South Texas Transportation Conference
One day, the people actually building South Texas transportation
The Transportation Committee of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its 13th annual Transportation Conference on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Victoria College Emerging Technology Complex, themed “Bridging Innovation & Logistics.” We’ve put together a program of speakers who dig into the transportation topics that shape daily life here — ports and pipelines, autonomous vehicles, airport design, and what’s next in TxDOT’s Yoakum District.
We invite you to join us as a sponsor this year, or simply come for the networking and a great catered lunch. We appreciate the support you’ve given us over the last several years. Registration is one click away, and this year’s agenda is coming soon.
Get ticketsDecember 4, 2025 · 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Program subject to change. Breakfast and a catered lunch are included with registration.
Networking, Registration & Complimentary Breakfast
Welcome
Color Guard and Presentation of Colors by CWV Post 1269 · Dr. Jennifer Kent, President, Victoria College · Hon. AJ Louderback, Texas State Representative, District 30 · Hon. April Butler, Victoria City Council · Hon. Ben Zeller, Victoria County Judge
Federal Infrastructure Update
Congressman Michael Cloud (via video)
Pipeline to Port: Max Midstream’s Seamless Crude Transport Revolution
William Burge, Executive VP of Strategy, Max Midstream
Autonomous Vehicles in Texas
Keith Yawn, Director, Government & Strategic Communications, Texas DMV
Innovations in Airport Design
Molly Waller, CEO & David Alexander, COO, Centurion
Break
Texas A&M University–Victoria
Dr. Joann S. Olson, Interim Provost & VP of Academic Affairs · Dr. Dimitri Sobolev, Interim Dean, College of Natural & Applied Sciences
What’s Happening in TxDOT’s Yoakum District
Jeffery Vinklarek, TxDOT District Engineer
TxDOT Harbor Bridge Update
Brian Garcia, Engineering Assistant & Allison Lynn, Public Information Coordinator
Blessing & Break for Lunch
Fr. Kristopher Fuchs, St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Keynote: Sidney M. Gutierrez
American pilot and former NASA astronaut · Commander, STS-59
STTC Scholarship Awards & Partner of the Year
Scholarships presented by the Kiwanis Club of Victoria · Partner of the Year presented by Alex Meade, TxDOT Commissioner
16 speakers on the 2025 program
Tap any speaker to read the full bio.
David A. Alexander, PE
Dr. Dimitri Sobolev
Brian Garcia, EIT
Allison Lynn
Sidney McNeill “Sid” Gutierrez
Sidney M. Gutierrez is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, test pilot, and former NASA astronaut from Albuquerque, New Mexico. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Webster University, he flew over 4,500 hours in 30 aircraft types and logged 488 hours in space across two Shuttle missions, including serving as commander of STS-59. After retiring from NASA in 1994, Gutierrez held senior leadership roles at Sandia National Laboratories and later became CEO and chairman of Rocket Crafters Inc. He has received numerous honors, including NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award, and induction into the International Space Hall of Fame.
Michael Cloud
Representative Michael Cloud is a Constitutional Conservative who proudly represents the 27th Congressional District of Texas. Representative Cloud was first elected in a special election in 2018. He defends American values and Constitutional liberties. His time in office has been marked by promoting the booming economy in south Texas, maintaining a strong national defense, and combating anti-American values that work against the American people, rather than for the American people. Since he’s been in office, he has worked hard to strengthen our border, while working towards immigration policies that benefit the American people. Representative Cloud has been actively working with Veterans to ensure they receive the care they need, while simultaneously working to reform some of the issues that plague the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has been a voice for the unborn by protecting religious freedom and working to end taxpayer-funded abortions. His background as a small business owner gives him first-hand insight into the fight against bureaucracy and unnecessary regulations. As a longtime District 27 resident, he understands the needs and intricacies of the district and continuously works to serve and contribute to District 27.
