Speakers

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  Craig B. Thompson PE Vice President and Civil Sitework Discipline Manager | Hanson Professional Services, Inc.
  

  Craig B. Thompson PE

  Vice President and Civil Sitework Discipline Manager | Hanson Professional Services, Inc.

  Craig was born and raised in Corpus Christi, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University, and is married with 2 boys in college.

  Craig started his career with PSI as a Geotech engineer and, in 1999, joined Naismith Engineering, Inc. in Corpus Christi. Hanson acquired NEI in 2016 and has been part of the Hanson team ever since.

  His professional experience is in general civil engineering, including projects for both private and public clients in site improvements, land development, water and wastewater, stormwater and roadway improvements. He is currently the Civil Sitework Discipline Manager and a Vice President for Hanson.

  Craig has been active in ASCE since becoming the Newsletter Editor for the Corpus Christi Branch in 1999. In the following years he progressed through the Branch leadership positions to be President of the Corpus Christi Branch from 2003-2004. He was elected to serve as VP–Education in 2008-2009, and then elected as President of the Texas Section from 2016-2017. He has continued to serve on several committees at the Section level since rolling off the board as Past President.

  Along with being involved with several non-profit and philanthropic organizations, he has served on several City and County committees and currently serves on the City of Corpus Christi’s Island Strategic Action Committee.

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  Omar Garcia Chief External Affairs Officer | Port of Corpus Christi
  

  Omar Garcia

  Chief External Affairs Officer | Port of Corpus Christi

  An experienced leader in the energy sector, Omar Garcia is the Chief External Affairs Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi – currently ranked the third largest export port for crude oil in the world as well as the leading North American export gateway for crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
  In his role, Garcia liaises between Port of Corpus Christi executive leadership and the public advocacy groups, local and national elected officials, business leaders, community members and regional stakeholders. He manages all external affairs for the Port, including International Business Development, Foreign Trade Zone #122, Government Affairs, Public Affairs, Communications, Community Relations and the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. Garcia oversees more than $5 million of community giving annually and coordinates national media outreach campaigns for the Port of Corpus Christi.
  Prior to joining the Port of Corpus Christi in 2018, Garcia served as the Chief Executive Officer of the South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable (STEER), where he facilitated communication, education and public advocacy surrounding the production of energy resources in South Texas.
  Garcia is a former vice president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation and has more than 15 years of economic development experience, including positions with the Texas Governor’s Office, TIP Strategies, Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development, and the City of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department. Garcia’s lengthy career also includes two years with Bank of America, where he served as Vice President of Business Development for the Treasury Management division.
  A native of Kingsville, Texas, Garcia is highly skilled in developing public and economic policy, having been appointed in 2010 to the Texas Economic Development Corporation by then Governor Rick Perry. In 2021, the prestigious Texas Lyceum swore in Garcia as a director. Garcia holds a degree in International Business and Spanish from St. Edwards University and is a certified economic development finance professional through the National Development Council.