and industrial decarbonization, helping shape Natura's vision for deploying advanced nuclear technology beyond electricity generation.
Prior to founding Natura, Doug served as Partner, Co-Founder, President, and Executive Chairman of ExL Petroleum, where he helped develop more than 76,000 acres in the Permian Basin and advanced the application of innovative technologies across the company's operations. Earlier in his career, he served as General Counsel and chief negotiator for Henry Petroleum and spent more than fourteen years with Exxon USA, working on domestic and offshore projects involving enhanced recovery operations, acquisitions, and large-scale oil and gas developments.
Doug has long been recognized as a leader within the Texas and national energy industries. He previously served as President of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, Executive Director of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association. He chaired a joint industry committee that produced Sunset legislation for the Texas Railroad Commission and was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Energy Planning Council, where he co-chaired the Energy Supply Committee.
Throughout his career, Doug has worked closely with policymakers and regulators at both the state and federal levels. He testified in Washington, D.C., at the request of a White House task force and participated in discussions with federal agencies regarding energy policy and regulatory matters affecting domestic energy production.
Doug remains an active advocate for the expansion of advanced nuclear energy in Texas and across the United States. He serves as Chairman of the Texas Nuclear Alliance and is a member of the Public Utility Commission of Texas' Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group. Through these roles, he works with policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and academic institutions to advance the commercialization and deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies.
Beyond his work in the energy sector, Doug is deeply committed to education, innovation, and community development. He serves as Chairman of the Abilene Christian University NEXT Lab Oversight Committee, is a Trustee of the Abilene Christian Investment Management Company (ACIMCO) and serves on the Abilene Christian University Board of Trustees. He also founded the Robison Excelsior Foundation, which supports educational, charitable, and community-focused organizations throughout Texas.
Doug earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and a Juris Doctor from the Texas Tech University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.