William Burge
William joined Max Energy in 2021 as the Executive Vice Present of Strategy, based out of Houston. He has over +20 years’ experience working across energy resources and accounting industries in various roles across commercial, economics, corporate finance, accounting and consulting. Prior to Max Energy, William worked at Wood Makenzie (Houston, Tx) for 2 years as a Principal Consultant to Upstream, LNG and Midstream and prior to that was at Santos Ltd (Brisbane, Australia) for ~7 years, where he was most recently Senior Commercial Advisor and Economic Analyst. In this role he managed projects including the GLNG’s long term portfolio (Upstream / Midstream / LNG), Upstream gas FID assessments, commercial negotiations for midstream tolling and Gas Supply Agreements, capex project management and strategy support to Santos’s Onshore Senior Management. Also, while at Santos, he work in roles covering upstream development / corporate services transformation, performance improvement and as a Financial Controller for the GLNG Project. And prior to that he held roles at BHP (BMA Coal) and Crowe Horwath International (Corporate Finance and Advisory). William is a graduate of the Rice University Business School Advanced Management Program and holds a Masters of Applied Finance (Corporate Finance) from Kaplan Professional Australia. He also holds a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. William is a member of CAANZ, American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) and a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN).
Keith Yawn
Keith Yawn serves as the Director of Government and Strategic Communications for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). In this role he administers the department’s external communications strategy, including government relations, media relations, website and social media activities, and general communication and education campaigns. Keith began his state government service in 2001 with the Texas Comptroller’s Office, and has since served in leadership positions with the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), Texas House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Texas Legislative Budget Board, and the Texas Facilities Commission, in addition to TxDMV. Keith holds Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees from Baylor University, and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.
Molly Waller
Molly Waller brings more than two decades of strategic infrastructure planning and aviation-development experience to her role as CEO and Principal Planner of Centurion Planning & Design. Prior to founding and guiding Centurion’s growth, she launched her career by siting energy and telecom facilities, later specializing in airport planning and environmental documentation under the NEPA process. Since then, she has led planning efforts at more than 80 airports across the United States, shaping infrastructure that supports both mobility and community growth. At Centurion, Molly drives the firm’s vision that “infrastructure is more than just design—it’s about people, progress, and possibility.” Under her leadership, the firm emphasizes precision-driven, sustainable and innovative solutions that serve transportation, aviation, land-development and surveying clients. Molly’s strengths lie in environmental analysis, capital improvement programming, and stakeholder engagement—skills she’s applied to major efforts such as the terminal expansions at DFW, Santa Fe, and Monterey Airports and the ongoing improvements at Victoria Regional Airport. Molly holds a Master’s in Community & Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning from the University of Nebraska. She also serves on the Aviation Board for Angelo State University’s aviation program and remains actively involved in the aviation-planning community through her membership with various industry organizations.
David A. Alexander, PE
David Alexander brings more than two decades of civil engineering and infrastructure experience to his role as Principal Engineer at Centurion Planning & Design. A graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in civil engineering, David began his career at the Texas Department of Transportation before transitioning into consulting, where he has focused intensively on aviation and municipal transportation projects. Throughout his 18+ year consulting career, David has led planning and design work for airports, municipal roadways, and infrastructure systems—bridging the operational realities of aviation with the broader transportation-mission of communities. His experience is further anchored by service in the U.S. Army and a private pilot’s license since 1996—bringing both leadership and aviation-insight to his work. At Centurion, David is leading the charge into next-generation technology, spearheading the adoption and implementation of LiDAR scanning, advanced 3D modeling, and digital-twin methodologies that are reshaping how field data and design intelligence are captured and used. He is at the forefront of integrating AI into daily engineering and planning workflows—streamlining analysis, enhancing design accuracy, and accelerating project delivery across aviation and municipal infrastructure projects. His commitment to innovation continues to elevate Centurion’s technical capabilities while setting new standards for efficiency and precision in the industry.
Dr. Joann S. Olson
Joann Olson is an adult educator with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, trainer, and mentor. She is also an experienced speaker and facilitator, having taught adults in a variety of formal and nonformal settings, including software training workshops for corporate and manufacturing clients; one-on-one mentoring, discipleship, and leadership development; small-group facilitation; face-to-face and online classes. Olson earned a master’s degree in Religious Education from Wheaton College, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from UHV, and a Ph.D. in Adult Education from Penn State-University Park. She moved to Texas in 2012 to teach in an online graduate program at UHV. A year and a half ago, she was named Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Victoria and served in that role through the transition from UHV to A&M-Victoria. She still serves as program coordinator for the Adult and Higher Education program, as well as Chief Research Officer at A&M-Victoria. Her research interests focus on the intersection of higher education and adult learning, including workplace learning of recent college graduates and the experiences of first-generation students (of all ages) in college and following graduation.
