GREATER HOUSTON AND THE AMERICAS
Summary December 2, 2022
The fifth version of “Houston: Gateway of the Americas” took place on December 2 at the Partnership Tower in downtown Houston. The program, hosted by the Ibero America Consular Group (GCI) and the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), is designed to promote the Houston Region as the natural partner of the Americas, supported by its connectivity, large presence of Latinos and complementary economies.
The conference, chaired by Dean Emeritus of the Consular Corps of Houston, Ambassador Juan B. Sosa, started with a welcome address from Bob Harvey, President & CEO of the Partnership who summarized the leadership of the Partnership in promoting several economic sectors that have made the Houston Region one of the most important in the United States; he was followed by Amb. Sosa who explained the goals and structure of the conference. After the welcome, John Moseley from the Port of Houston, Gary High from Houston Airports System and Kevin Keller from HDR Engineering, covered the sectors of Sea, Air, and Land Transportation. Energy Transition was covered by GHP’s Jane Stricker and Ron Epperson of Intellectual Energy while Business Services was covered by Joe Perez of Foster Global, James Grogan of FTI Consulting and Claudia Rojas of Real Time Analytics.
At lunch, Rodolfo Coronado, Dean of the Consular Corps of Houston, introduced Dr. Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston and Chancellor of the University of Houston System, who gave the Keynote speech, highlighting recent developments that have made the University of Houston and UH System one of the most successful in addressing educational needs of the community.
In the afternoon, the Education sector was covered by Amb. Michael Pelletier, Founding Director of the Aspire Institute for Global Engagement of the University of Houston, and Maya Durnovo of Houston Community College. The Hospitality and Leisure sector was covered by the President of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce -The Woodlands- Pete Garcia, former member of the U.S. Fútbol World Cup 2006 team and former Houston Dynamo’s star James Ching, and by Rhonda Arnold of Houston Airports System that addressed the community engagement that Fútbol generates. Susan Davenport covered international and economic development generated by Houston’s activities and their impact in the Americas while John Cypher introduced the new international and the Americas team of GHP. Amb. Sosa closed the session announcing that the conference is being expanded in 2023 to North Texas and San Antonio, in addition to Houston, under the branding of “Texas: Gateway of the Americas. A closing reception was held afterwards.
The conference was financially supported by Chevron and Houston Airports System as Platinum Corporate Partners; Foster Global, University of Houston, and Port of Houston as Gold; HDR Engineering, Houston Community College and Real Time Analytics as Silver; and FTI Consulting, Intellectual Energy, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and URMarketeam as Bronze. There were nineteen exceptional speakers covering the different segments, and panel discussions were held after each segment. There were 109 confirmed participants and 95% turned out, an exceptional rate, plus four unconfirmed attendees. As mentioned, the 2023 conference is expanding to North Texas in March 2023, San Antonio in December, while the VI version of the Houston conference will be held on Friday, October 20, at the Partnership.
The conference, chaired by Dean Emeritus of the Consular Corps of Houston, Ambassador Juan B. Sosa, started with a welcome address from Bob Harvey, President & CEO of the Partnership who summarized the leadership of the Partnership in promoting several economic sectors that have made the Houston Region one of the most important in the United States; he was followed by Amb. Sosa who explained the goals and structure of the conference. After the welcome, John Moseley from the Port of Houston, Gary High from Houston Airports System and Kevin Keller from HDR Engineering, covered the sectors of Sea, Air, and Land Transportation. Energy Transition was covered by GHP’s Jane Stricker and Ron Epperson of Intellectual Energy while Business Services was covered by Joe Perez of Foster Global, James Grogan of FTI Consulting and Claudia Rojas of Real Time Analytics.
At lunch, Rodolfo Coronado, Dean of the Consular Corps of Houston, introduced Dr. Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston and Chancellor of the University of Houston System, who gave the Keynote speech, highlighting recent developments that have made the University of Houston and UH System one of the most successful in addressing educational needs of the community.
In the afternoon, the Education sector was covered by Amb. Michael Pelletier, Founding Director of the Aspire Institute for Global Engagement of the University of Houston, and Maya Durnovo of Houston Community College. The Hospitality and Leisure sector was covered by the President of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce -The Woodlands- Pete Garcia, former member of the U.S. Fútbol World Cup 2006 team and former Houston Dynamo’s star James Ching, and by Rhonda Arnold of Houston Airports System that addressed the community engagement that Fútbol generates. Susan Davenport covered international and economic development generated by Houston’s activities and their impact in the Americas while John Cypher introduced the new international and the Americas team of GHP. Amb. Sosa closed the session announcing that the conference is being expanded in 2023 to North Texas and San Antonio, in addition to Houston, under the branding of “Texas: Gateway of the Americas. A closing reception was held afterwards.
The conference was financially supported by Chevron and Houston Airports System as Platinum Corporate Partners; Foster Global, University of Houston, and Port of Houston as Gold; HDR Engineering, Houston Community College and Real Time Analytics as Silver; and FTI Consulting, Intellectual Energy, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and URMarketeam as Bronze. There were nineteen exceptional speakers covering the different segments, and panel discussions were held after each segment. There were 109 confirmed participants and 95% turned out, an exceptional rate, plus four unconfirmed attendees. As mentioned, the 2023 conference is expanding to North Texas in March 2023, San Antonio in December, while the VI version of the Houston conference will be held on Friday, October 20, at the Partnership.
Welcome
Bob Harvey, President & CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership

Bob Harvey welcomed the audience highlighting the fifth anniversary of the conference. Houston continues to lead the United States in economic growth. The state of Texas for the 20th year in a row lead the nation in trade and Houston was #1 among metro regions. The Port of Houston continues to post records in container movement and the airports grew 31% last year. In 2021 Houston became the third city in Fortune 500 companies after New York and Chicago. Texas, leader in solar & wind energy in addition to Oil & gas, leads the nation in energy transition, a topic that will be addressed later by Jane Striker. The 90+ consular offices in Houston, #3 in the United States after New York and Los Angeles, welcomed recently the Consulate of Dominican Republic as evidence to the global importance of the Houston region.
Houston is poised to continue its economic grown expecting to add 60,000 jobs in 2023. Even in sports Houston is showing leadership with the Astros winning the Baseball World Series, and the city having been selected as one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup, and the University of Houston’s top ranking in basketball.
Houston is poised to continue its economic grown expecting to add 60,000 jobs in 2023. Even in sports Houston is showing leadership with the Astros winning the Baseball World Series, and the city having been selected as one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup, and the University of Houston’s top ranking in basketball.
Amb. Juan B. Sosa, Chairman of the “Gateway of the Americas” Conference

Juan B. Sosa highlighted the importance of “Gateway of the Americas V” conference, started in 2015 together with Pete Garcia and Claudia Rojas, that shows the importance of the relationship with the Americas and the resilience of the region, especially after the recent pandemic. The ports of the region continue to show increase trade with the Americas and the airport is rapidly closing to pre pandemic levels. The Houston Region is the #1 trade partner with eight of the top thirteen economies of Latin America and with the Iberia Peninsula is showing important increases in trade with Spain and Portugal.
Of special importance will be the 2026 World Cup, to be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada with Houston being one of the eleven venues in the United States. It is expected to attract more than 360,000 ticket-holders, that will allow Houston to showcase is potential and opportunities, and strengthen its relationship with the Americas.
Of special importance will be the 2026 World Cup, to be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada with Houston being one of the eleven venues in the United States. It is expected to attract more than 360,000 ticket-holders, that will allow Houston to showcase is potential and opportunities, and strengthen its relationship with the Americas.
Transportation Sector

John Moseley, Chief Commercial Officer of the Port of Houston covered Sea transportation, possibly the most important economic sector of Houston. The port of Houston manages eight public terminals, two of them containers terminals, plus six others as landlord, and to more than 200 companies. The Port is led by a seven member board representing communities around the port, and an Executive Director that is the CEO.
The Port of Houston is the #1 port in the United States in tonnage. It generates 1.3 million jobs in Texas and $339 billion in economic input and it leads several subsectors in tonnage. Latin America represents 39% of the business followed by 26% Europe, 23% East Asia and 13% others. Containers have had a phenomenal annual double-digit growth. The port capitalized in the recent supply chain problems that affected other ports and made the Port of Houston an extremely attractive alternative. Despite the challenges in supply chain, delays, space and others, the Port of Houston was able to address them much better than other ports amid an ambitious one billion dollars widening of the ship channel that will be completed at the end of 2025.
The Port of Houston is the #1 port in the United States in tonnage. It generates 1.3 million jobs in Texas and $339 billion in economic input and it leads several subsectors in tonnage. Latin America represents 39% of the business followed by 26% Europe, 23% East Asia and 13% others. Containers have had a phenomenal annual double-digit growth. The port capitalized in the recent supply chain problems that affected other ports and made the Port of Houston an extremely attractive alternative. Despite the challenges in supply chain, delays, space and others, the Port of Houston was able to address them much better than other ports amid an ambitious one billion dollars widening of the ship channel that will be completed at the end of 2025.

