DR. HOMERO ARJIDIS
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
Dr. Homero Arjidis is a leading environmental journalist in Mexico City. He is one of Latin America's most distinguished writers, the author of 38 books of poetry and fiction. He has presided over the environmentalist organization Group of 100 (Grupo de los Cien) since founding the group in 1985. In addition to serving on HRI's Advisory Council, he is currently
Mexico's ambassador to UNESCO.

KATHERINE ARMSTRONG
AUSTIN & ARMSTRONG, TEXAS
Katherine Armstrong was appointed the first female chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission by Governor Rick Perry. She believes the Gulf is a valuable resource, not only to Texas, but as indicator of the overall ecological and economic health of the United States fisheries. Currently she is a consultant and rancher at the family ranch in South Texas.

WILLIAM BAKER
HOUSTON, TX
Bill Baker is the manager of Ecological Resources for Reliant Energy, Inc. He is also Chairman of the Texas Habitat Protection Advisory Panel for the Gulf of Mexico, Fisheries Management Council, and President of the Board of Trustees for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. He is a member of the Florida Warm Water Taskforce for Florida Manatee Protection, the Southern California Wetland Recovery Project Committee, the Board of Trustees for the Galveston Bay Foundation, the Board of Trustees for Armand Bayou Nature Center, the Board of Directors for Keep Dickinson Beautiful, and the Research Coordination Board for the Galveston Bay Estuary Program.

WILLIAM E. BRADFORD
DALLAS, TEXAS
Bill Bradford is retired from Halliburton Company, a provider of energy and energy services, where he served as Chairman of the Board from 1998 to 2000. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Bradford served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Dresser Industries, Inc., now merged with Halliburton Company. He serves on the Board of Director of Valero Energy Corporation. In addition to serving as a member of the HRI Advisory Council, he is on the Board of Trustees of Centenary College.

EUGENIO CLARIOND
MONTERREY, MEXICO
Mr. Eugenio Clariond is chairman and CEO of Grupo IMSA and serves as director for several businesses in Mexico. He is associated with several non-profit organizations including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Latin American Business Council, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Center of Studies from the Private Sector for Sustainable Development, Mexican Fund for Nature Conservancy, Bat Conservation International and Universidad Mexicana del Noreste.
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CATHERINE NIXON COOKE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Catherine Nixon Cooke spent the past three years as President and CEO of The Mountain Institute, an international non-profit organization with headquarters in Washington, DC, and 8 field offices in the Andes, the Himalayas and Appalachia. In January, 2005, she retired as the organization’s CEO but remains on its Board of Trustees and maintains close contact with its staff and worldwide operations. In addition to her position on the HRI's Advisory Council, Ms. Cooke serves as a Lifetime Trustee of the San Antonio Medical Foundation in Texas.

LUKE CORBETT
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
Luke Corbett served as chairman and chief executive officer of Kerr-McGee Corporation until 2006. Corbett serves on the boards of OGE Energy Corporation and Noble Corporation. He is on the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute and the Domestic Petroleum Council. He serves as a trustee of the American Geological Institute Foundation and is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and the National Petroleum Council.
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JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
The eldest son of the late ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel is president of Ocean Futures Society, where he continues his life's work of educating the public, especially the young people of the world, to foster a conservation ethic for our water planet. He has produced over 70 films. In 1998, Jean-Michel was presented with an Environmental Hero Award by Vice President Al Gore. Recent partnerships include working with the National Resource Defense Council and the International Foundation for Animal Welfare to protect Gray Whales and San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico.
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DR. SYLVIA EARLE
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
In addition to her role as Chair and Program Coordinator for the HRI, Marine biologist Dr. Sylvia A. Earle is an Explorer in Residence with the National Geographic Society. Named Time magazine's first "hero for the planet" in 1998, Earle has pioneered research on marine ecosystems and has led more than 50 expeditions totaling more than 6,000 hours underwater. She holds numerous diving records. Former chief scientist for the NOAA, Earle is author of more than 125 scientific and popular publications. She played a key role in a decision in early 1999 by the Clinton administration to double the budget of the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries.
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JOSEPH FITZSIMONS
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Joseph Fitzsimons is a natural resources attorney and third generation south Texas rancher. He has represented numerous royalty owners and landowners in complex oil and gas litigation and oil and gas lease negotiations and audits. Upon being appointed Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner, he has been in private practice primarily representing land and mineral owners in the areas of natural resources, oil and gas law and water law. He has served as Vice President of the Texas Wildlife Association and is Director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