Dr. Dimitri Sobolev
Dr. Sobolev’s interests are in the field of molecular biogeochemistry. By analyzing the genes present in various natural microbial communities of water, soil or sediments, he endeavors to make inferences about relationships between the genetic makeup of a particular microbial community and element transformations in that environment and how microbial communities might respond to certain chemical challenges. In essence, his work deals with the role of DNA in the global biogeochemical cycles, including those of such biologically important elements as nitrogen. In addition to his professional interests, Dr. Sobolev is into wildlife photography, sailing, scuba diving, world travel and endurance motorcycle riding.
Jeffery Vinklarek
The district comprises 11 counties: Austin, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Victoria, and Wharton. Jeffery oversees the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the transportation system for the eleven-county Yoakum District. Jeff began his career as a summer employee for TxDOT in 1998. He worked three summers before joining the department full time in 2002 as an engineering assistant in the Yoakum District. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University in 2001. He received his engineering license in June of 2006. He later served as the Maintenance Engineer for the district. Jeff was promoted to Director of Operations for the Yoakum District in 2013. In this role, he was responsible for leading the maintenance and traffic operations programs for the district. In 2016, Jeff was selected as the Director of Transportation Planning and Development where he oversaw project delivery for the Yoakum District. In September of 2024, he was named the Yoakum District engineer.
Brian Garcia, EIT
A Houston native, Brian graduated from Texas A&M University at College Station and has been with the Department for over three and a half years. During his time in the Corpus Christi District, he completed rotations in the Central Design Office, the Materials Lab, and the District’s Construction Office. He currently supports the District Construction Office and serves as a project engineer on the Harbor Bridge Replacement Project.
Allison Lynn
Lynn Allison joined Flatiron/Dragados, LLC in 2019 as the Public Information Coordinator for the Harbor Bridge Replacement Project. She entered the role with an extensive 17-year background in public affairs and experience in community and government relations. Lynn is dedicated to enhancing commuter and pedestrian mobility and proudly serving a third term as a Nueces County appointee on the Board of Directors for the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority. She has deep roots in South Texas and earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and business from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Additionally, she pursued an Executive MBA at the University of Texas, McCombs School of Business. Lynn takes great pride in her two adult children, both of whom graduated from the University of Texas. “I am honored to work on the Texas Department of Transportation’s Harbor Bridge Replacement Project, elevating the Coastal Bend into a recharged era of connectivity and industrial commerce, set beneath the stunning new bridge horizon.”
Alejandro “Alex” G. Meade III
Alex Meade is a member of the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees statewide activities of the Texas Department of Transportation. Meade, who lives in Mission, Texas, was first appointed commissioner by Governor Greg Abbott on March 21, 2023. On March 27, 2025, Governor Abbott reappointed Meade to a new six year term to continue serving on the Texas Transportation Commission and was confirmed by the Texas State Senate on May 7, 2025. Meade’s current term expires on Feb. 1, 2031. Meade serves as the executive vice president for Texas Regional Bank (TRB), where he manages their public policy strategy and economic development division. Meade, a Brownsville native, is a well-known and respected professional who has spent the last 20 years working at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to joining TRB, he previously served as the city manager of Pharr, where he managed a $200 million budget and almost 700 employees. He also previously served as the CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation where he led projects with significant job creation and capital investments in excess of $400 million. Meade earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Edward’s University. He earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas-Brownsville, and a master’s in public administration from the University of Texas-Pan American. He is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional and is a Certified Public Manager. Meade is an alumnus of the Texas Lyceum and a former board of regent for Texas State Technical College System, and a former member of the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.
Dr. Jennifer Kent
Dr. Jennifer Kent became the sixth president of Victoria College in 2020 after serving as Senior Vice President at Ranger College for two years. She previously worked in public education for 19 years, including 11 years as a secondary school district administrator. From her start in education as a teacher and coach in Port Lavaca, Texas, Dr. Kent has prioritized building relationships with students, employees, and community members to increase student success. She was recently selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Aspen Institute’s Presidents Fellowship. She and the other fellows will work towards advancing strategies aimed at delivering excellent student outcomes for all students. Dr. Kent remains steadfast in her commitment to empowering students to enter careers with family-sustaining wages, obtain upward economic mobility, and reach their full potential, ultimately contributing to the social and economic landscape of the Golden Crescent region.
