Governor Abbott Names Chair, Reappoints Five To Gulf Coast Protection District Board Of Directors

TEXAS, January 28 - January 28, 2026 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott reappointed and named Roger Guenther as chair of the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD)  Board of Directors and reappointed Sally Bakko, Michel Bechtel, Sharon Hulgan, and Lori Traweek to the GCPD Board of Directors for terms set to expire on June 16, 2029. The GCPD was created to oversee the implementation of an integrated and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast.

Roger Guenther of Galveston recently retired as executive director of the Port of Houston Authority, after serving in various positions for more than 35 years. He has served as a board member for the Texas Department of Transportation Freight Advisory Committee, National Association of Waterfront Employers, Greater Houston Port Bureau, and the Texas A&M University (TAMU) at Galveston Board of Visitors. Guenther received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from TAMU and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Sally Bakko of League City is the director of policy and government relations for the City of Galveston. She also serves as a non-voting liaison member to the Texas Water Development Board San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group. She previously served as a senior policy analyst for the Harris County Commissioner’s Court Analyst’s Office, legislative coordinator for the City of Galveston Attorney’s Office, director of intergovernmental relations for Arlington County, Virginia, and federal funds analyst for the Texas Legislative Budget Board. Bakko received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Mount Vernon College at George Washington University and a Master of Business Administration and Public Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Michel Bechtel of Morgan’s Point is president of Bechtel Exploration and Blue Moon Exploration. He retired as the Mayor of the City of Morgan’s Point after five terms. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the New Orleans Geological Society. Bechtel serves on the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County Ports and is a port commissioner for the Port of Houston. He is also a board member of the Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance, the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and he is the past president of the Harris County Mayors and Council Association. Bechtel received a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Geophysics from Louisiana State University (LSU) in New Orleans and a Master of Science in Petroleum Geology from the University of New Orleans.

Sharon Hulgan of Friendswood is the lead site manufacturing director for Dow Houston Hub Operations. She is a board member and treasurer of the East Harris County Manufacturers Association. Additionally, she is a former board member of the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce and the LSU Chemical Engineering Industrial Advisory Committee. Hulgan received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from LSU.

Lori Traweek of Seabrook is retired as the CEO and general manager of the Gulf Coast Authority, having served over 27 years. She is a board member of Texas Water Trade, member of the Texas Water Conservation Association, member and past chair of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, and a stakeholder council member of the San Jacinto Galveston Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee. She is a former board member of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region and former member of the Water Environment Association of Texas and the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. Additionally, she is president of the Texas Conservation Fund’s Trash Bash™. Traweek received a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic and Fisheries Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Previously known as University of Southwestern Louisiana).