Former Shell US president Marvin Odum, a Houston native, will lead the city’s recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Thursday.
Turner said he wants Odum to push local leaders out of their comfort zones, not only coordinating with public officials and leaders from the business and nonprofit sectors, but also highlighting what steps the city must take before the next storm strikes.
“I’m not looking for a report. We have a whole lot of reports,” Turner said. “What I’m asking Marvin to do is to push us forward – to be a part of the rebuilding process, to push us to do more at all levels, to push us to make this city more resilient.”
Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas expects to seek more than $50 billion in federal housing funding after Hurricane Harvey. (Sept. 14)
Odum, who led the rebuilding of Shell’s Gulf facilities after Hurricane Katrina and has worked with governments around the world, said citizens should expect him to learn from past storm recoveries, coordinate effectively with a myriad of partners, and know that “speed counts.”
“This is an urgent situation for a lot of people,” he said. “Those immediate needs won’t be forgotten.”
Odum grew up in west Houston and graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Houston. He stepped down as chairman and president of Shell Oil Co. a little more than a year ago.
This first appeared on the Houston Chronicle – an Energy Voice content partner. For more click here.