Houston Seminar Speakers: January 12
STEPHEN C. COSTELLO
Council Member At-Large
City of Houston
www.houstontx.gov/council/1/
Stephen Costello is in his third term as Houston City Council Member At-Large Position 1. He chairs City Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee which oversees all financial matters related to the city's $5.1 billion annual budget. He also serves on the Quality of Life Committee; the Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee; and the Ethics Elections and Council Governance Committee. He is the current vice-chair of the Transportation Policy Council, the organization responsible for providing policy guidance and overall coordination of transportation planning throughout the Houston-Galveston area region. On City Council, Stephen focuses on issues related to strengthening the city’s long-term financial health; improving transportation and mobility; upgrading the city's aging infrastructure; increasing access to fresh, healthy food in under-served communities; and expanding green space and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Stephen is an engineer with a background in flood control and drainage. He is president of Costello Engineering and Surveying, a Houston civil engineering firm he co-founded in 1991. Costello Engineering and Surveying has over 130 local employees and recently received top honors as a "Best Place to Work" by both the Houston Business Journal and Houston Chronicle. In early 2014, Stephen was named "Engineer of the Year" by the Texas Society for Professional Engineers, a distinction widely recognized as the engineering community's highest honor.
With a degree in civil engineering from the University of New York at Buffalo, Stephen's first job in Texas was working as a civilian with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Galveston. It was with the Corps working with residents whose homes had been flooded that Stephen discovered what has become his lifelong interest in storm water management and flooding issues. Striving to reduce flooding risks in Houston, in 2010 Stephen led the charge to pass the Renew Houston initiative, now the ReBuild Houston Program, a pay-as-you-go program to improve Houston’s street and drainage infrastructure.
Stephen has served as chair and longtime board member of the Memorial Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural habitat and historical significance of Memorial Park. He is also a board member of Marathon Kids, an organization focused on educating and motivating children to lead active lifestyles, and Family Services of Greater Houston, a nonprofit providing family counseling and case management services to those in need. In addition, he serves as an advisory board member for Trees for Houston, a group dedicated to protecting woodlands and planting trees around the city.
Stephen is an avid runner, competing in over 30 marathons and seven Ironman Triathlons. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married 39 years and have raised two sons in Houston, Stephen and Christopher. They are now proud grandparents of two granddaughters, Eliana and Gia. Mr. Stephen Constello serve as an At-Large City Council Member. First elected in December 2009, he entered public service with a background as a civil engineer and drainage specialist. During his first term, he chaired the Flooding and Drainage Committee and worked to secure dedicated funding for infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Council Member At-Large
City of Houston
www.houstontx.gov/council/1/
Stephen Costello is in his third term as Houston City Council Member At-Large Position 1. He chairs City Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee which oversees all financial matters related to the city's $5.1 billion annual budget. He also serves on the Quality of Life Committee; the Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee; and the Ethics Elections and Council Governance Committee. He is the current vice-chair of the Transportation Policy Council, the organization responsible for providing policy guidance and overall coordination of transportation planning throughout the Houston-Galveston area region. On City Council, Stephen focuses on issues related to strengthening the city’s long-term financial health; improving transportation and mobility; upgrading the city's aging infrastructure; increasing access to fresh, healthy food in under-served communities; and expanding green space and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Stephen is an engineer with a background in flood control and drainage. He is president of Costello Engineering and Surveying, a Houston civil engineering firm he co-founded in 1991. Costello Engineering and Surveying has over 130 local employees and recently received top honors as a "Best Place to Work" by both the Houston Business Journal and Houston Chronicle. In early 2014, Stephen was named "Engineer of the Year" by the Texas Society for Professional Engineers, a distinction widely recognized as the engineering community's highest honor.
With a degree in civil engineering from the University of New York at Buffalo, Stephen's first job in Texas was working as a civilian with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Galveston. It was with the Corps working with residents whose homes had been flooded that Stephen discovered what has become his lifelong interest in storm water management and flooding issues. Striving to reduce flooding risks in Houston, in 2010 Stephen led the charge to pass the Renew Houston initiative, now the ReBuild Houston Program, a pay-as-you-go program to improve Houston’s street and drainage infrastructure.
