Shaun has a proven track record originating successful LNG projects across the value chain, including several FSRU projects while at Excelerate Energy and NextDecade. Those FSRU projects include: Israel, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. His LNG project development experience also includes: Cove Point, Rio Grande LNG & Rio Bravo pipeline in Brownsville, and small-scale LNG development in Texas City. Shaun has over 30 years’ experience in the energy industry focusing on pipelines, underground storage, LNG terminals and LNG shipping. He also has proven abilities in strategic planning, regulatory & permitting, project management and business development.

Jonathan Cook has served in Executive Management positions at Excelerate Energy LLC, TMS Cardiff Gas LTD, Flex LNG LTD, where he was responsible for the development and execution of Corporate, Marketing, and Business Development strategies. In addition, he has directed the implementation of sophisticated operational and technical innovations across a broad range of LNG shipping initiatives.

Jonathan is currently CEO of Navergy Infrastructure Partners LLC.

Navergy in partnership with Seapath Goup is developing a small-scale LNG terminal dedicated to providing LNG fuel for the maritime sector in the Houston, Galveston region.

As one of the founders of Excelerate Energy LLC, Jon served as COO where he was directly involved in the pioneering of LNG Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU), providing construction oversight, and directing fleet operations. He also managed the commercial negotiations for the long-term charter contracts for eight FSRUs.

Prior to his LNG activities Jon managed the Chartering and Voyage Operations teams at The Coastal Corporation, coordinating all petroleum shipping requirements for both crude supply and product marketing.

Jon has over thirty (30) years’ experience in the LNG, marine transportation, and energy sectors, and has a wide range of skills in strategic planning, contract negotiations, market analysis, resource management, and operations.

Jon graduated from Texas A& M University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation, has over eight (8) years sea going experience, and earned a USCG Unlimited Master Mariner’s license.

Jeff DeCoux is the Founder and Chairman of the Autonomy Institute and President/Chief Executive Officer – ATRIUS Industries, Inc. The Autonomy Institute is a 501c3 consortium of over 100 industry, government, and academia organizations.

Its core focus is accelerating the “Path to Commerce” for Intelligent and Autonomous Infrastructure and autonomous systems. His past positions include: Founder and CEO Hangar Technologies, Inc., eCustomers, Inc., SMART Technologies, Inc., and SMARTNAP.

Mr. DeCoux has over 30 years of experience within the high-tech industries where his attention has been focused on Founding companies that enhance business productivity through automation. During that time he has raised over $100 million for venture and business operations.

Investment in a 21st-century Intelligent & Autonomous Infrastructure is among the highest priorities for stimulating economic expansion, job growth, national security and resilience. Edge computing, 5G wireless, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and an ultra-resilient electrical grid will drive the largest infrastructure buildout in our nation’s history.

This next-generation infrastructure will enable the digital and physical, autonomous world fueling a trillion-dollar economic expansion. This infrastructure will create new highways to support more efficient mobility, automated city services, autonomous cars and trucks, autonomous shuttles, air taxis, inspection drones, and many newer intelligent city applications.

Mr. DeCoux is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ATRIUS Industries, Inc. With the unprecedented advancement in autonomous robotics, ATRIUS was founded to leverage these new innovations effect massive change across the industry. ATRIUS is working with an ecosystem of partners to develop the Highways and Byways to support more efficient mobility, automated city services, autonomous cars, and trucks, autonomous shuttles, air taxis, inspection drones, and many intelligent city applications. ATRIUS works with leading partners that focus on smart cities, autonomous systems, advanced wireless networks, radars, UTM, position-navigation-timing, and Intelligent infrastructure supporting autonomy.

Jeffrey DeCoux was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hangar Technology, Inc. Hangar had a goal of achieving a $100 billion savings by 2025 by producing dramatic impacts on productivity and driving efficiency across some of the most demanding industries. Hangar worked with the leading ENR400 companies that focus on construction, infrastructure, telecommunications, and mega projects worldwide. Hangar developed the leading autopilot software used in 195 countries, by over 100,000 operators and executed one million missions worldwide.