JOHN FLICKER
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
John Flicker grew up on a small family dairy farm in Minnesota where he learned to love the outdoors. Starting off as a staff attorney for The Nature Conservancy he worked his way up to Chief Operating Officer during his 21-year tenure. In 1995, Flicker became president of the National Audubon Society in New York. During his time there he more than doubled the size of the organization with a strong emphasis on building conservation capacity at the state and level. He also played a leadership role in protecting the Everglades, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Mississippi River and Long Island Sound.

GUILLERMO GARCIA MONTERO
VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Guillermo García Montero worked at the Institute of Nuclear Research and at the Academy of Sciences of Cuba from 1970 to 1990. He has also been involved in several submarine scientific expeditions. Since December 1990 he has been the Director of Acuario Nacional de Cuba. He has written more than 40 reports and scientific publications mainly devoted to geochemics of marine sediments of Cuba, beach management, coastal zone management, international cooperation and capacity building. In January 2003 he was awarded with the Order “Carlos J. Finlay”, the highest national recognition in Mexico to those working in science.

TERRY D. GARCIA
HAVANNA, CUBA
Terry D. Garcia is Executive Vice President for Mission Programs for National Geographic Society. He is responsible for the Society’s core mission programs, including the Committee for Research and Exploration, the Geographic Education Outreach Program, and the $100 million Education Foundation. Prior to joining the Society in 1999, Mr. Garcia was the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator of NOAA.
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BYRON GRIFFITH
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, MISSISSIPPI
Bryon Griffith is deputy director of the EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program. He also serves on the Sea Grant Advisory Council for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and is involved in various Gulf of Mexico Project programs such as the Invasive Species Focus Team.
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DR. DAVID E. GUGGENHEIM
WASHINGTON DC
Dr. David E. Guggenheim is an independent consultant in conservation policy and science, based in Washington DC and is president of the nonprofit organization 1 Planet 1 Ocean, dedicated to building international partnerships for marine conservation. He is currently leading the first-ever comprehensive research and conservation program in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico region, a joint effort of the University of Havana and the HRI. Guggenheim has played a lead role in building the newly-formed Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership among the Gulf states and 13 federal agencies and Mexico. He has been featured on CNN International, National Geographic Today and other news programs as an authority on marine conservation.

DR. ERIC GUSTAFSON
MONTERREY, MEXICO
Dr. Eric Gustafson is the president of the United Sates-Mexico Chamber of Commerce of NE Mexico. He received his doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He has been previously involved with Ducks Unlimited of Mexico, Valores Industriales, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc, Teaching Improvement Center, Computer Science Applied to Administration Major and the Tubacero Computer Processing and Systems Departments.

C. RAY HAYES
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA
Ray Hayes is the senior financial officer of the University of Alabama System with 24,000 employees, 45,000 students and an operating budget of $2.7 billion. After working 16 years at his alma mater, Mississippi State University, he joined the Texas A&M University System in 1992 as executive vice president for finance and administration for the Corpus Christi campus. During his tenure the budget for TAMU-CC quadrupled and he oversaw an extensive capital building program that included a student center, a performing arts auditorium and the HRI facility.

ALEJANDRO JUNCO DE LA VEGA
MONTERREY, MEXICO
Alejandro Junco de la Vega has built one of the most powerful newspaper conglomerates in Latin America, with dailies in Mexico's three largest cities: Mexico City (Reforma), Guadalajara (Mural), and Monterrey (El Norte). He has also opened greater access to the electronic information industry in Mexico.

TIM KEENEY
WASHINGTON DC
Timothy Keeney is NOAA's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, and is responsible for environmental policy, strategic planning and program analysis. His major responsibilities include cross-cutting programs such as coral reefs, invasive species, habitat restoration and observation systems. Keeney earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1970 and a doctor of laws degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1976. He also completed the environmental leadership program at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

DR. BJORN KJERFVE
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Dr. Björn Kjerfve is Dean of the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M University. His research interests include oceanography, sediment processes and ecology of bays, coastal lagoons, estuaries, coastal waters, mangrove wetlands, salt marshes and coral reef systems.
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DR. KUMAR MAHADEVAN
SARASOTA, FLORIDA
Dr. Kumar Mahadevan is executive director of Mote Marine Laboratory. He is a benthic ecologist with specific research interests in the investigation of man-induced ecological disturbances. His studies have addressed a diverse array of topics, including the effects of deep-water munitions dumps in the North Atlantic abyssal plain; the effects of power generation facilities in Southwest Florida waters and sewage-induced impacts in estuarine biota.
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PAT NOONAN
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
Pat Noonan is founder and chairman of the board of The Conservation Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving America's natural and historic heritage. He is a former president of the Nature Conservancy and a founder of the American Farmland Trust. His book, Land Use in America, reviewed the history of land use in America and presented a blueprint for conserving our nation's land and water resources while meeting economic growth needs. The National Audubon Society recognized him as one of 100 conservation leaders whose lives and work shaped the growth of the American conservation movement in the 20th century.

DR. JOHN C. OGDEN
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
Dr. John C. Ogden has worked in many tropical places and has published over 80 scientific papers, contributed to several books, and produced several television films on tropical ecosystems. His years of studying coral reefs and observing their steady decline has convinced him that scientists must become activists in translating scientific information into policy. His research interests include the ecology, management and conservation of coastal marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, marine biodiversity and marine protected areas.
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RAUL RODRIGUEZ
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Raul Rodriguez is President of RMI, an international investment and trade consulting firm based in Mexico. In the past, he served as CEO of the North American Development Bank; Secretary of Economic Development for the Mexican border State of Tamaulipas; and Professor at Monterrey Tech. He is the past Chairman of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. He has participated as a speaker in more than 30 countries and has authored technical and business publications in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the U.K.  Latino Leaders magazine portrayed Mr. Rodriguez as “bicultural and bi-national, equally at home in Mexico and the United States.”

G.T. (TOM) THERIOT
HOUSTON, TEXAS
G. T. (Tom) Theriot manages Safety, Health and Environment (SHE), in ExxonMobil Production Company in Houston, Texas. During his 34 year career, Mr. Theriot has held various engineering and management assignments in Exxon's production operations in Texas, Louisiana, Alaska, and California. He has worked in the safety and environmental area since April 1996, and currently serves as the Upstream representative to the Exxon Mobil Corporation SHE Network and as management sponsor of the Corporate Biodiversity Working Group. In addition to serving on HRI's Advisory Council, he serves on the Advisory Council of the Katy Prairie Conservancy and is President of The Park People, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of green space in Houston.

DR. ALBERTO VAZQUEZ DE LA CERDA
VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Since 1970, Dr. Alberto Vázquez de la Cerda has been conducting research in physical oceanography in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. In Veracruz, Mexico, he is an advisor and researcher for the Marine Ministry and an academic at an engineering institute. From 1965 to 1979 he was in the Mexican Navy, working as a navigation officer and instructor, then as commander of an oceanographic vessel.
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DR. DON WALSH
MYRTLE POINT, OREGON
Dr. Don Walsh is president of the Oregon-based consulting company, International Maritime Incorporated, which he founded in 1976. Over the past 20 years, the company has completed consulting projects in 22 nations. Walsh has had over 200 papers and articles published and has edited five books on ocean-related subjects. Over the past 35 years, his lecturing activities have taken him to 60 nations where he has given lectures, TV and radio appearances. He has been one of the technical advisors for such films as "Gray Lady Down," "Raise the Titanic," "Hunt for Red October" and "Abyss."