Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

06/06/2026

Thank you for your leadership on this project Commissioner Dawn Buckingham! And thank you the incredible team at Davie / Gulf Copper!

06/05/2026

A number of our members recently had the incredible opportunity to tour the upcoming Texas Space Institute facility and meet with the Texas A&M University leaders who are turning this visionary building into a reality.

Shout-out to Wayne Rutledge with Rutledge Commercial Real Estate for helping set up this fantastic tour and connecting our members with this groundbreaking project.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Rob Ambrose and Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg with Texas A&M, who are leading the charge on this monumental initiative.

It is an incredibly exciting time for our region and our state. Texas is officially leading the way to getting humans back to the Moon and on to Mars!

06/04/2026

What an incredible turnout for BAHEP’s June General Membership Meeting! Our members had the opportunity to hear from Philip Burns O’Brien, CEO of Davie Defense and Interim CEO of Gulf Copper, who shared plans for a transformative shipbuilding initiative to build U.S. icebreakers on Pelican Island in Galveston. Davie Defense is investing $1 billion on Pelican Island to establish an American Icebreaker Factory, a project expected to create more than 2,000 jobs and generate significant opportunities for industry, workforce development, suppliers, and regional economic growth. A special thank you to our meeting sponsors: Moody Bank, San Jacinto College, Lone Star College System, College of the Mainland, Harris County Precinct 2, and Joiner Architects, Inc. We also extend our sincere appreciation to Davie Defense and Gulf Copper for their commitment to our region and the future of U.S. shipbuilding.

06/01/2026

Proud to join regional leaders today to celebrate the groundbreaking of Davie Defense’s site modernization project in Galveston. Following its acquisition of Gulf Copper, Davie is transforming this facility to construct the next generation of heavy Arctic icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard.

This project represents a critical expansion of our domestic maritime industrial base, bringing over 2,000 high-skilled manufacturing jobs and long-term economic resilience to the Texas Gulf Coast.

A project of this scale requires tremendous collaboration. Thank you to the exceptional lineup of leaders who joined the groundbreaking to champion this effort:

- Philip Burns (CEO, Davie)
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz
- U.S. Representative Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14)
- Russell Vought (Director, Office of Management and Budget)
- Governor Greg Abbott

The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) has been a vocal advocate for strengthening our region's maritime and defense capabilities. This modernization ensures Texas remains at the forefront of national security infrastructure.

A special congratulations and thank you to our partners who spearheaded this initiative:

Galveston Economic Development Partnership (GEDP) for their outstanding leadership in securing this investment.

The Port of Galveston for providing the critical infrastructure and support to make this project a reality.

We look forward to seeing the transformation of the shipyard and the future icebreakers that will soon sail from Texas waters.

05/29/2026

Congratulations to Commissioner Adrian Garcia of Harris County Precinct 2 and his Keep2Clean initiative, in partnership with Texas General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, and the Dead Boats Society (CADD), on successfully removing an abandoned boat from the Clear Lake waterway.

This initiative will make Clear Lake safer, cleaner, and more accessible for all.

Seabrook, Texas - Your City Government, City of Taylor Lake Village, City Of League City Government, City of Nassau Bay, Texas

05/26/2026

Incredibly excited to see several BAHEP members taking major roles in NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s announcement about lunar exploration!

Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Astrolab will be paving the way (and driving on those roads) for lunar exploration!

During a Moon Base event Tuesday at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, the agency announced new contracts for lunar rovers for crew to drive and uncrewed

05/21/2026

Join the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), The Barnes Global Advisors, and BAHEP for a free additive manufacturing (AM) training session!

There are two courses offered - a 20-hour course about Designing for AM and a 4-hour course about AM Fundamentals. Both courses will be hosted at the BAHEP offices. See below for more information and how to register! ✏️

05/18/2026

Early start this morning for the Citizens for Space Exploration D.C. trip! Big thanks to United for getting us in safely!

05/12/2026

Our team is gearing up for the annual Citizens for Space Exploration trip to Washington D.C.! We are excited to take 93 travelers this year to the Capitol to promote awareness of the benefits of America's Human Space Exploration Program and to support NASA. The materials are packed up and shipped off to D.C. for next week!🚀📦

05/11/2026

Our May General Membership Meeting was an exciting one with special guest speaker, Jim Szczesniak, the Director of Aviation for the Houston Airports.

As the Houston Airports prepare for a defining global moment this summer, Jim Szczesniak spoke to our members about how the Houston Airport System is scaling operations, strengthening partnerships, and advancing infrastructure as the region prepares to welcome more than 500,000 travelers to Houston.

Thank you to our incredible sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor:
Wycoff Development and Construction

Gold Sponsors:
Joiner Architects, Inc.
Manhattan Construction Group
Griffin Partners, Inc.
United
Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Harris County Precinct 2