Gary High, Interim Chief Development Officer of the Houston Airports System, gave an update on the status of the three airports that are part of the Houston Airports System whose objective is to establish a 5-star global air service gateway. The system today serves as a gateway to the Central/South region of USA and to the Americas where it has 48 non-stop routes plus 30 additional through Panama City and Bogota hubs. In addition, the Bush Intercontinental Airport is an important cargo hub for the region.
In 2219 the system moved 60 million passengers while in 2021 44 million but is rapidly catching up to pre-pandemic levels. It is responsible for 190,000 jobs and contributes $38 billion to the Houston economy. Hobby Airport is the only 5-Star airport in USA and Bush Intercontinental, a 4-Star airport, is one of the top ten airports in USA. The system is key in establishing Houston as a “Gateway of the Americas”,
In 2219 the system moved 60 million passengers while in 2021 44 million but is rapidly catching up to pre-pandemic levels. It is responsible for 190,000 jobs and contributes $38 billion to the Houston economy. Hobby Airport is the only 5-Star airport in USA and Bush Intercontinental, a 4-Star airport, is one of the top ten airports in USA. The system is key in establishing Houston as a “Gateway of the Americas”,

Juan Sosa, Chairman of the conference, made a presentation on trade corridors and how the Panama Canal has impacted the East Asia-Houston route creating a strong interdependence with the Port of Houston. This impact has been expanded to other ports in Texas, especially since the exports of LNG that began in 2016 when the Canal was widened. The expansion has impacted positively container movement in the Port of Houston and other commodities such as LPG, resins and chemicals.

Kevin Keller, Senior VP of HDR Engineering and head of its transportation sector, addressed transportation needs of the region, emphasizing Houston and Texas role as a connector with Mexico by land, with Latin America, Asia and Europe by sea and with the world, especially Latin America, by air. Keller addressed the merger of Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific Railway that will create the first north-south rail corridor bisecting the center of the country, stretching 22,000 miles from deep into Mexico to Canada with tremendous impact in Texas and its role in trade corridors.
Energy Transition

Jane stricker, Senior VP for Energy Transition of GHP, explained the leding role that Texas is playing in energy transition and the leadership provided by GHP. A steering committee has been organized that include most of the energy firms, industry leaders such as Baker Hughes, Bechtel, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Dow, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and others, as founding members of the Committee.
Houston is the leading energy center in the world. 44 out of 128 publicly traded oil & gas exploration companies are headquarters in Houston; 14% of refinery production of the United States is located in Houston and 44% of petrochemical and manufacturing is in Houston that gives the region an enviable Energy Ecosystem.
This accumulation of energy know-how and experience has allowed Houston to create abundant, low-carbon Energy Transition Innovation, strengthening its role as the Energy Capital of the World with GHP playing a leading role.
Houston is the leading energy center in the world. 44 out of 128 publicly traded oil & gas exploration companies are headquarters in Houston; 14% of refinery production of the United States is located in Houston and 44% of petrochemical and manufacturing is in Houston that gives the region an enviable Energy Ecosystem.
This accumulation of energy know-how and experience has allowed Houston to create abundant, low-carbon Energy Transition Innovation, strengthening its role as the Energy Capital of the World with GHP playing a leading role.

