Thomas C. Beck is the Senior Vice President of The Howland Group, Inc. Thomas has been involved with the emerging Smart Container market as well as High Value Time Sensitive (HVTS) Cargo Transport. Mr. Beck has also supported overseas efforts to develop the Caucasus Transit Corridor to improve cargo flows throughout Central Asia. He has often highlighted the potential impact of improving information exchanges and reducing transit times on local, regional, and global trade flows. He has worked with senior leadership of both large and small organizations, providing new insights to their organization and/or business environment, often reframing critical issues allowing for creative and effective problem solving. Thomas has an MBA from Cornell University, as well as an MS and BA in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Janine M. Mansour has been on the commercial team at the Port of New Orleans since 2010 and currently serves as the Head of Key Accounts. In her role, she works with the Port’s key shipper, ocean carrier, inland transportation and logistics clients to provide client support, supply chain solutions and drive business growth across the Port’s cargo and rail business lines.

Janine attended Rice University, where she ran division-I cross-country and track and graduated with a B.A. in both Psychology and Policy Studies. She received her MBA with a concentration in Management from Tulane University in 2014. Through Tulane, Janine received the Allen R. Vorholt Fellowship for outstanding leadership and scholarship. Janine is a native New Orleanian, speaks Mandarin and she and her husband, Aubrey, have three children.

Jan Emblemsvåg has since 2020 served as professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Ålesund. Since, 2004 he has held several top management positions in industry including companies such as Ulstein, Vard, Rolls-Royce Marine and NOV and adjunct positions in academia including BI and NTNU. He holds board positions and do some consulting. He publishes regularly about energy, nuclear power, risk and project management in books, journal papers and in non-academic outlets. He also holds numerous talks about these topics. He holds a master’s degree from Norges Tekniske Høyskole (the precursor to NTNU). He also holds a master’s degree and a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Andrea LaVorgna is the Marketing Manager and Editor for the Port Bureau News at the Greater Houston Port Bureau. Andrea has over 30 years’ experience in national and international start-up to Fortune 500 companies in high tech, maritime/energy industry, and satellite/broadcast industries in branding, public/community relations, marketing/digital marketing, strategy, and social media.

Andrea has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and marketing and a Master of Business Administration.

Michael Arnett is a Protective Security Advisor (PSA) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 6. He is assigned to Houston (West), Texas to support the Southeast Texas District. He serves as a security and resiliency subject matter expert and is the link between state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations and CISA infrastructure mission partners. He performs vulnerability and security assessments on a variety of Critical Infrastructure to identify security gaps and potential vulnerabilities as well as coordinates training and support for special events and incident management.

Prior to joining CISA, Mr. Arnett served 17 years on Active-Duty in the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and continues to serve as a Reserve Lieutenant Commander at Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston where he leads the Maritime Law Enforcement Division.

Mr. Arnett’s career in the USCG was multi-faceted providing for a broad range of experience. Most recently he led the Emergency Management/Force Readiness division at MSU Port Arthur, TX where he was responsible for All Hazards planning and exercises including oversight of all aspects of the Area Maritime Security, Port Readiness, and Area Committees. He collaborated closely with other federal agencies, state, and local governments, and private industry to increase security and resiliency within the Port Arthur, TX Captain of the Port zone. He certified as a FEMA Type 3 Planning Section Chief and USCG Emergency Management Specialist.

During his time at the Coast Guard Office of Defense Operations and Counterterrorism in Washington D. C., he coordinated review of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff’s (CJCS) Joint Staff Action Process (JSAP), informing the principal military advisor to the President of the United States (POTUS) on USCG positions for all military administrative and operational issues.

While stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR), as the Command Security Officer; he led all aspects of security at the Sector San Juan base, personnel housing, and three detached duty stations in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and Ponce, PR. Mr. Arnett was responsible for the management of a multi-million-dollar security contract and protection of $106 million in property, 600+ AD personnel, seven cutters and 11 small boats.

Other USCG positions throughout his career include Officer in Charge of a Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment, Team Leader for a Sector Boarding Team, and Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer where he enforced applicable federal laws within the jurisdiction of the United States.

Mr. Arnett is a graduate of Sam Houston State University and the University of Cincinnati where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He is also a member of the National Criminal Justice Honors Society.

Jeremy Hansen is a Protective Security Advisor (PSA) with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 6, covering the Southeast Texas District. He serves as a security and resiliency subject matter expert and is the link between state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations and CISA infrastructure mission partners. He performs vulnerability and security assessments on a variety of Critical Infrastructure to identify security gaps and potential vulnerabilities as well as coordinate training and supports special events and incident management. Prior to joining CISA, Mr. Hansen served a total of 24 years with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in Federal Civilian, Active Duty, and Reserve capacities.

