Board of Governors

President

James Nash has 30+ years of experience in the maritime, port, land transportation and logistics segments of the transportation industry. He holds a Bachelor Degree and Master of Maritime Administration and Logistics from Texas A&M University.

James started his career in operations and has since held various challenging commercial, sales and operations positions with container carriers, breakbulk ocean carrier, third party logistics, port authorities, terminal operator, and ship agency.

In January 2022, James joined the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA) as Director, Maritime Affairs. He is responsible for working with and on behalf of WGMA’s membership of steamship owners, operators, agents, stevedores, terminal operators, and stakeholders, as an active advocate and liaison for the maritime industry.

He is actively involved in many industry associations, committees, and boards throughout the Gulf Coast Region.

Secretary

William Wachel, a member of the club since 2014, has served on the Board as Club Secretary since 2019. Will has over 39 years of broad-based global experience in civil engineering projects. Experience includes infrastructure development for residential, commercial, and industrial sites; transportation projects including roads and bridges; commercial buildings; pipelines; and experience in waterfront/coastal projects such as marine terminals. He has designed and delivered a wide variety of project types, including water and wastewater designs, roadway, site development, utility designs, and permitting. Will has delivered projects utilizing traditional design-bid-build and design-build contracting. 

Treasurer

Stuart Smith, a member of the club since 2007, has served on the Board and as Club Treasurer since 2014. Stuart graduated in Accounting from the University of Houston Main Campus and has been involved in the marine industry as a shipyard controller for the last 30 years. He is committed to helping perpetuate the maritime workforce in the Galveston-Houston area by volunteering and mentoring college students pursuing a career in the maritime industry

Membership

Tom grew up in Tampa Florida. He attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia graduating in 1977 and South Texas College of Law graduating in 1983. Tom’s law and arbitration practice focuses on work in the fields of maritime, insurance and transportation law. He is a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, International Transportation Management Association, International Propeller Club – Port of Houston, Houston Mariners Club and the State Bar of Texas.

Tom continues to serve the community by serving on the Board of Directors for the Houston International Seafarer’s Center and serves as an Advisory Director on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Harbor. Additionally, he is a past Commodore of the Houston Yacht Club and was honored to receive its Yachtsman of the Year Award in 2018.

Board Member

Carlos Guerra is a native of Houston Texas with over 20 years of experience in the Maritime Industry. Carlos has earned multiple Bachelor's degrees in various science and engineering fields along with other certifications. He is also a member of numerous Veteran organizations donating time supporting other veterans. Currently, he is overseeing the expansion of OES Group throughout the US Marine Market.

Board Member

Mimi Cleary currently works as an Operations Manager for Kirby Inland Marine.  She graduated from the U.S Merchant Marine Academy and received an MBA from the Tulane Freeman School of Business.  Mimi began her career in container stevedoring before transitioning to terminal operations and equipment management.  She joined Kirby in 2003 serving in various roles including Designated Person Ashore and is passionate about ensuring people are positioned to succeed through education and training.

Board Member

CAPT John Stauffer is the Associate Vice Chancellor for San Jacinto College Maritime Campus where he

oversees both the credit and noncredit maritime programs. John’s responsibilities included educational

leadership and administrative management of all training and educational programs at the maritime

campus.

Prior to joining San Jacinto College John served as the President at Maritime Institute where he was the

day-to-day leader of one of the largest maritime training companies in the United States. John’s

responsibilities include educational leadership and administrative management of over 100 U.S. Coast

Guard, U.S. Navy and GWO approved courses in Norfolk, San Diego, Alameda, Honolulu, and Guam.

John served for 22 years as an Army Warrant Officer concluding his career as the Chief of the Maritime

Operations Branch in Virginia where he provided operational guidance for the training of Army maritime

professionals. During John’s 22 years of honorable service he deployed three times to the Middle East in

support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom earning numerous awards and

recognition to include the Bronze Star.

John Stauffer earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Saint Leo University and

his MBA from Liberty University. John is from Pittsburgh, PA and has been happily married to his high

school sweetheart Melissa for 30 years. John and Melissa have two adult daughters Alli and Ashley

Stauffer. John enjoys running, golfing, traveling and serving his community.

Board Member

Jack is Vice President and Claims Manager of the Houston office of Shipowners Claims Bureau, the Managers of the American Steamship Owners Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (The American Club). He began his career in Insurance with the Travelers Insurance Company in 1985 as a Claims Representative Trainee and has worked for various other insurance companies, including AIG, Reliance National, XL Specialty, and Tower Group. He was also a broker Marsh & McLennan from 200 to 2007 assisting clients in the marine and energy sectors.

Jack initially came to Houston in 1997 with Reliance National/Blackmoor Group, opening it’s Houston office. He joined Marsh & McLennan in 2000, eventually assigned to the U.S. Compliance Audit Team. He joined XL Specialty’s Houston office in 2008 before transferring to New York in 2009 as AVP - Claims Account Manager. Jack joined Shipowners Claims Bureau in December 2013 in the NY Headquarters as VP - Senior Claims Executive, and returned to Houston as Manger in 2020. Jack is a licensed in Texas as an All Lines Claims Adjustor, and also coordinates business development regionally.

Jack is married to Clare and has 5 children.

Immediate Past President

Steven holds a Marine Engineering degree from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Steven is Managing Director of PEI TECH LLC serving the global maritime, cruise, offshore and government services industries providing Aderco Advanced Fuel Treatment Solutions, GT Green Technologies Wind Propulsion Systems and Carbonex EU ETS Trading Services. His background includes USCG Unlimited Licensed Engineering Officer, US Naval Reserve Officer, and ten years working onboard LNG tankers, containerships and bulk carriers. For the past twenty years he has held executive leadership positions on the commercial side of the industry in sales, marketing and technical services. Steven is active in industry associations, including past President of the Propeller Club of Houston, CIMAC, Green Marine and Connecticut Maritime Association. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, biking, and sailing.