Advancing the Vision

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Advisory Council is comprised of a small group of high-level transportation professionals from across Texas and every sector of the transportation world. The council, which meets annually, offers a tremendous service to the Institute by advising on transportation issues and trends and supporting TTI’s research programs and initiatives. TTI profiles several council members in each issue of Researcher.

Roger Guenther

Executive Director
Port of Houston Authority
Houston, Texas

Roger Guenther was named executive director of the Port of Houston Authority in January 2014 and has 26 years of experience at the port. Formerly he was deputy executive director of operations and was responsible for all container and break-bulk cargo operations, management and construction of capital development projects, facility and asset maintenance, and real estate interests.

He also has served in various capacities related to facilities management, including master planning of the Bayport Container Terminal, redevelopment of the existing Barbours Cut Terminal, and procurement of all container-handling cranes and equipment over the last two decades. Guenther previously served as an engineer with Emscor, Inc., in Atlanta, Ga. He is a member of the Port Authority Advisory Committee for the Texas Department of Transportation.

Drayton McLane, Jr.

Chairman
McLane Group
Temple, Texas

Drayton McLane, Jr., is chairman of the McLane Group, a parent company consisting of family-owned companies operating throughout the world, including McLane Advanced Technologies, which pursues technology advancements for the commercial, government and defense industries. For 30 years, he was CEO of the McLane Company, his family’s wholesale grocery business. Following the McLane Company’s merger with Wal-Mart, Inc., in 1990, he became vice chairman of Wal-Mart. He also served as chairman and CEO of the Houston Astros Baseball Club for 19 seasons.

McLane’s board appointments include chairman of the Board of Trustees at Baylor Scott and White Healthcare, vice president at large for the Boy Scouts of America national board, and board director of the Bush School of Government and Public Service Board of Visitors at Texas A&M University.

LtGen Joe Weber, USMC (Ret)

Executive Director
Texas Department of Transportation
Austin, Texas

Under the direction of the Texas Transportation Commission, Weber is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) policies and operations. He maintains relationships with state elected leaders and represents TxDOT before the Texas Legislature. Formerly he was vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University, where he was responsible for the oversight of more than 900 student organizations and activities, and all student services and support associated with student development and success.

Weber served 36 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he held numerous command and leadership positions throughout the United States and overseas, including tours in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia and Iraq. He was responsible for the supervision of a variety of infrastructure projects, including road, port, aviation and rail systems.