In Federal Civilian service to the USCG, Mr. Hansen served with Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur as the Port Security Specialist (PSS) and Executive Administrator of the Southeast Texas & Southwest Louisiana Area Maritime Security Committee, protecting the Nation’s largest commercial Military Out-load (MOL) operation and third largest petrochemical port complex. During his tenure, Mr. Hansen performed countless nationally significant critical infrastructure security assessments, facilitated hundreds of American Maritime Security Committee (AMSC) engagements and activities, supported response to several nationally significant Type-1 incidents, and leading Southeast Texas efforts in successfully securing tens of millions in Port Security Grant Program awards.

In Military service, Mr. Hansen most recently served as the Senior Enlisted Reserve Advisor (SERA) of USCG Station Sabine, the largest enlisted Command and second largest Small-boat Station in the USCG. Over a period of 11 years, Mr. Hansen led Station Sabine’s Reserve forces to excellence in maintaining Reserve readiness and mission support, which included supporting nationally significant events, incidents, and operations, numerous Search & Rescue (SAR) operations, mitigation of high-impact environmental incidents, Anti-Terrorism (AT)/Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) activities, and MOL missions. During this assignment, he additionally served eight years as a volunteer member of the Eighth Coast Guard District’s Joint Field Office support team’s ESF #10 Subject Matter Expert.

Mr. Hansen’s prior military service assignments include a four-year Title-X deployment in Southeast Texas in support of MOL operations and Active-duty assignments aboard USCG Cutter’s Campbell and Saginaw performing agency missions including SAR, AT/MLE, migrant interdiction, humanitarian aid, Aids to Navigation, and international mission support. During his Active-Duty tenure, Mr. Hansen achieved certification as a Tactical Small-boat Coxswain and Federal Boarding Officer, assuming leadership roles in associated mission areas. Additionally, Notable activities include support of the following high-profile incidents and events: Hurricane Georges Maritime Transportation System recovery; 9/11 World Trade Center attack; Hurricane Katrina (Command staff); Operation Neptune Shield & Operation Iraqi Freedom State-side support, and Hurricane Ike (Command Staff) support.

Mr. Hansen has served more than 30 years as a local First Responder and Public Safety Official. He is a founding member and Fire Chief of Jefferson County Emergency Services District No. 4 (2016 to Present) providing Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services for 265 square miles of rural West Jefferson County, Texas. In addition, he has held roles as an Emergency Telecommunicator (1996-2005), Emergency Manager (2002-2004), and Reserve Deputy Sheriff (2007-2013).

Mr. Hansen is a graduate of the USCG Chief Petty Officer’s Academy (2015), serving as class President and recipient of the “Altus Tendo” award. He currently maintains certification as a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), ALERRT Active Shooter Instructor, Pro Board Accredited Firefighter I, and EMT-Basic (Texas).

Captain Peter J. Bergeron, USCG (ret) has over 33 years of executive level leadership experience at the highest levels of government, military service, and business including the White House, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. He is a recognized leader in the fields of maritime safety, security, operations, and continuity of government/business operations. He is currently the Senior Director of Safety and Security for the Canaveral Port Authority responsible for all public safety activities at the busiest cruise Port in the world with over 6.78 million passengers. He ensures public safety and security interests and activities are integrated in all aspects of operations including cruise and cargo, construction, recreation, special events, management of Port assets, the Space industry, and the Department of Defense. Captain Bergeron retired from the Coast Guard after 27 years of exceptional service including four tours as a Cutter Commanding Officer, a 3-year assignment to the White House Military Office working for the President, and tours working directly for the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. He was a Fellow at the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Study Group in 2006. He is a 1983 graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy with a BS in Government. He holds a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College (1992), and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2002. He is the author of two novels: The Black and White Club: Genesis, and The Black and White Club: Illuminology.

Kevin serves as the North American lead for Deloitte’s Infrastructure & Capital Projects program for State & Local government. He has advised many states, most prominently on how to best leverage increased federal funding (IIJA, IRA, etc.) in combination with P3 or other alternatives. Complimentary goals are achieving energy resilience and equitable economic development. Technology is an important thread throughout these discussions whether digital twins, IOT, AI or cyber, for example.

Kevin received an MBA at the Booth School, University of Chicago. He has a BS Magna Cum Laude in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics from Case Western Reserve University. He has served on non-profit boards in the two areas of passion, serving the homeless and autism.