In his prior experience, Mr. DeCoux was President and CEO of eCustomers, Inc. a leading provider of Enterprise Customer Response software. eCustomers raised over $30 million in financing and developed a leadership Board that included visionaries Allan Loren (Executive VP at American Express); Bobby Martin (CIO, President of Walmart International); Lou Hughes (President of GM International) and Gerald Storch (Vice Chairman of Target). eCustomers was acquired in 2002.

Mr. DeCoux was a Founder and President/CEO of SMART Technologies, a leading provider of Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM) software. Mr. DeCoux led SMART through its incredible growth to hundreds of employees; the recruitment of a strong management team and board including Jimmy Treybig (founder of Tandem), Andrew Heller (IBM Fellow) and Peter Solvik (CIO at Cisco). Investors included Goldman Sachs, SAP and Austin Ventures and worked with Fortune 100 corporations as customers. Mr. DeCoux assured the acquisition of SMART Technologies by i2, which amounted to over a billion-dollar acquisition.

SMART Technologies had also created a subsidiary called SMARTNAP. SMARTNAP Corporation was the largest colocation provider of Internet services in Central Texas. SMARTNAP provided dedicated fiber connections into BBNet, AT&T, MCI, and Time Warner. In 1998, SMARTNAP was successfully acquired by Level 3 Communications.

Mr. DeCoux holds a deep knowledge of the technology industry and a lifelong passion for innovation. He enjoys working with young engineers that have a passion for new innovation or product advancement. He also has a passion for hands-on technology, embedded systems, robotics, and most of all – anything autonomous. He is active in his communities and serves as Director for his Community Association.

Brian Hill serves as the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Director of the Western Gulf Gateway Office based in Houston, Texas, since late 2011. As MARAD’s Western Gulf Gateway Director, Brian’s area of responsibility includes all the ports, waterways, and intermodal connections and corridors in Texas and Oklahoma. In this position, the Gateway Director works with local Texas and Oklahoma ports and other intermodal industries and responsible agencies, to improve and strengthen the U.S. marine transportation system. Brian retired as a Coast Guard Commander and brought a diverse maritime transportation, port security, regulatory, planning, and maritime/admiralty law background to the U.S. Department of Transportation and MARAD.

Brian’s most recent position prior to MARAD with the U.S. Coast Guard was as the Chief of the Eleventh Coast Guard District’s Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security Section from 2006 to 2011. In this position, he oversaw overall planning for the port security mission in all ports in California, including Los Angeles/Long Beach, San Diego, and San Francisco/Oakland. His duties also included ensuring waterside security protection for military outload vessels loading equipment in California ports in support of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and planning with DOD and federal partners for joint operations.

Brian is also an experienced maritime law and Coast Guard (JAG) attorney. Among other positions, he served as a Coast Guard attorney in their Seventh District Office in Miami where he worked in maritime law cases, environmental crimes, and maritime security issues. Brian also worked several years as a Maritime and Admiralty Law attorney with a large law firm in Miami. During this time, he became one of only 56 attorneys in Florida that is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a Specialist in Admiralty and Maritime Law. After a few years with the law firm representing shipping and port facility interests, he returned to active duty with the Coast Guard until his retirement.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Government from Florida International University, a law degree (J.D.) from the St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, and a master’s degree in Security Studies (Homeland Defense and Security) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

Mr. Spencer is the CEO of IMS Worldwide, Inc. (IMSW) and Bloodhound Tracking Device, Inc., (BTD), headquartered in Houston, Texas. Mr. Spencer is a nationally regarded expert on matters related to:

• Logistics and Intermodal Shipping Trends, Ports, Inland Ports and Rail-Served Logistics Centers and how they Impact Industrial Real Estate;
• Development and Utilization of Foreign-Trade Zones for Importers and Exporters; and
• Impact of E-Commerce on Logistics and Supply Chains and Industrial Real Estate

After spending 22 years searching for a tracking and security solution, in 2021 Mr. Spencer launched BTD with a pair of NASA engineers and Mr. Steve Schellenberg, another IMSW alumni. BTD is now the leading track, trace and security device for containers, trailers and chassis.