AJ Louderback
Sheriff AJ Louderback is a fifth-generation Texan, born and raised in Matagorda County, a Distinguished Alumni of Palacios High School, and a retired five-term Sheriff of Jackson County. He is a follower of Jesus Christ, a United States military veteran serving in the Air Force, and a conservative Republican who has spent over 40 years in law enforcement serving and defending his community. He is a fierce proponent of securing our southern border, a defender of the Second Amendment and the Right to Life, and a fighter for strong schools and lower property taxes. Sheriff Louderback is currently representing House District 30, which includes DeWitt, Lavaca, Jackson, Goliad, Matagorda, and Victoria Counties in the Texas House of Representatives. He serves on the House Criminal Jurisprudence and Homeland Security Committees as well as the Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice. As a freshman, Sheriff Louderback was appointed as Chairman of the Subcommittee on New Offenses & Changed Penalties, an uncommon honor for a new member. As Chairman, he steered critical legislation to ban red flag laws, increase penalties for human trafficking and attempted homicide of peace officers, and crack down on predators using AI to sexualize children. In his first session, Sheriff Louderback passed 11 bills, the second most by a freshman member. He has 20 years of extensive experience crafting legislation, strategizing with policymakers, navigating the process, and shepherding bills into law. He is a former Vice Chair and Chair of the Legislative Division of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas.
April L. Butler
April L. Butler is the City Council representative for District 3. She is a local business owner and national franchise business consultant. She has a background in child welfare and worked within the Harris County Department of Education and the nonprofit organization Devereux Behavioral Health prior to her current role. She is an active member of the Victoria Rotary, Victoria County Republican Women, Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Program, Victoria Professional Express Network and American Business Women’s Association, and she serves on the Victoria County Child Welfare Board, HOPE of South Texas Board, Victoria Chamber of Commerce Board and Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation. She attended Texas Tech University and earned her master’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York (SUNY) in 2016. She is a past member of Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Delta Kappa, and she has earned awards for exceptional leadership, dedication to fostering a positive culture and commitment to promoting a growth mindset.
Ben Zeller
Ben Zeller is an 8th-generation Texan whose deep roots in The Lone Star state date back to Stephen F. Austin’s “Old 300” settlers. Ben graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston-Victoria with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and later earned an MBA from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He worked in the financial sector for several years at Wells Fargo Bank and Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU). While working at TDECU as a Senior Loan Officer, Ben ran for Victoria County Judge and was elected in November of 2014 as one of the youngest County Judges in Texas. Ben has been passionate about public policy since his teen years and is the President of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. He was chosen by the University of Houston – Victoria as their 2018 Young Alumnus of the Year for outstanding professional accomplishments. He was also chosen by Texas A&M University-San Antonio in 2018 as the recipient of their inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award based on professional accomplishments and reputation. He currently serves on the boards of the Texas I-69 Alliance, Victoria Economic Development Corporation, and as an ex officio member of the Citizens Medical Center Board of Managers, among others. He is also a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response and the Victoria Rotary Club. He previously served as President of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, a board member of the Texas Association of Counties, a mentor in VISD’s high schools, and as an elected member of the State Republican Executive Committee. An avid sportsman, he enjoys the outdoors and spending time on his family’s ranch. Ben and his wife Jamie, a former VISD high-school teacher, have been married since 2008. They have three young children and are active members of Parkway Church in Victoria
Made possible by South Texas businesses
Title Sponsor
Keynote Sponsor
Luncheon Sponsors
Marketing Sponsor
Scholarship Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Breakfast Sponsor
Venue & where to stay
Event location
Victoria College Emerging Technology Complex
7403 Lone Tree Rd, Victoria, TX 77905
Need a place to stay?
We blocked off rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn at a special rate for the night of December 3, 2025. Call to book and mention that you’re in town for the conference.
$105.00 + taxes · night of Dec 3Call: (361) 573-0303
View roomsQuestions about registration, sponsorship, or CEU credit? Contact the Victoria Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee.
Seats and sponsorships are open
Join South Texas transportation, port, energy, and civic leaders on December 4 for a full day of programming, a catered lunch, and the networking that actually moves projects forward.
Register or sponsor now