[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6673137,"mediaKeyId","2110142-28ca50a492535fc5c2f7e495d21796d8","parentId",2110142,"title","Francis Castaneda unanimously chosen chair of Pilots Commission at joint session","audioSeconds",280,"startMs",1709000,"endMs",1989000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110142-28ca50a492535fc5c2f7e495d21796d8&start=1709&end=1989","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110142-28ca50a492535fc5c2f7e495d21796d8/thumbnail_1709000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6673137/Harris-County/Texas/Francis-Castaneda-unanimously-chosen-chair-of-Pilots-Commission-at-joint-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673137-a9307e984f004f90baeb6cd2599048b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448270&Signature=nZnxYeSHcx4U7L6Dx8T7R4bZC4J0SEGpTXSV74P0gd~Zpa4wR1gfabZFnYY4dYvOysM78CSvAUvCS~sbXNnT3QYFAo~paTzvOzCEpsND9uty9qIuQfuRwA0tOIiKxmIp-NlKprc3Bh032g90HwfRN2NZ7Ae2u7l1NbNKzyeXnhRkW~yAtq-dn9xoz4T-ScWUEX2FPeZ~XblV5oyOx8faWWtJngWnKy5u1rw3MeXISJtiNPblVPfHbEIjlsmFoYbej4U2F~N3DZnUeRhKaj6oFnx4A7J5fl3aj0TUTqcDalDnD9vIs6Np-tzmYbwxL0JRnrra1F~2eCkWoZWBjkEQyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harris","date","2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously confirmed Francis Castaneda as chair of the Pilots Commission during a Jan. 1 joint session.

Councilor Castillo moved to nominate Castaneda to the Pilots Commission chairmanship; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The meeting clerk recorded the vote as unanimous. Castaneda thanked the council and commissioners for the nomination and for their support.

In remarks after her confirmation, Castaneda described her background growing up in the East End and said she was honored to be the second chair and the first woman of color to lead the Pilots Commission. She outlined the pilots’ mission to maneuver vessels safely on the Houston Ship Channel and said pilots operate “24 hours a day, 360-5 days a year” and navigate 52 miles of the channel. Castaneda said pilots assist “over 21,000 commercial ships annually” and cited a cargo tonnage figure “about 247,000,000 tons” and an associated value she described as “about $802,000,000,000 to the U.S. economy” (figures as reported during her remarks).

Castaneda said she supports outreach to attract young people, people of color and women to maritime careers and pledged to promote “progress, stability, fairness, and respect” on the commission. Council members and commissioners who spoke at the meeting praised her experience on the inaugural pilots board and pledged support for the commission’s work.

The Pilots Commission confirmation followed a round of nominations and public remarks on port leadership and regional freight issues and concluded without further action on the joint agenda.

The confirmation and Castaneda’s remarks were recorded in the joint-session transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harris - Special Joint Meeting - Jan 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During a joint meeting, the body unanimously nominated Francis Castaneda as chair of the Pilots Commission and she outlined priorities including outreach, safety and workforce development.","taxTitle","Harris County, Texas","taxId",2707,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6673141,"Port Houston chair reappointed unanimously at joint Houston–Harris County session",594,1101000,1695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110142-28ca50a492535fc5c2f7e495d21796d8&start=1101&end=1695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110142-28ca50a492535fc5c2f7e495d21796d8/thumbnail_1101000.jpg","/articles/6673141/Harris-County/Texas/Port-Houston-chair-reappointed-unanimously-at-joint-HoustonHarris-County-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6673141-c89fbcb571611fce33b05429ae1aa058/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448270&Signature=N2IEPmdKBoiJVNHJhygLyPfjbqgtA-vR5zMZd2YGJHU-YGBTWQ4Fu61tw4CAKHEmWHComAuenxQntFJlo2-DRUUnGZEHBj60JhhYRdzu6ehxoJ~i3JE2wsyfN6dYGLxMj70vtOuyS2vvyS9MZDoHW9vxM-TZ3FmP-vQ4oCylTwQsXLOJmZ~L03IU~s5Gah8qoMFTqg5ce0VshEtD~mSDqwaGAF8sRXWCT1PEGCYHEZiNOoy45wY52RxGZCtEUx5y7Hj2~MOBjYPeiG-Umf1Kpg9kuocxjJUYFGrGBtX-Cva0kaNbG2Mu2sf0rnc0GFFPlz5~o~mS2l0FpMPxesBPeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A joint session of the Houston City Council and the Harris County Commissioners Court on Jan. 1 reappointed the chair of Port Houston by unanimous voice vote and heard the chair outline recent port accomplishments and planned investments.

The reappointment was announced during the joint session presided over by Mayor Whitmire of Houston and Judge Hidalgo of Harris County. The chair, identified in the meeting as Rick (chairman of Port Houston), thanked elected officials for the vote of confidence and described the port’s recent performance and projects.

The chair said Port Houston’s public terminals moved more cargo in 2024 than in any prior year and that the Houston Ship Channel remains the nation’s leading waterway by tonnage and ship volumes. He said the Ship Channel’s tonnage gap over the No. 2 port was “67,000,000 tons,” and he linked cargo growth to jobs, citing figures he described: 3,400,000 jobs nationally supported by Houston’s port activity and 1,500,000 jobs in Texas (figures as reported in the meeting).

The chair highlighted Project 11, a Houston Ship Channel expansion intended to add capacity for larger vessels and improve navigational safety. He said the project is “90 percent funded” with a mix of federal funding, some state funding, port-generated cash flow and port bonds rather than general-obligation local government bonds. He also said Port Houston plans nearly $2 billion in landside public-terminal investments over the next five years, to be funded with internally generated cash and port bonds.

On environmental and community initiatives, the chair said Port Houston is pursuing carbon-neutrality goals by 2050, reported that 40% of its rubber-tire gantry (RTG) cranes were updated by 2024, and noted receipt of six grants in 2024 totaling “more than $57,000,000” for environmental improvements. He said Port Houston’s community grants program has awarded $1,650,000 since 2020 and that the port earmarked $500,000 for 2025 grants. He also said the port reached a “great place to work” designation in 2024 and touted maritime workforce programs including eight maritime high-school programs producing 86 graduates in 2024.

Speakers at the meeting, including county commissioners and city council members, offered brief remarks welcoming the reappointment and praising the port’s regional economic role. Commissioners and council members also emphasized the need for continued collaboration among the port, city, county, TxDOT, the Gulf Coast Rail District and industry to address freight movement and roadway impacts.

The session included public remarks from labor and industry representatives who praised the port’s leadership and urged ongoing attention to workforce and infrastructure needs.

The meeting closed after recognizing port and pilot commissioners in attendance and announcing completion of the joint agenda.

The chair’s remarks and the reappointment vote were recorded in the joint session transcript.","A joint meeting of the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners unanimously reappointed the chair of Port Houston and heard the chair highlight recent cargo, infrastructure and community investments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Francis Castaneda unanimously chosen chair of Pilots Commission at joint session

Port Houston chair reappointed unanimously at joint Houston–Harris County session