Industry and Community Outreach

June 1, 2023
Pilot Board Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance completed a ship ride along with Houston Pilots 2nd Officer Captain Matthew Glass.

May 18, 2023
Pilot Board Vice Chair Roland Garcia,  Commissioner Frances Castañeda Dyess, Commissioner Michel Bechtel, Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis, PBIRC Chair Captain David Foret, PBIRC member Captain Amy Arrowood, and ARC member Sallie Kay Janes attended the Greater Houston Port Bureau Commerce Club luncheon honoring retiring President Captain Bill Diehl.  

May 18, 2023
Pilot Board Commissioner Frances Castañeda Dyess attended the Austin High School Maritime Academy Graduation, along with Houston Pilots Presiding Officer Captain Clint Winegar, Houston Pilots Chief Operating Officer Captain J.J. Plunkett, ARC member Jacquie Young-Hall, and USCG Captain of the Port Captain Jason Smith.

May 16, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis hosted two Houston Pilots interns from Texas A&M Galveston.

May 16, 2023
Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Waterway Utilization Subcommittee meeting at the Houston Pilots office.

May 9, 2023
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie attended the Jack Yates High School Maritime Academy Graduation, along with ARC member Jacquie Young-Hall.

May 6, 2023
Vice Chair Roland Garcia and Commissioner Parris Beverly attended the Houston International Seafarers Center Maritime Gala, in which Captain J.J. Plunkett and his wife Lori Plunkett were honored as the 2023 Bronze Anchor Award recipients.

May 5, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis and Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Managing Board Meeting at USCG Sector Houston-Galveston. Houston Pilot Captain Robert Thompson was honored by Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Chair Darren Shelton and Captain of the Port Jason Smith for his many contributions to the Port of Houston over his career.

April 20- April 21, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis and Commissioner Jon Keeney attended the Bluewater-Brownwater Symposium at the Houston Pilots Office. Captain Gavis presented case studies of incidents reviewed by the PBIRC and encouraged dialog between the Houston Pilots and brownwater operators over their observations and experiences.

April 26, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis, Commissioner Darrell Morrison, and Commissioner Brad Hance attended Captain Clint Winegar’s, Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots, presentation at the WGMA monthly meeting.

April 18, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended the formation meeting of a Houston Pilots- G&H Towing Coordination meeting with several Houston Pilots and Captain Bobby Pytka, Port Captain at G&H Towing.

April 14, 2023
Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis and several Commissioners attended the Maritime & Logistics Youth Expo at San Jacinto College Maritime alongside the Houston Pilots Executive team, in which the Houston Pilots Anchor Watch had an exhibit introducing students to the Houston Pilots and paths towards becoming eligible to apply to become a Houston Pilot.

February 8, 2023
Commissioner Darrell Morrison and Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended the Gulf Coast Protection District meeting in which Captain Clint Winegar, Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots, presented the results of simulations on navigating around the Ike Dike gate system.

February 3, 2023
Pilot Board Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Managing Board Meeting at the Houston Pilots office.

December 9, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis hosted an intern from Kings Point.

November 4, 2022
Pilot Board Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance, Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis, and USCG Industry Trainee Kim McLean attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Managing Board Meeting at USCG Sector Houston – Galveston.

October 26, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis and USCG Industry Trainee Kim McLean attended the West Gulf Maritime Association Monthly Meeting (which included a presentation over Port Houston’s Maritime Education and Outreach efforts).

October 14, 2022
Commissioner Parris Beverly attended the Houston Maritime Center’s Annual Celebration Dinner honoring the Houston International Seafarers Center.

October 13, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis and USCG Industry Trainee Kim McLean attended the Greater Houston Port Bureau Commerce Club Luncheon (which included a presentation by Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther).

October 11, 2022
Navigation Chair Commissioner Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Waterway Utilization Subcommittee meeting at the Houston Pilots office.

October 4, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioner Michel Bechtel, Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis, and USCG Industry Trainee Kim McLean observed Houston Pilot simulations of navigating through the proposed Coastal Barrier Project.

September 30, 2022
Commissioner Jon Keeney attended Media Day aboard the Houston Pilots pilot boat on behalf of the Pilot Board.

September 8, 2022
Members of the Pilot Board and Houston Pilots Executive Team conducted a meet and greet with NTSB Board Member Michael Graham and members of his staff prior to the September 8, 2022 Pilot Board meeting.

September 2, 2022
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie visited San Jacinto College Maritime to welcome PBIRC member Captain Amy Arrowood to the PBIRC and receive a tour of the facility and Houston Pilots simulator.

