Hosts/Moderators
Alan Black
Alan’s path to Quiddity Engineering began with 12 years as a private consultant where he designed and managed primarily public projects. He then served the next 14 years at the Harris County Flood Control District, culminating with a Commissioners Court appointment as Interim Executive Director, where he led a team of 350+. During this time he was successful in securing more than $1.4 billion in state and federal partnership funds while directing a $5 billion bond program. He now assists Quiddity’s clients across Texas develop proactive strategies towards grant pursuits, while also advocating for policy and legislative solutions to funding obstacles.
Timothy R. Vail, Colonel Ret.
BayTran’s own Tim Vail. Tim is on the Board of Directors of BayTran where he has been influential in bringing a deep knowledge of federal infrastructure programs to our committees and our members. Tim is a consultant with HDR, where he serves as the Water Business Group Director for the Texas Coast – he joined HDR after serving for 26 years and retiring from the Army a year and half ago – where he most recently served as the Commander of our very own Galveston District Army Corps of Engineers in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Besides commanding the Galveston District, Tim also Commanded the Walla Walla District of the Corps of Engineers in the Pacific Northwest and he served as the military advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Tim is instrumental in helping BAYTRAN craft its federal policy positions for infrastructure.
Guest Speakers
Nathan Macek
Nathan Macek is Director of Infrastructure Finance at HDR. He has more than 20 years of experience applying innovative approaches to budgetary challenges faced by public agencies. He assists infrastructure owners in evaluating funding options and developing strategies to secure grants and other funding. He has developed financial models to evaluate funding, alternative project delivery and financing for projects that that have been awarded more than $12 billion in federal grants.
Brian P. Hill
Brian Hill has served as the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Director of the Western Gulf Gateway Office based in Houston, Texas, since late 2012. As MARAD’s Western Gulf Gateway Director, Brian’s area of responsibility includes all the ports, waterways, and intermodal connections and corridors in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. In this position, the Gateway Director works with Texas ports and other intermodal industries and responsible agencies to improve and strengthen the U.S. marine transportation system.
Brian is a retired Coast Guard Commander and Coast Guard attorney. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government from Florida International University (1988), a Juris Doctor (JD) Law degree from the St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami (1995), and a Master’s degree in Security Studies (Homeland Defense and Security) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. (2009).
Elizabeth (Liz) Fiocchi
Liz Fiocchi is the new Chief of Project Management and the Deputy for the District Engineer for Programs & Project Management, Mr. Byron Williams for the Galveston District. The District has robust civil works program with a diverse portfolio in Navigation, Flood & Coastal Risk Management, Environmental Restoration and an emerging Environmental Infrastructure and Justice40 program.
Most recently Liz was the Chief of Programs & Project Controls for the Galveston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a position she has held since January 2023. She has over 20 years of successful leadership, planning, policy, project, and program management delivery of Civil Works programs for the US Army Corps of Engineers in the American Southeast, Gulf Coast and Southwest in 4 USACE Districts and 2 Major Subordinate Commands (MSC). Liz has a broad range of experience, including Military and International and Interagency Services (IIS), and all other appropriations and business lines within USACE. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy & Administration with a focus in Coastal Management and Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, class of 2002.
Formerly to this position, Liz was the Chief of the Mega Projects Division for the Los District. Mega projects for USACE can be defined as construction endeavors characterized by large financial commitment, vast complexity, and/or long-lasting impact on public safety, the economy, the environment, and society. Liz led a team and program that is responsible for Mega Projects within the Los Angeles District for the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA); the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Public/Private Partnership (P3) Project; and a partnered enterprise delivery with Southwest Tulsa District (SWT) of the several Dam Safety Modification projects in southern California including the Whitter Narrows Dam; the Santa Ana River Mainstem and Prado Dam; and the Carbon Canyon Dam Safety Modification Study.
Previous to that Liz has served in various capacities within the USACE Enterprise including Chief of Programs & Project Controls from 2020 to 2021 for the Los Angeles District, USACE. She has demonstrated expertise in policy interpretation, implementation and budget formulation in several roles in the Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Division between 2010 and 2020 and was appointed as the Jacksonville District Environmental Restoration and Navigation Business Line Managers, the Financial Manager for one of the most publicly visible and complex Civil Works Construction and Mega Programs, the South Florida Everglades Restoration Program, and the Herbert Hoover Dike Dam Safety Modification Mega Project. Finally, during her time in SAJ Liz was Project Manager for 3 deep draft harbors in Florida, Port of Tampa, Port Manatee, and the Port of Canaveral as well as several Coastal Storm Risk Management projects within the geographic areas of those Ports for Brevard County, Manatee County and Pinellas County.
Prior to that between 2002 and 2010 Liz served first as Continuing Authorities Program (CAP) Manager, Investigations Manager and then Operations and Maintenance and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Program Manager for the Wilmington District, South Atlantic Division.
Uchenna Ike
Ms. Uchenna Ike is a Grants Management Specialist with FEMA and is stationed at the Denton Regional Office here in Texas. Ms. Ike joined FEMA in April of 2023 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to FEMA. Her primary responsibilities include but are not limited to keeping up with statutory requirements of the relevant grant management policies and procedures, monitoring the review and evaluation of grant applicants to ensure compliance with statutes, policies, and guidelines, to resolve any issues that may arise and approve projects for funding. Ms. Ike has over 10 years of federal government work experience in different diverse capacities. Ms. Ike started her government career with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 2010 during the economic and housing crises. She worked in both Asset Management and Litigation within the legal division for five years.
Prior to joining FEMA, Ms. Ike worked for US. Small Business Administration (SBA) in various capacity for five years, starting from case manager for disaster loan applications, team lead over Case Management staff, and Internal Quality Control Review team member. Most notable, Ms. Ike worked as fraud investigation team lead in connection with the pandemic and disaster loan applications. She led a team of attorneys and paralegals, targeting identity and other frauds in connection with the pandemic loan/grant applications. She drafted Office of Inspection General (OIG) referrals, planned, conducted, and maintained control over complex cases involving violations pertaining to SBA programs. Her duties also included fraud liaison over Shuttered Venue Grant Program in connection with the pandemic loans. Ms. Ike facilitated the process of mitigation to ensure that loan funds are properly utilized.
Ms. Ike has a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of East London, United Kingdom, and a Master of Law (LLM) from Southern Methodist University (SMU) located in Dallas, Texas.
Adam Beckom
Adam Beckom is program manager at the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), since May 2018. In his role at H-GAC, Adam manages the development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), oversees the project selection process, and leads the environmental justice/Title VI planning efforts.
Adam holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Texas A&M University in College Station and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is recognized as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, showcasing his commitment to professional excellence in the field.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Adam finds joy in various activities, including cooking, traveling, spending time with family, and indulging in the company of his two bulldogs.
Mayor Kevin Cole
Kevin Cole was sworn in as Mayor for the City of Pearland on November 17, 2020.
Prior to becoming mayor, Cole has a combined nine years of prior City Council service, having served from 1995-1998 and from 2004-2010, helping secure the 2007 bond program election, the Cowart’s Creek diversion project, and strategic policy decisions that have spurred development of the Lower Kirby district. He also served as a commissioner on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission in 1994.
In addition to his years in public service, Cole has served on various committees and boards for local economic development, including serving with the Greater 288 Partnership, the Northern Brazoria County Education Alliance, and the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. He has also volunteered his time with local nonprofits, including the Vic Coppinger Family YMCA and various private schools.
In his professional career, Cole spent 20 years developing real estate, currently serving as the principal for Cove Matrix Development. Over his career, Cole has assisted in developing and consulting on more than 6,500 residential lots resulting in $1.7B of capital investment.
Cole has been a Pearland resident for 44 years and is a graduate of Pearland High School and Texas Tech University, where he received a BA in Marketing and a minor in Public Relations. He and his wife Lisa have four children and 11 grandchildren.
Varuna Singh
In his new role as Deputy District Engineer, Varuna will assist the Houston District Engineer, Eliza Paul, with the operations of the Houston District.
Varuna has 17 years of transportation experience with the Department.
Before becoming a member of the TXDOT Family, Varuna graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2002. Varuna began his career with TXDOT at the Weatherford Area Office for the Fort Worth District designing various project types including on and off system bridge replacements, the Safety Bond Program and interstate pavement reconstruction. Varuna transitioned to alternative project delivery in 2010, serving as a Deputy Project Manager on the 13-mile $2.1 billion North Tarrant Express Concession Project. In 2012, Varuna became the Project Manager of the 30-mile, $1.4 billion I-35 East Express Lanes Design-Build Project in Dallas.
Since 2015, Varuna has served as the Houston District’s Alternative Project Delivery Director, implementing over $3 billion in design and construction projects and developing over $4 billion for procurement.
Varuna was the 2018 recipient of the Dr. L. I. Hewes Award by WASHTO, recognizing his outstanding contribution to national highway development programs.
Varuna, in his spare time, enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking and spending time with family and friends.
Tony Williams
Marine biologist with the Texas General Land Office (GLO) where his primary responsibilities include management of state-owned submerged land and coastal planning efforts. Major efforts include the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan, working with USACE on other studies and regulatory issues, and derelict structure removal and disaster response. Previous positions with the GLO include Director of Planning, Director of Coastal Resources - Field Operations and biologist in both the Upper and Lower Coast Field Offices. Before coming to the GLO he worked in USACE Galveston District Regulatory and at the National Marine Fisheries Service where he worked on seagrass ecology research.
Deborah January-Bevers
Deborah has been involved with public policy around the Greater Houston region and the State of Texas for over 35 years, serving as President & CEO of Houston Wilderness for the last 10 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985 and her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1992. She has been involved in the creation and implementation of a variety of regional environmental policy initiatives over the years, including the 4-part Quality of Life Coalition agenda in the Greater Houston Region that lead to the creation and implementation of 1) TxDOT-Houston District's Green Ribbon Program (also called Freeway Forestation) and 2) the extensive Bayou Greenway Initiative, providing miles of trails along Houston's riparian corridors. Currently at Houston Wilderness, she is lead collaborator on the 8-county Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan with 3 key goals for environmental resiliency, the 25-mile Houston Ship Channel TREES Program, and the Riverine Targeted-Use-of-Buyouts (TUBs) Program.She is co-author on Houston Wilderness’ Ecosystem Services Primer, 2nd Edition, and co-author of the Wiley-published journal paper: A Tree Planting Framework to Improve Climate, Air Pollution, Health, and Urban Heat in Vulnerable Locations. (https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10245).