Ron Epperson, Managing Director of Energy Intellectual, made a presentation highlighting the opportunities of the sector in Latin America especially in Hydrogen, carbon capture & sequestration and the securing of Lithium and other minerals, important for the manufacturing process of the United States.
Epperson cautioned that the financial needs for the development of clean energy technology equipment sector in Latin America are enormous and at the moment the $52 Billion invested falls short of the $121 Billion needed and it will require the interest and participation of leading companies to address this shortfall.
Special attention was paid to Hydrogen, a commodity with large potential in a number of sectors such as in industrial use (cement & steel), shipping (Panama), and others. Chile, Mexico and Brazil have potential for exporting while Chile is looking as a country offering tremendous opportunities. The Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) is especially interested in harnessing Hydrogen to accelerate the energy transition of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Epperson cautioned that the financial needs for the development of clean energy technology equipment sector in Latin America are enormous and at the moment the $52 Billion invested falls short of the $121 Billion needed and it will require the interest and participation of leading companies to address this shortfall.
Special attention was paid to Hydrogen, a commodity with large potential in a number of sectors such as in industrial use (cement & steel), shipping (Panama), and others. Chile, Mexico and Brazil have potential for exporting while Chile is looking as a country offering tremendous opportunities. The Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) is especially interested in harnessing Hydrogen to accelerate the energy transition of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Business Services Sector

James Grogan, Managing Director of FTI Consulting, addressed the sector of Nearshoring and Offshoring, a topic that has generated a lot of buzz since the pandemic and the problems created in supply chain and logistics, made even more difficult by conflicts between the #1 importer, the United States, and the #1 exporter, China.
Under the radar is the fact that in 2022 350,000 jobs will move, up from 260,000 in 2021. Leading industries in this movement are electrical equipment, appliances, transportation equipment, computers, electronic products, medical equipment and similar.
There are many reasons why companies are studying the possibility of moving and these include among others: supply chain predictability, geographical risk (especially in countries with political issues), imposition of taxes, duties, non-tariff charges and similar. Recently, challenges like port congestion have become an issue, affecting some ports.
The offshoring movement has had its impact on Free Trade Zones (FTZ) in the United States with companies looking to reduce duties, improve its supply chain, improve distribution, and gain flexibility. Texas, with 34, has more Free Trade Zones than any other state; 925 companies, 27% of the USA total, are in Texas, employing 50,000 people. They are all over the state but the East of Houston has more than any other region.
Under the radar is the fact that in 2022 350,000 jobs will move, up from 260,000 in 2021. Leading industries in this movement are electrical equipment, appliances, transportation equipment, computers, electronic products, medical equipment and similar.
There are many reasons why companies are studying the possibility of moving and these include among others: supply chain predictability, geographical risk (especially in countries with political issues), imposition of taxes, duties, non-tariff charges and similar. Recently, challenges like port congestion have become an issue, affecting some ports.
The offshoring movement has had its impact on Free Trade Zones (FTZ) in the United States with companies looking to reduce duties, improve its supply chain, improve distribution, and gain flexibility. Texas, with 34, has more Free Trade Zones than any other state; 925 companies, 27% of the USA total, are in Texas, employing 50,000 people. They are all over the state but the East of Houston has more than any other region.

Claudia Rojas, Partner and Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of Real Time Analytics, made a presentation highlighting the development of analytics in Latin America that has opened a new market in the United States and intensified the global outsourcing that is happening. It is estimated that the value of outsourcing in 2019 reached $90.5 billion, projected to grow by $40.2 billion by 2025.
The major reasons for the outsourcing that is taking place include efforts to cut cost, focus on core business by outsourcing fringe responsibilities, and freeing internal resources among others. The sectors where most outsourcing are taking place include accounting, IT, digital marketing. The countries where most outsourcing is taking place are India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil. The United States represents 84% of the outsourcing and its closeness to Latin America has helped create a Latin Hub of Technology with emphasis in cost effectiveness.
The major reasons for the outsourcing that is taking place include efforts to cut cost, focus on core business by outsourcing fringe responsibilities, and freeing internal resources among others. The sectors where most outsourcing are taking place include accounting, IT, digital marketing. The countries where most outsourcing is taking place are India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil. The United States represents 84% of the outsourcing and its closeness to Latin America has helped create a Latin Hub of Technology with emphasis in cost effectiveness.

Joe Perez, Partner of Foster Global, closed the session by addressing the migration that is taking place in the United States, especially the Southern border with Mexico that has become a conflicting political issue. Perez shared results of a recent survey by the Brookings Institution, a Washington DC Think Tank, that revealed deep misconceptions and misunderstanding on the issue. After a very spirited discussion, it was requested that the survey be made available for further study. The Brookings institution survey is available at GCI.
Luncheon

Dr. Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston and Chancellor of the University of Houston System, was the Keynote Speaker of the luncheon. Chancellor Khator was the speaker of the original luncheon of the first conference so it was appropriate that she be the Keynote Speaker on the fifth anniversary of the conference. Dean of the Consular Corps of Houston Rodolfo Coronado Molina, introduced Dr. Khator as one of the leaders in the education sector that has an impact in the University of Houston achieving unprecedent success in ground-breaking programs, research and education initiatives.