August 20, 2022
Pilot Board Vice Chair Roland Garcia, Pilot Board Treasurer Frances Castañeda Dyess, Pilot Board Commissioner Darrell Morrison, Pilot Board Commissioner Michel Bechtel, and Pilot Board ARC Chairman Captain Stephen Polk attended the 93rd Annual Greater Houston Port Bureau Maritime Dinner honoring Port Commission Chairman Ric Campo as the 2022 Maritime Leader of the Year.

August 2, 2022
Pilot Board Navigation Committee Chair Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor SafetyWaterway Utilization meeting.

July 21, 2022
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie and Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis met with Jacquie Young-Hall, Maritime Education Outreach Manager with Port Houston, to discuss outreach opportunities and raising awareness of the maritime industry to local high school students.

July 12, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis hosted an intern from Kings Point.

July 12, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioners Brad Hance and Michel Bechtel joined Brad Miller with
Kinder Morgan and Houston Pilots Presiding Officer Captain Robert Thompson aboard
the Houston Pilots annual hurricane preparedness helicopter exercise/ Houston Ship Channel tour.

June 21, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioner Brad Hance attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Tri-subcommittee meeting.

June 21, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis hosted Kings Point intern Daniel Rock.

June 10, 2022
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie visited the USCG Cutter Eagle in Galveston along with members of USCG Sector Houston/ Galveston.

June 8, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioner Michel Bechtel visited with Captain Elco Oskam and the Rotterdam Pilots.

May 7, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioner Jon Keeney, PBRIC Chairman Captain David Foret, Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie, Pilot Board Commissioner Frances Castañeda Dyess, and Pilot Board Commissioner Parris Beverly attended the Houston International Seafarers Center’s Maritime Gala. 

May 6, 2022
Pilot Board Navigation Committee Chair Commissioner Brad Hance and Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Full Managing Board meeting.

U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Captain Jason Smith recognizes Houston Branch Pilot Captain Justin Benecke and the crew of the Houston Pilot boat for rescuing, and saving the lives, of two fishermen in dire peril.

April 29, 2022
The Pilot Board Professional Development Committee, Pilot Board Commissioner Brad Hance, and Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended the Maritime Youth Expo at San Jacinto Maritime. The Board representatives observed hundreds of local high school students visit the Houston Pilots booth and learn about many other opportunities within the maritime industry.

Houston Deputy Branch Pilot Darris Jefferson Jr. with his family.

Pilot Board Commissioners Jon Keeney and Brad Hance observe Goose Creek High School students listening to Houston Branch Pilot Captain Adam Shuptar.

Students listen to Houston Branch Pilot Captain Adam Shuptar and Houston Deputy Branch Pilot Captain Darris Jefferson Jr.

Students observe a simulated USCG helicopter rescue along the Bayport Channel.

April 7, 2022
Pilot Board Commissioner Parris Beverly did a ship ride along with Houston Pilots Presiding Officer Captain Robert Thompson, Houston Pilots Chief Operating Officer JJ Plunkett, and two Houston Pilots, from Enterprise terminal to sea.

March 31 and April 1, 2022
Pilot Board Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended, and presented on behalf of the Pilot Board, the Blue water – Brown water Symposium at the Houston Pilots office.

February 4, 2022
The Pilot Board Navigation Committee attended the virtual Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee meeting.

January 27, 2022
Pilot Board Vice Chair Roland Garcia and Executive Director Captain M. Tyler Gavis attended the retirement reception for Mr. Niels Aalund, Vice President of Maritime Affairs for West Gulf Maritime Association. Captain Gavis presented Mr. Aalund with a Certificate of Merit for his dedication to the maritime industry on behalf of the Houston Pilot Board.

January 4, 2022
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie toured the offices of the Panama Canal Pilots, as well as SIDMAR (Center for Simulation, Research and Maritime Development of the Panama Canal Authority) training facility in which the Houston Pilots will be training.

December 3, 2021
Pilot Board Commissioner Parris Beverly, Chairman Reginald McKamie, Commissioner Frances Castañeda Dyess, and Commissioner Jon Keeney attended the Houston Pilots 100th Anniversary Gala.

November 15, 2021
The Pilot Board Executive Director hosted an intern from the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) as part of the joint internship program with the Houston Pilots.

November 5, 2021
The Pilot Board Navigation Committee attended the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee meeting at the office of the Houston Pilots.

October 27, 2021
Pilot Board Chairman Captain Reginald McKamie Chair met with the Pilot Training Study Team in Panama City, Panama discussing SIDMAR simulator training for the Houston Pilots.