Stephen has served as chair and longtime board member of the Memorial Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural habitat and historical significance of Memorial Park. He is also a board member of Marathon Kids, an organization focused on educating and motivating children to lead active lifestyles, and Family Services of Greater Houston, a nonprofit providing family counseling and case management services to those in need. In addition, he serves as an advisory board member for Trees for Houston, a group dedicated to protecting woodlands and planting trees around the city.
Stephen is an avid runner, competing in over 30 marathons and seven Ironman Triathlons. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married 39 years and have raised two sons in Houston, Stephen and Christopher. They are now proud grandparents of two granddaughters, Eliana and Gia. Mr. Stephen Constello serve as an At-Large City Council Member. First elected in December 2009, he entered public service with a background as a civil engineer and drainage specialist. During his first term, he chaired the Flooding and Drainage Committee and worked to secure dedicated funding for infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
SHERIFF ADRIAN GARCIA
Sheriff
Harris County, Texas
www.hcso.hctx.net
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia heads the largest sheriff’s office in Texas and the third largest in the United States.
Sheriff Garcia is a native Houstonian and a lifelong resident of Houston’s “Near Northside”. The youngest of six children, he grew up instilled with the firm values taught by his mother Maria and late father Ignacio. Those values were to work hard, work honestly and help others. It was through these guiding principles that Sheriff Garcia chose public service as a profession and
became an officer with the Houston Police Department in 1980.
As a peace officer, Sheriff Garcia has seen first hand the devastating effects that crime and violence have in the communities of the City of Houston and Harris County. During his 23-year career with the Houston Police Department he patrolled neighborhoods, investigated violent crimes, developed community-policing initiatives and worked to strengthen the relationship between residents and law enforcement. In 1994, Houston Mayor Bob Lanier appointed Garcia as the Houston Police Department’s Liaison to the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office. In 1999, Mayor Lee P. Brown promoted him to Director.
In 2004, Sheriff Garcia was elected to the Houston City Council and served as a member of several council committees including as Chair of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. In 2007, he was appointed to serve as the Mayor Pro-Tempore by Mayor Bill White.
In his second term as Sheriff, Adrian Garcia has solidified his return to his law enforcement roots and is committed to continue providing the leadership necessary to maintain the public’s confidence and trust in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He is determined to provide the direction and resources necessary to bring the dedicated men and women of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office into the 21st century. Sheriff Garcia is accomplishing these goals based on the fundamental principles that have guided his career and his life: hard work, honesty and public service. He credits his wife Monica, his daughter Nina, his parents and other family members for providing him the inspiration to serve.
Sheriff
Harris County, Texas
www.hcso.hctx.net
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia heads the largest sheriff’s office in Texas and the third largest in the United States.
Sheriff Garcia is a native Houstonian and a lifelong resident of Houston’s “Near Northside”. The youngest of six children, he grew up instilled with the firm values taught by his mother Maria and late father Ignacio. Those values were to work hard, work honestly and help others. It was through these guiding principles that Sheriff Garcia chose public service as a profession and
became an officer with the Houston Police Department in 1980.
As a peace officer, Sheriff Garcia has seen first hand the devastating effects that crime and violence have in the communities of the City of Houston and Harris County. During his 23-year career with the Houston Police Department he patrolled neighborhoods, investigated violent crimes, developed community-policing initiatives and worked to strengthen the relationship between residents and law enforcement. In 1994, Houston Mayor Bob Lanier appointed Garcia as the Houston Police Department’s Liaison to the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office. In 1999, Mayor Lee P. Brown promoted him to Director.
In 2004, Sheriff Garcia was elected to the Houston City Council and served as a member of several council committees including as Chair of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. In 2007, he was appointed to serve as the Mayor Pro-Tempore by Mayor Bill White.
In his second term as Sheriff, Adrian Garcia has solidified his return to his law enforcement roots and is committed to continue providing the leadership necessary to maintain the public’s confidence and trust in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He is determined to provide the direction and resources necessary to bring the dedicated men and women of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office into the 21st century. Sheriff Garcia is accomplishing these goals based on the fundamental principles that have guided his career and his life: hard work, honesty and public service. He credits his wife Monica, his daughter Nina, his parents and other family members for providing him the inspiration to serve.
BRUCE HAUPT
Data Innovation Consultant
City of Houston
www.ohouston.org
Bruce is a data innovation and performance improvement practitioner. He currently consults on data analytics, government process improvement, and public and social sector technology startups. He spent 2014 in China where he served as an open data expert and worked with technology startups. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Assistant Director for the City of Houston where he led Houston's Performance Improvement Division. In this role his team managed citywide projects including revenue performance ($30+MM impact), enterprise data warehousing, and the city open data initiative. He also cofounded Open Houston, a civic innovation nonprofit partnered with Code for America, and East | West Chats, an initiative convening conversations on open data innovation between those in China and the USA.
Bruce's work has been recognized by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and Harvard University's Ash Center for Innovation. He completed a Master in Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and his bachelor's degree at the University of Florida. In March 2015 he will move to Muscat, Oman for a four year term with his wife Emily where he will pursue research on economic development and technology.
Data Innovation Consultant
City of Houston
www.ohouston.org
Bruce is a data innovation and performance improvement practitioner. He currently consults on data analytics, government process improvement, and public and social sector technology startups. He spent 2014 in China where he served as an open data expert and worked with technology startups. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Assistant Director for the City of Houston where he led Houston's Performance Improvement Division. In this role his team managed citywide projects including revenue performance ($30+MM impact), enterprise data warehousing, and the city open data initiative. He also cofounded Open Houston, a civic innovation nonprofit partnered with Code for America, and East | West Chats, an initiative convening conversations on open data innovation between those in China and the USA.
Bruce's work has been recognized by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and Harvard University's Ash Center for Innovation. He completed a Master in Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and his bachelor's degree at the University of Florida. In March 2015 he will move to Muscat, Oman for a four year term with his wife Emily where he will pursue research on economic development and technology.
DAVID A. HAMOD
President and CEO
National U.S.- Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)
www.nusacc.org
David Hamod is President and CEO of National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), a position he accepted in 2004. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, NUSACC has been the preeminent organization for fostering trade and investment between the United States and the 22 countries of the Arab world. Mr. Hamod has been a prominent and active member of the U.S. business community for more than two decades. In 1988, he founded Intercom International Consultants, a Washington‐based consulting firm that has served as an advisor to numerous business groups, including more than 30 U.S. companies. As President of Intercom, Mr. Hamod served on the International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for more than a decade.
Prior to founding Intercom, Mr. Hamod worked for the Brookings Institution, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and The New York Times, among others. As U.S. Representative of the American Business Council of the Gulf Countries (ABCGC) for more than 15 years, Mr. Hamod served as the Washington‐based voice of the American business community in the Arabian Gulf. He played an instrumental role in the success of the U.S.‐GCC Business Dialogue, as well as the U.S.‐GCC Standards Cooperation Program.
Mr. Hamod has worked with the U.S. Congress on business issues since 1985, and he is familiar with every facet of the legislative process. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on numerous occasions and has played a role in just about every major piece of trade‐related legislation to work its way through Congress in the past decade. In 1997, in a ceremony on Capitol Hill, Mr. Hamod was honored with a “Patriot of the Expatriates Award” for his outstanding commitment to U.S. international business competitiveness.
As a result of his active role in the U.S. private sector, Mr. Hamod has developed expertise in transparency and best commercial practices. As a consultant to the Development Center of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is playing a lead role in promoting good business ethics internationally, Mr. Hamod served as a liaison to such groups as Transparency International, World Bank Group, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In recent years, Mr. Hamod has held leadership positions in and/or served as a consultant to such business organizations as: the Greater Washington Board of Trade; the American Chambers of Commerce in Egypt, Lebanon, and Canada; World Federation of Americans Abroad; Small Business Exporters Association; and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). He also serves in a leadership capacity at the Middle East Policy Council, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).
Mr. Hamod is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (M.A.) and the University of Iowa (B.A.). He was selected as the University of Iowa’s “Distinguished Young Alumnus” for 1999‐2000 and, ten years later, the U.I. Honors Program chose him as its first “Outstanding Alumnus.” A member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Mr. Hamod has been the recipient of 15 scholarships, two of which took him to Yale University and the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
President and CEO
National U.S.- Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)
www.nusacc.org
David Hamod is President and CEO of National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), a position he accepted in 2004. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, NUSACC has been the preeminent organization for fostering trade and investment between the United States and the 22 countries of the Arab world. Mr. Hamod has been a prominent and active member of the U.S. business community for more than two decades. In 1988, he founded Intercom International Consultants, a Washington‐based consulting firm that has served as an advisor to numerous business groups, including more than 30 U.S. companies. As President of Intercom, Mr. Hamod served on the International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for more than a decade.
