Two former City Council members are among those vying for an open seat on one of the region’s most influential boards: the Port of Corpus Christi Authority Commission.
A decision on who will fill the position — vacated as longtime Port Commissioner David Engel meets his term limits — is expected to be made Dec. 16, according to a preliminary agenda of the Corpus Christi City Council posted online.
Both Michael Hunter, a former mayoral candidate and councilman, and Jim Klein, a former at-large councilman, are likely among the best known of the 18 who have thrown their hats into the ring.
The Orca Pearl, a Panamanian crude oil vessel, is taxied by tugboat under the new and old Harbor Bridges which stretch over the Port of Corpus Christi ship channel on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
High-profile applicants also include two former port commissioners, a large-scale land developer and an executive-level college administrator.
The seven-member port commission is considered among the most powerful boards in the Coastal Bend.
The panel is responsible for significant decisions guiding the future of Nueces and San Patricio counties, including leasing port properties to companies, assembling budgets and crafting policies.
The board comprises three members chosen by the Nueces County Commissioners Court, one member selected by the San Patricio County Commissioners Court and three members picked by the Corpus Christi City Council.
Commissioners serve in three-year terms, for a maximum of four terms.
It is not a paid position.
Below is a breakdown of those included in the pool of applicants the council will choose from, according to city records.
Occupations are listed as self-reported on applications.
Christine M. Belin
Realtor, Coldwell Banker Pacesetter Steel Realtors
Kenneth L. Berry
President, The Berry Company
*Former port commissioner
Janet Fonseca
Clinic and marketing director, Bay Vascular Surgery
Matthew A. Garcia
Director of community relations — Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend, Texas Oil and Gas Association
R. Bryan Gulley
Retired oral maxillofacial surgeon
*Former port commissioner
John A. Hanzalik Sr.
Owner, JH Industrial
Michael T. Hunter
Partner, Central Coast Public Affairs LLC
*Former City Council member and former mayoral candidate
Tracy Jackson
Self-employed business consultant
Lenora M. Keas
Executive vice president and chief operating officer, Del Mar College
Jim Klein
History professor, Del Mar College
*Former City Council member
Louis Klusmeyer
Senior project manager, Jacobs
Diane LaRue
Community advocate
Tracy McCall
Self-employed engineering consultant
Moses Mostaghasi
General partner and land developer, MPM Development
Robert A. Salinas
Journeyman electrician, Cache Valley Electric
Rudy Salomon
Senior engineer, Pivot Energy
Theodore Thompson
Head of sales, Connie Health
Larry L. White
Retired consulting engineer
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here’s who could represent Corpus Christi as new port commissioner