Dr. Kathor covered some of the achievements of the University of Houston becoming a Tier One Research institution and injecting the university in fields that have an impact in the community. Special mention deserves the decision of the university of creating a medical school to specifically address health issues that impact underserved communities in the Houston region.
The growth in enrollment has also been important reaching 48,000 students, with international students showing a big increase, an area where the university has been specially involved, recognizing the importance of students having a global experience be in foreign campuses with relations with the university or in programs in the Houston campus. The recently created Aspire Institute for Global Engagement is an example of this.
The excellence of the university in sports is another important example of achievement, with the basketball team recently ranked as the top in the country and the university being welcome as part of the Big Twelve Conference that will have the institution compete with universities such as Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and others.
The achievements of the university have helped developed a sense of pride which is shown every Friday with university students and faculties earing the traditional Cougar red.
The growth in enrollment has also been important reaching 48,000 students, with international students showing a big increase, an area where the university has been specially involved, recognizing the importance of students having a global experience be in foreign campuses with relations with the university or in programs in the Houston campus. The recently created Aspire Institute for Global Engagement is an example of this.
The excellence of the university in sports is another important example of achievement, with the basketball team recently ranked as the top in the country and the university being welcome as part of the Big Twelve Conference that will have the institution compete with universities such as Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and others.
The achievements of the university have helped developed a sense of pride which is shown every Friday with university students and faculties earing the traditional Cougar red.
Education Sector

This sector covered the new Institute for Global Engagement at the University of Houston, an initiative on the part of the university to be a player internationally and prepare students to compete globally.
Ambassador Michael Pelletier, former Ambassador of the United States to Madagascar and Founding Director of the Institute for Global Engagement of the University of Houston, made a presentation on the goals of the new institute and UH’s efforts to solidify its position as an international institution. A large presence of international students at the university will make the core nucleus of the effort. Amb. Pelletier’s strategy is to have the global engagement of the University permeate all of the faculties in order to prepare the student body to live in a global environment.
The main thrust of the institute is to Educate, Engage, and Lead in the formation of students with a global understanding. A strong effort is being made with Latin America, the closest geographical region to Houston, where programs have been established for the students to learn abroad, reciprocal exchanges of students, international fellowships, scholarships and other instruments that are enhancing global education and relationships that include the Technology Institute of Monterrey, the universities of Francisco Marroquín of Guatemala, San Francisco de Quito, and others.
Ambassador Michael Pelletier, former Ambassador of the United States to Madagascar and Founding Director of the Institute for Global Engagement of the University of Houston, made a presentation on the goals of the new institute and UH’s efforts to solidify its position as an international institution. A large presence of international students at the university will make the core nucleus of the effort. Amb. Pelletier’s strategy is to have the global engagement of the University permeate all of the faculties in order to prepare the student body to live in a global environment.
The main thrust of the institute is to Educate, Engage, and Lead in the formation of students with a global understanding. A strong effort is being made with Latin America, the closest geographical region to Houston, where programs have been established for the students to learn abroad, reciprocal exchanges of students, international fellowships, scholarships and other instruments that are enhancing global education and relationships that include the Technology Institute of Monterrey, the universities of Francisco Marroquín of Guatemala, San Francisco de Quito, and others.

Associate Vice Chancellor of the Houston Community College (HCC) Maya Durnovo made a presentation of an entrepreneurial program that HCC has been carrying to support under-served and minority owned businesses. The program is offered in Spanish in partnership with the Mexican Consulate, In the past six months 91 Hispanic women have completed the HCC Spanish-Small Business Success Series, a 40-hour program designed for new entrepreneurs and existing small businesses. 9,300 small businesses have participated in one or more HCC programs.
Digital academies are also offered in Spanish and enrollment peaked at 113 participants. A partnership with the Houston SBDC (Small Business Development Center) enables DBDC to translate the Success Series into Spanish. Houston Community College is looking to expand the program with Spanish speaking communities and will be working closely with the Ibero America consulates to do so. A participant in one of the programs shared its experience and positive results.
Digital academies are also offered in Spanish and enrollment peaked at 113 participants. A partnership with the Houston SBDC (Small Business Development Center) enables DBDC to translate the Success Series into Spanish. Houston Community College is looking to expand the program with Spanish speaking communities and will be working closely with the Ibero America consulates to do so. A participant in one of the programs shared its experience and positive results.
Education Sector Hospitality & Leisure - World Cup 2026