Prior to founding Intercom, Mr. Hamod worked for the Brookings Institution, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and The New York Times, among others. As U.S. Representative of the American Business Council of the Gulf Countries (ABCGC) for more than 15 years, Mr. Hamod served as the Washington‐based voice of the American business community in the Arabian Gulf. He played an instrumental role in the success of the U.S.‐GCC Business Dialogue, as well as the U.S.‐GCC Standards Cooperation Program.
Mr. Hamod has worked with the U.S. Congress on business issues since 1985, and he is familiar with every facet of the legislative process. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on numerous occasions and has played a role in just about every major piece of trade‐related legislation to work its way through Congress in the past decade. In 1997, in a ceremony on Capitol Hill, Mr. Hamod was honored with a “Patriot of the Expatriates Award” for his outstanding commitment to U.S. international business competitiveness.
As a result of his active role in the U.S. private sector, Mr. Hamod has developed expertise in transparency and best commercial practices. As a consultant to the Development Center of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is playing a lead role in promoting good business ethics internationally, Mr. Hamod served as a liaison to such groups as Transparency International, World Bank Group, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In recent years, Mr. Hamod has held leadership positions in and/or served as a consultant to such business organizations as: the Greater Washington Board of Trade; the American Chambers of Commerce in Egypt, Lebanon, and Canada; World Federation of Americans Abroad; Small Business Exporters Association; and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). He also serves in a leadership capacity at the Middle East Policy Council, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).
Mr. Hamod is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (M.A.) and the University of Iowa (B.A.). He was selected as the University of Iowa’s “Distinguished Young Alumnus” for 1999‐2000 and, ten years later, the U.I. Honors Program chose him as its first “Outstanding Alumnus.” A member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Mr. Hamod has been the recipient of 15 scholarships, two of which took him to Yale University and the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
REGINA LINDSEY
Chief Development Officer, Vice President of Economic Development
Greenspoint District
www.greenspoint.org
Regina Lindsey is the Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Economic Development for the Greenspoint District in Houston, Texas. The District was created by the State Legislature in 1991 at the request of commercial property owners and is funded through their assessments to provide services and improvements to ensure Greenspoint’s growth and prosperity.
Lindsey joined the District in 2009 in the joint role of manager of Greens Bayou projects for the District and executive director of the Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition (GBCC), a 501(c)(3) organization supported by the District. With the Coalition, she led two delegations to Washington, D.C., to advocate funding for crucial flood remediation projects. In 2012, she relinquished her staff position with GBCC to head the District’s newly created Economic Development Department. She now lends her expertise to GBCC as a member of its Board of Directors and Public Policy Committee.
Lindsey led the Greenspoint District’s economic development strategic planning process and now manages the execution of that plan, which includes business attraction efforts focused on energy, logistics and technology. She also works to attract foreign direct investment to Greenspoint. In 2010, Lindsey earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She currently serves as Vice Chair on IEDC’s Public Policy Advisory Committee.
Active in economic development efforts across the region, Lindsey works closely with the Greater Houston Partnership’s economic development team to attract business to the region. She is a member of the North Harris Economic Development Alliance.
Previously, Lindsey served as executive director for the Silsbee Economic Development Corporation, with responsibility for developing relationships and marketing strategies to attract business to the area. In addition, she was Silsbee’s mayor from 2003 to 2005. Before her roles in Silsbee, she was the executive director of the Southeast Texas Arts Council in Beaumont, TX.
Lindsey graduated summa cum laude from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX with a bachelor’s in History. She is also a graduate of Leadership North Houston and serves on the Board of Directors for that organization’s Alumni Association.
Lindsey resides in north Houston with her husband, Tracy. They are proud parents of daughters, Kayla and Krista.
