Driving Growth in Driving Growth in Bay Area Houston Bay Area Houston
A snapshot of regional initiatives and economic impact
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BUSINESS BRIEFS | Q2 2026
Letter from the President
Brian Freedman
As we conclude the second quarter of 2026, I am proud to reflect on another productive and impactful quarter for the Bay Area Houston region. Over the past three months, BAHEP has continued its mission of fostering economic growth, strengthening partnerships, supporting workforce development, and advancing the industries that drive our regional economy.
A highlight of this quarter was the 34th Annual Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) trip, sending 85 travelers, including 31 students, to Washington, D.C. CSE promoted awareness of the benefits of America’s human space exploration program and NASA through more than 300 meetings with congressional offices.
Closer to home, our workforce development efforts continued through Texas Aerospace Scholars (TAS), which launched its summer programming that engaged hundreds of students in NASA-supported STEM challenges.
We were also pleased to host our annual New Member Breakfast. BAHEP welcomed 21 organizations during the first quarter of 2026. Since then, we have welcomed an additional 17 as new members, whose engagement and support continue to strengthen our organization and community impact.
BAHEP remained actively engaged in community initiatives throughout the quarter. One highlight was the Business Organization Presidents' Day in Austin, which successfully brought regional economic development leaders together with state officials to discuss key issues affecting the region. Additionally, BAHEP staff attended several member-hosted events during Fleet Week Houston and joined the Bay Area Houston community in honoring the men and women of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, we remain optimistic about the momentum we have built and the opportunities that lie ahead for BAHEP and the Bay Area Houston region. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the months ahead.
Sincerely,
Brian Freedman President
BUSINESS BRIEFS |
General Membership Meetings & Events
April General Membership Meeting - FBI Security & Risk Briefing
BAHEP’s April General Membership Meeting on April 29 featured a FBI Security and Risk Briefing from Jason M. Hudson, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Houston. The event brought together elected officials, business executives, community leaders, educators and legislative staff for an evening of networking and mingling. BAHEP President Brian Freedman kicked off the program with a welcome message and an introduction of elected officials, new members, and sponsors.
Agent Hudson gave an engaging and informative talk on major global developments and emerging threat conditions with potential implications for the Bay Area Houston region. He also addressed security considerations related to the upcoming soccer games, transnational criminal activity involving Mexican cartels, instability in the Middle East, and cyber and infrastructure threats, as well as his perspective on how national and international events translate into local risk, resilience, and readiness.
On May 7, 2026, BAHEP hosted their May General Membership Meeting at Lakewood Yacht Club featuring guest speaker, Jim Szczesniak, the Director of Aviation for the Houston Airport System. As the Houston Airports prepare for a defining global moment this summer, 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. He emphasized that this period of heightened global attention bring both opportunities and responsibilities for Houston’s business community.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
General Membership Meetings & Events
June General Membership Meeting - Davie Defense Project Briefing
On June 3, BAHEP held its June General Membership Meeting featuring keynote speaker Philip Burns O’Brien, CEO of Davie Defense and Interim CEO of Gulf Copper. O’Brien shared plans for a major shipbuilding initiative to build U.S. icebreakers on Pelican Island in Galveston. As part of the project, Davie Defense is investing $1 billion into the Island to transform its Gulf Copper facility from a dry-dock repair yard into an American icebreaker production facility The project is expected to create approximately 2,400 direct jobs, with an estimated statewide economic impact supporting nearly 7,000 jobs. The development is also anticipated to generate new opportunities for suppliers, workforce development programs, and long-term regional economic growth. The meeting drew strong attendance, and BAHEP members engaged O’Brien with thoughtful questions regarding the project's economic impact, workforce needs, and opportunities for local industry participation.
NASA & Commercial Space Advocacy
Citizens for Space Exploration
In May, Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) hosted its 34th annual trip to Washington D C., bringing together 85 travelers, including 31 university students, from across the country Participants conducted over 300 meetings with congressional offices representing 46 states to advocate for continued support of America’s human space exploration program and NASA CSE’s annual advocacy effort helps educate policymakers on the economic, scientific, educational, and national security benefits of space exploration while providing university students with a unique opportunity to engage directly in the legislative process. CSE also held a congressional reception, which featured remarks from U.S. Representative Dr. Brian Babin of Texas and former U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, who spoke with students about the importance of representing their states and engaging in national space policy discussions. BAHEP extends special thanks to our sponsors for their continued support in making this trip possible.
