Spotlights Summer Interns – the Next Generation of Maritime Professionals

On Tuesday, July 22, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met for its regular monthly meeting. Chairman Ric Campo opened the meeting by commending Port Houston’s Fire Department and mutual aid partners from Baytown, LaPorte, and Seabrook for their swift and coordinated response in safely extinguishing a fire onboard a docked vessel at Bayport without any injuries.

“This is a true success story and shows the importance of collaboration between multiple agencies and the role our port plays in keeping everyone along the channel safe,” said Chairman Campo. “Thank you to everyone involved for their commitment to protecting our port.”

Additionally, Chairman Campo commended the Houston Pilots, International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection for the work they do every day to keep marine vessel traffic and commerce flowing through the Houston Ship Channel, which is ranked the No. 1 busiest waterway in the U.S.

In the interest of building the next generation of maritime workforce and leaders, Port Houston invests in an annual paid Summer Internship Program that exposes students to a range of experiences. During the meeting, Port Houston CEO Charlie Jenkins recognized 18 summer interns, representing ten universities. The students spent the summer learning and contributing across a variety of Port Houston departments from accounting to channel operations.

The head of Port Houston’s newly established Strategy Division, formed in March, provided a mid-year review of the organization’s 2025 Strategic Plan and reported that all targets are on track for completion by year-end. Notable achievements include supporting Project 11, advocating for freight mobility improvement projects, and implementing the NXGEN ERP Program.

Port Houston also recognized the award of $7.8 million from the Texas Department of Transportation to support construction of the Bayport Southern Access Road, a project aimed at improving freight mobility around the Bayport Container Terminal.

Project 11 Updates & Operations Highlights

Port Houston reported a dip in June volumes but noted that total tonnage remains up for the year. However, most notably, Port Houston surpassed handling 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in June. More details can be found via the press release issued on July 17.

As an update, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to begin clearing the Barbours Cut Flare draft restriction with a Great Lakes rental hopper dredge around August 1, 2025. The draft restriction is expected to be clear within three to four weeks.

Additional Meeting Updates & Announcements

Port Houston’s Security and Emergency Operations team announced plans to join the Harris County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This move will integrate the port into a regional, FEMA-recognized framework, strengthening future access to mitigation grants and supporting the strategy to work efficiently and collaborate regionally.

The Port Commission will not meet in August and will be reconvened on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE