In accordance with The Galveston Bay Plan (The Plan), a coordinating body, The Galveston Bay Council (GBC) was created and appointed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) in November 1995. The Galveston Bay Council continues the work of the Management Conference convened for The Plan’s creation.

This Council is charged to:

  • Provide an ongoing forum for technical and stakeholder review and involvement during implementation of The Plan.
  • Contribute to assessments of The Plan’s effectiveness and participate in periodic redirection of The Plan’s initiatives.
  • Advise the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during consistency reviews of eligible federal projects.
  • Maintain agency commitments to implement The Plan; assure efficient cross-jurisdictional coordination and, if necessary, facilitate resolution of disputes.
  • Set annual priorities for the implementation of action plans.
  • Represent various stakeholder groups.

Galveston Bay Council Bylaws

Galveston Bay Council – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Just as natural ecosystems depend on biodiversity to thrive, the long-term preservation of the Galveston Bay estuary depends on the equitable, just and inclusive engagement of all communities throughout the watershed.

The Galveston Bay Council is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness as a core policy and fundamental operating principle. It is the policy of the council to engage in an active and ongoing process that affirms human diversity in its many forms, encompassing but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and identification, age, economic circumstance, class, disability, geography, and religion.

The Council seeks diversity and equity to ensure that a range of perspectives, opinions, and experiences are recognized and considered in achieving the mission of protecting and preserving the Galveston Bay Estuary.

Upcoming Meeting: April 17, 2024

Federal Agencies

U.S. Coast Guard: Matthew Tilimon
U.S. Geological Survey: Mike Lee
National Marine Fisheries Service: Charrish Stevens
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Scott Alford
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Andrea Catanzaro
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Huy Vu
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Scott Williams

State Agencies

Texas Department of Agriculture: Kristin Lambrecht
Texas General Land Office: Dianna Ramirez
Texas Department of State Health Services: Kirk Wiles
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Kelly Mills
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Lindsey Savage
Texas Railroad Commission: Audrey Kuklenz
Texas Department of Transportation: Sue Theiss
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board: Brian Koch
Texas Water Development Board: Caimee Schoenbaechler

Regional/Local Governments

Gulf Coast Authority: Elizabeth Fazio Hale
Houston-Galveston Area Council: Todd Running
City of Houston: Winfred Colbert
Medium Local Governments – population 25,000- 500,000: Ronnie Schultz
Small Local Governments – population <25,000: Julie Masters
Trinity River Authority: Glenn Clingenpeel
Port of Houston Authority: Garry McMahan
Large Local Governments – population >500,000: Jonathan Holley
San Jacinto River Authority: Shane Simpson

Environmental/Citizen’s Groups

Galveston Bay Foundation: Bob Stokes
Citizens-at-Large: Sharron L. Stewart
Underrepresented Communities: Juan Flores
League of Women Voters: Grace Martinez
Coastal Conservation Association: Shane Bonnot
Low-income Communities: Albert Gonzales
Other Conservation Organizations: Linda Shead

Private Sector

Nature Tourism: Rusty Senac
Greater Houston Partnership: Maria Valdez
Utilities: Jeff Dallarosa
Industry: Vance Darr
Marinas: Helen Paige
Commercial Fisheries: Tracy Woody
East Harris County Manufacturer’s Association: Ana Partin

Research/Academia

Major Universities: Hanadi Rifai
Texas Sea Grant: Pamela Plotkin

January 17, 2024

January 2024 Agenda

Presentation: CCMP Update Discussion – Stephanie Glenn, Ph.D. and Erin Kinney, Ph.D., Houston Advanced Research Center

Presentation: Member Highlight – Vance Darr, Kuraray, USA

Presentation: Texas Invasives: Research, Programs & Outreach – Ashley R. Morgan-Olvera, Texas Invasive Species Institute, Sam Houston State University

April 17, 2024

July 17, 2024

October 16, 2024

October 18, 2023

October 2023 Agenda

October 2023 Minutes

Presentation: City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s Habitat Restoration Projects – Kelly Ondracek, Houston Parks and Recreation Department

Presentation: The Status of the Oyster Fishery in Galveston Bay – Christine Jensen, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

 

July 19, 2023

July 2023 Agenda

July 2023 Minutes

Presentation: State of Gulf Coast Protection District – Nicole Sunstrum, Gulf Coast Protection District

Presentation: Investigating the Occurrence of Plastic in Historic Fishes from Galveston Bay Estuary: First Ever Historic Body Burden Data – Dr. Christopher Marshall and M. Bryan Gahn, Texas A&M University at Galveston

Presentation: Total Maximum Daily Loads and Escherichia coli Trends in Texas Freshwater Streams – Michael Schramm, Texas Water Resource Institute

 

April 19, 2023

April 2023 Handouts

April 2023 Minutes

Presentation: Galveston Bay Estuary Resilience Action Plan: Overview – Stephanie Glenn, Ph.D. and Erin Kinney, Ph.D., Houston Advanced Research Center

Presentation: The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project David Miller, Coastal Water Authority

Presentation: Occurrence of Microplastics in Tributaries of Galveston Bay – Zulimar Lucena, United States Geological Survey

 

January 18, 2023

January 2023 Handouts

January 2023 Minutes

Presentation: Houston Ship Channel New Work Dredging by Leia Wilson, Port Houston.

Presentation: Port Houston Sustainability and 2050 by Trae Camble, Port Houston.

Presentation: Texas Legislative OverviewAmy Stetler, Trinity River Authority.

Presentation: Planning for Healthy Soils – Brian Koch, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.