BUSINESS BRIEFS |
Community Engagement
New Member Breakfast
BAHEP hosted our annual New Member Breakfast on April 14 to welcome the 21 new members who joined the organization in the first quarter of the year. New members, BAHEP staff, committee chairs, and members of the Membership Engagement Committee gathered bright and early to enjoy a catered breakfast and time for networking. After a quick mingling session, particpants took a seat to learn more about the organization as well as hear from each committe chair about the mission and work of their committee. BAHEP is excited to welcome so many new and diverse members to the organization and we look forward to the work they will contribute to the region.
Business Organization Presidents’ Day in Austin
BAHEP President Brian Freedman was joined by presidents and executive directors of regional chambers and regional economic development organizations for a trip to the State Capitol. The group met with a variety of government offices including the Office of Governor Greg Abbot, the Office of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Office of Chairman Dr. Greg Bonnen, and the Office of Rep. Dennis Paul. The group discussed topics impacting our region including the Texas Space Commission, the Texas Coastal Project, property insurance, and the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program.
Fleet Week Houston
The BAHEP team celebrated the kickoff of Fleet Week Houston with the exciting Parade of Ships in the City of La Porte and a naval ship tour with BAHEP’s board members and partners in the City of Seabrook. The inaugural event marked the first time a Texas city hosted this event and BAHEP had the honor of taking a private tour of the USS Kearsarge. Thank you to everyone who joined us and for particpating in this historical celebration honoring the men and women of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard!
Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program
This quarter marked the conclusion of the Spring 2026 academic semester, with SATOP sponsoring more than 20 capstone projects at participating universities across Texas. SATOP staff attended engineering showcases at Texas A&M University (College Station and Galveston), Sam Houston State University, Texas State University, and the University of Texas at Tyler and its Houston Engineering Center. These events provided opportunities to engage directly with student teams, faculty, and participating small businesses while showcasing the innovative solutions developed through SATOP-supported projects.
At the Texas A&M University College Station showcase, three SATOP-sponsored projects received departmental awards. Looking ahead, 22 additional SATOP-sponsored capstone projects are scheduled to begin this fall.
Texas Aerospace Scholars
Texas Aerospace Scholars (TAS) launched its summer programming with the Moonshot and Flight Path immersive virtual challenges, both designed to extend the TAS experience through fast paced, collaborative STEM problem solving. Moonshot opened with more than 320 high‑performing juniors who excelled in the TAS school-year coursework, teaming with NASA subject matter experts to tackle Artemis themed systems engineering and design challenges culminating in a Preliminary Design Review. In parallel, the Flight Path pilot began with 13 recent TAS alumni, guiding small teams through rapid research, prototyping, and concept development focused on how processed lunar regolith could support future lunar surface construction.
Together, Moonshot and Flight Path are supported by nearly 50 NASA civil servant and contractor volunteers across seven NASA centers. Top performing teams from each challenge will be invited to a residential onsite experience at Johnson Space Center later this summer, where students can continue developing their design solutions, engage directly with NASA professionals, and gain deeper insight into STEM career pathways.
July 6 - BAHEP Offices are closed for the Fourth of July No Committee Meetings or General Membership Meetings held in July
Upcoming Events
August
August 4 - MAC Meeting
August 5 - AAC Meeting & SBC Meeting
August 6 - Team NASA
August 7 - Tourism Meeting
August 11 - Space City Workforce
August 12 - PPC Meeting
August 13 - Public Safety Meeting
August 20 - IMAC Meeting
August 26 - Energy Meeting
May 18-21
September
Sept 1 - MAC Meeting
Sept 2 - AAC Meeting & SBC Meeting
Sept 3 - Team NASA
Sept 4 - Tourism Meeting
Sept 8 - Space City Workforce
Sept 9 - PPC Meeting
Sept 10 - Public Safety Meeting
Sept 17 - IMAC Meeting & Education Meeting
For a complete list of events or for more information, please visit the calendar on our website at bayareahouston.com.
Welcome New Members!
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, BAHEP, is a member-driven organization that provides the leadership to stimulate regional economic development and employment. Utilizing a collaborative committee structure, we engage more than 340 investor companies, business professionals, local governments, and educational institutions in southeast Texas to bring about prosperity and a high quality of life for the 1.5 million people who live and work in the region. Our members include business partners, 18 member cities, Galveston County, Harris county, the Houston Airport System, and Port Houston.
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership sincerely thanks Harris County Precinct 2, Port Houston, the Houston Airport System, CenterPoint Energy, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines for their continued support of BAHEP’s work for the region.