Pete Garcia, former Continental Airlines Vice President International for the Americas and architect of the expansion of the airline to the Americas in the 1990’s, opened the session highlighting the importance that the hospitality industry has had in establishing the base and connecting Houston to be a “Gateway of the Americas”. The establishment of airlines routes was the beginning but this was followed by building a hospitality network of hotels, restaurants, attractions, business relationships and others that have positioned Houston as the natural partner of the Americas. This will be important when World Cup 2026 takes place, with Houston being one of the eleven USA venues and having a solid connectivity with the Americas who potentially will be the main foreign market for the World Cup. Two issues that will be key for Houston are reinforcing the air transportation network that today is operating at close to full capacity, and working with the U.S. State Department to speed up visas for Latinos to travel to the United States, so they can support their teams.

James Ching, a member of the U.S. Team in the 2006 World Cup played in Germany, and a former star of Houston Dynamo, shared with the audience the thrill of being a member of a national team in the biggest and most impacting sport in the world, played by all nations and followed by 4 billion people. Ching was optimistic that the young USA squad will play a good role in the 2026 World Cup and the Houston region will be up to the task. Ching expended in the impact that the sport of fútbol has had in society where studies have proven the benefits it has had in healthcare, especially in lowering Type 2 diabetes and heart problems, in lowering crime, and in engaging youth in programs that have helped in expanding diversity, integration and inclusion.

Rhonda Arnold of Houston Airports System shared the Airports System experience in dealing with communities and the impact it has had in the organization. Arnold provided specific examples of programs carried out by the Airports system that have helped the organization to connect with communities, especially under-privileged, helping to expand the social net. The airport feels that the 2026 World cup provides a perfect opportunity to expand the airport’s contribution and connect even deeper with the Latino community, avid fútbol fans.

Juan Sosa finished the session explaining the expansion of 36 to 48 teams that will take place in the 2026 World Cup, which will have more representation of Latino countries playing in Houston, another excellent opportunity to expand Houston’s connectivity and relationship with the Americas. Sosa urged to get involved in the early stages of the process and reminded that there are only 850 working days left for the tournament, a short time of what it will be a challenging task for Houston.
International Affairs

Susan Davenport, Senior VP of Economic Development for the Greater Houston Partnership, gave an overview of Houston’s economic development, highlighting the grown of the region, its expansion to new areas, distributing economic growth in many sectors, thus minimizing Houston’s dependency on Oil & Gas.
One of the most important tasks of the Economic Development section is working with companies all over the world to help them in their decisions to relocate, in this case to Houston. As such, the region is promoted as the best place to live, work and build a business.
In their efforts, the Partnership coordinates a myriad of economic development incentives with businesses worlwide, highlighting the benefits of the Houston region as the #1 Global City in the United States.
One of the most important tasks of the Economic Development section is working with companies all over the world to help them in their decisions to relocate, in this case to Houston. As such, the region is promoted as the best place to live, work and build a business.
In their efforts, the Partnership coordinates a myriad of economic development incentives with businesses worlwide, highlighting the benefits of the Houston region as the #1 Global City in the United States.

John Cypher, Vice president of International for the Greater Partnership explained the role of his division, that among its responsibilities are attracting foreign multinationals to Houston, organizing trade missions, leading foreign activities involving high level government officials such as the Mayor of Houston, organizing local events of international flavor, receiving foreign business visitors from all over the world and working with consulates to enhance their relationship with the region.
Cypher explained the management structure of the international division, introducing key associates including Martha Cruz-Guzman, Director of the Americas, and Josefina Echeverria, Executive Assistant of the International division.
Cypher explained the management structure of the international division, introducing key associates including Martha Cruz-Guzman, Director of the Americas, and Josefina Echeverria, Executive Assistant of the International division.

Juan Sosa closed the session thanking the support of the Greater Houston Partnership throughout the year and their role as a “Strategic Partner” of the the Consular Corps of Houston and co-host of the “Gateway of the Americas” conference