Chief Development Officer, Vice President of Economic Development
Greenspoint District
www.greenspoint.org
Regina Lindsey is the Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Economic Development for the Greenspoint District in Houston, Texas. The District was created by the State Legislature in 1991 at the request of commercial property owners and is funded through their assessments to provide services and improvements to ensure Greenspoint’s growth and prosperity.
Lindsey joined the District in 2009 in the joint role of manager of Greens Bayou projects for the District and executive director of the Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition (GBCC), a 501(c)(3) organization supported by the District. With the Coalition, she led two delegations to Washington, D.C., to advocate funding for crucial flood remediation projects. In 2012, she relinquished her staff position with GBCC to head the District’s newly created Economic Development Department. She now lends her expertise to GBCC as a member of its Board of Directors and Public Policy Committee.
Lindsey led the Greenspoint District’s economic development strategic planning process and now manages the execution of that plan, which includes business attraction efforts focused on energy, logistics and technology. She also works to attract foreign direct investment to Greenspoint. In 2010, Lindsey earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She currently serves as Vice Chair on IEDC’s Public Policy Advisory Committee.
Active in economic development efforts across the region, Lindsey works closely with the Greater Houston Partnership’s economic development team to attract business to the region. She is a member of the North Harris Economic Development Alliance.
Previously, Lindsey served as executive director for the Silsbee Economic Development Corporation, with responsibility for developing relationships and marketing strategies to attract business to the area. In addition, she was Silsbee’s mayor from 2003 to 2005. Before her roles in Silsbee, she was the executive director of the Southeast Texas Arts Council in Beaumont, TX.
Lindsey graduated summa cum laude from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX with a bachelor’s in History. She is also a graduate of Leadership North Houston and serves on the Board of Directors for that organization’s Alumni Association.
Lindsey resides in north Houston with her husband, Tracy. They are proud parents of daughters, Kayla and Krista.
GENARO J. PEÑA
Vice President of International Investment and Trade
Greater Houston Partnership
www.houston.org
Genaro J. Peña, Vice President of International Investment and Trade for the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to attract foreign direct investment to Houston and for promoting trade development.
He joined GHP from the Houston Airport System in 2012, where he was Director of Air Service Development responsible for attracting new airlines and increasing passenger and air cargo traffic through Houston’s airports.
He has nearly 30 years of experience in international trade, sales and marketing, and strategic business development. He holds a MBA from the University of St. Thomas and Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Houston.
Vice President of International Investment and Trade
Greater Houston Partnership
www.houston.org
Genaro J. Peña, Vice President of International Investment and Trade for the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to attract foreign direct investment to Houston and for promoting trade development.
He joined GHP from the Houston Airport System in 2012, where he was Director of Air Service Development responsible for attracting new airlines and increasing passenger and air cargo traffic through Houston’s airports.
He has nearly 30 years of experience in international trade, sales and marketing, and strategic business development. He holds a MBA from the University of St. Thomas and Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Houston.
BILL PROUT
Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking
Bank of Texas
www.bankoftexas.com
Bill Prout is a commercial banking executive with extensive experience in international banking and trade finance. Bill entered the international banking business in the 1990’s when he joined the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington, DC. Since that time he has honed his expertise while working with private sector financial institutions and helping them build their international and commercial banking capabilities. Bill joined Bank of Texas' Commercial Banking team in 2014. Prior to Bank of Texas, Bill built a new group at Bank of Houston focused on commercial and international banking, bringing in the expertise and key individuals to manage letters of credit, international private banking and trade finance.
Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking
Bank of Texas
www.bankoftexas.com
Bill Prout is a commercial banking executive with extensive experience in international banking and trade finance. Bill entered the international banking business in the 1990’s when he joined the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington, DC. Since that time he has honed his expertise while working with private sector financial institutions and helping them build their international and commercial banking capabilities. Bill joined Bank of Texas' Commercial Banking team in 2014. Prior to Bank of Texas, Bill built a new group at Bank of Houston focused on commercial and international banking, bringing in the expertise and key individuals to manage letters of credit, international private banking and trade finance.
HONORABLE CHASE UNTERMEYER
Former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar
www.untermeyer.com
Ambassador Chase Untermeyer has been an international business consultant since returning in 2007 from Qatar, where he served three years as United States Ambassador, by appointment of President George W. Bush.
Ambassador Untermeyer has held both elected and appointed office at all four levels of government – local, state, national, and international – for more than 35 years, with work in journalism, academia, and business as well.
He is a 1968 graduate of Harvard College with honors in government. During the Vietnam War he served as an officer in the United States Navy aboard a destroyer in the Western Pacific and as aide to the commander of US naval forces in the Philippines.
Upon his return to Texas, Ambassador Untermeyer was a political reporter for the Houston Chronicle for three years before becoming executive assistant to the county judge (chief administrative official) of Harris County, Texas, the jurisdiction surrounding Houston. In 1976, he was elected to the first of two terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
He left the Legislature in 1981 to go to Washington as executive assistant to then-Vice President Bush. Three years later, President Reagan appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs. When George Bush became president in 1989, Mr Untermeyer returned to the White House as Director of Presidential Personnel, responsible for advising the President on his appointments to federal office. In 1991, President Bush appointed him Director of the Voice of America, the overseas broadcasting arm of the US government, where he served until the end of the Administration in 1993.
Back in Houston, he was director of public affairs for Compaq Computer Corporation (since merged with Hewlett Packard) and vice president for government affairs and professor of public policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Ambassador Untermeyer is a member of the Texas Ethics Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the board of the Episcopal Health Foundation. In previous part-time public service, he has been member and chairman of the Board of Visitors of the US Naval Academy, a commissioner of the Port of Houston, president of the Houston READ Commission, a member of the board of National Public Radio, member of the Defense Health Board, and chairman of the State Board of Education, appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush.
He is married to the former Diana Cumming Kendrick of Sheridan, Wyoming, whom he met when they were both on the White House staff. Their daughter, Elly, is a student at Stanford University.
Ambassador Untermeyer’s memoir of the opening years of the Reagan Administration, When Things Went Right, has been published by Texas A&M University Press. In early 2015, the Press will publish Inside Reagan’s Navy, the story of his service in the Pentagon during the 1980’s.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar
www.untermeyer.com
Ambassador Chase Untermeyer has been an international business consultant since returning in 2007 from Qatar, where he served three years as United States Ambassador, by appointment of President George W. Bush.
Ambassador Untermeyer has held both elected and appointed office at all four levels of government – local, state, national, and international – for more than 35 years, with work in journalism, academia, and business as well.
He is a 1968 graduate of Harvard College with honors in government. During the Vietnam War he served as an officer in the United States Navy aboard a destroyer in the Western Pacific and as aide to the commander of US naval forces in the Philippines.
Upon his return to Texas, Ambassador Untermeyer was a political reporter for the Houston Chronicle for three years before becoming executive assistant to the county judge (chief administrative official) of Harris County, Texas, the jurisdiction surrounding Houston. In 1976, he was elected to the first of two terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
He left the Legislature in 1981 to go to Washington as executive assistant to then-Vice President Bush. Three years later, President Reagan appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs. When George Bush became president in 1989, Mr Untermeyer returned to the White House as Director of Presidential Personnel, responsible for advising the President on his appointments to federal office. In 1991, President Bush appointed him Director of the Voice of America, the overseas broadcasting arm of the US government, where he served until the end of the Administration in 1993.
Back in Houston, he was director of public affairs for Compaq Computer Corporation (since merged with Hewlett Packard) and vice president for government affairs and professor of public policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Ambassador Untermeyer is a member of the Texas Ethics Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the board of the Episcopal Health Foundation. In previous part-time public service, he has been member and chairman of the Board of Visitors of the US Naval Academy, a commissioner of the Port of Houston, president of the Houston READ Commission, a member of the board of National Public Radio, member of the Defense Health Board, and chairman of the State Board of Education, appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush.
He is married to the former Diana Cumming Kendrick of Sheridan, Wyoming, whom he met when they were both on the White House staff. Their daughter, Elly, is a student at Stanford University.
Ambassador Untermeyer’s memoir of the opening years of the Reagan Administration, When Things Went Right, has been published by Texas A&M University Press. In early 2015, the Press will publish Inside Reagan’s Navy, the story of his service in the Pentagon during the 1980’s.
Many Thanks to Our Partners and Supporters:
|
|
|
|
|
|