Rohith Devanathan is the co-founder and CEO of ScrubMarine, a maritime robotics company developing compact autonomous underwater systems for hull inspection and cleaning. His work focuses on reducing vessel emissions through non-fuel interventions, particularly by addressing biofouling and underwater inefficiencies that account for a significant portion of avoidable fuel burn.

With a background in robotics and venture-backed technology development, Rohith leads ScrubMarine’s product strategy and commercial direction, bridging advanced underwater robotics with real-world maritime operations.

Ambassador (ret’d) Michael Pelletier is the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Global Engagement at the University of Houston, where he leads UH’s comprehensive internationalization efforts.

Previously, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros from 2019 to 2021. Ambassador Pelletier retired as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having served as an American diplomat from 1987-2021. He was Dean of the School of Professional and Area Studies at the Foreign Service Institute, and served at eight U.S. Missions overseas and in senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of State, including as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in India and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs.

Ambassador Pelletier earned a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University, a Certificat d’Etudes Politiques from Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris, France, and a M.I.A. from Columbia University. He received thirteen senior State Department awards, including a Presidential Meritorious Service Award and the Linguist of the Year. He is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.

Ambassador Pelletier serves on the board of Amideast, a leading American nonprofit organization engaged in international education activities in the Middle East and North Africa. He is a member of the Board of Directors of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and the Public Diplomacy Council of America.

Christian Ford is recognized as a formidable advocate for companies facing government investigations and for delivering practical strategies to clients navigating the toughest regulatory challenges. With a sharp focus on high- stakes enforcement, he defends US and global companies in matters involving economic sanctions, export controls, environmental regulations, and anti-money laundering, among others. Renowned for his hands-on experience overseeing government enforcement and regulatory compliance, Christian is an invaluable ally to maritime and international trade clients navigating complex legal waters. He advises heavily regulated sectors — including chemicals, technology, energy, aerospace and defense, and financial services — on the full spectrum of regulatory compliance and national security issues.

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Christian served as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice's National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, overseeing investigations and prosecutions focused on export controls, sanctions, money laundering, and other matters affecting US national security and foreign relations. During this time, Christian worked closely with a wide range of federal law enforcement agencies and key regulatory, national security and enforcement authorities, including but not limited to the United States Coast Guard, United States Navy, Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security. This unique background and understanding of the interplay between civil, administrative and criminal investigations and enforcement — particularly involving the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and economic sanctions regulations — uniquely situates Christian to provide keen insights and counsel to his clients.

Christian later served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he advised the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy on critical national security regulatory and law enforcement matters, shaping high-level strategies and policies in these areas.

Christian is a veteran and former Navy SEAL. He maintains an active pro bono practice advocating on behalf of military veterans.

Geoff Douglass is the co-founder and CEO of Mythos AI, a leader in maritime technology. He oversees the development of high-definition depth mapping systems to optimize port operations and autonomy-aided vessel navigation systems to enhance safety and fleet scalability. Mythos AI's customers include U.S. ports, shipping companies, and defense contractors, with a notable partnership with LOMAR Shipping to scale autonomous systems across its tanker fleet.

Sabina Malnis works at the CIP Secretariat where she assists in the coordination and execution of capacity building activities, supports Port Authorities with the organization and logistics of Hemispheric Technical Conferences and develops strategic partnerships and agreements with important stakeholders in the Americas. In addition, Sabina provides assistance in the communications and out-reach initiatives of the CIP.

In 2019, Sabina began her work at the OAS as intern of the CIP Secretariat and joined full-time in 2020. Previously, she worked for the Government of The City of Buenos Aires in Argentina in the financial administration area of the Housing Institute where she acquired experience and knowledge on the coordination and budgeting of projects implemented.

Sabina holds a degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) and a Master’s degree in International Studies from the Torcuato Di Tella University (UTDT), which she concluded through an exchange program with the George Washington University in 2018 with a specialization in natural resources and conflict. She is fluent in English and Spanish and has basic knowledge of French and Portuguese.