Meeting/Event Information

Pertierra previously served as a Vice President at Metro Atlanta Chamber, where he focused on supply chain and logistics, advanced manufacturing and energy/clean technology sectors.  While in Atlanta, Pertierra received the International Economic Development (IEDC) Best Practice Award for development of a logistics cluster-based strategy.

Pertierra has a solid foundation of leadership with eight years as an officer in the United States Army including special operations and airborne operations with the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 82d Airborne Division.  Following his military service, he worked for Pfizer in sales and marketing.

Pertierra has a bachelor of arts in international economics from Vanderbilt University, an MBA from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in international logistics from the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.

Lance LaCour is the President/CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council, Inc. in Katy, Texas which is a full-service, private, non-profit, economic development corporation that encompasses approximately 181 square miles in three counties and parts of three cities.  The focus of Katy Area EDC is new business attraction/creation, existing business retention/expansion, planning and development of business infrastructure and improving the quality of life and quality of place of the Katy Area. In his 23 year career, he has assisted in the creation of over 20,000 jobs and over $2.8 billion in capital investment.   He is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma, earned an M.S. in Economic Development and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Matt Buchanan currently serves as president of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), where he directs all business attraction and retention activities for the fastest growing city in the Houston MSA. Under his leadership, the PEDC has attracted over $500 million in capital investment and recruited several major employers to the community, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corp., Kelsey-Seybold, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., and Dover Energy.  Buchanan also serves as Executive Manager of Development Services for the City of Pearland, overseeing the Community Development department, including the Planning and Building Inspection divisions.

John Breeding has set the standards in creating the archetype for successful mixed use urban centers in the United States. With the vision and support of the Boards he serves, he has led efforts in planning, funding, management and governance to turn Uptown Houston, 500 acres located in the heart of Houston, into one of the most economically viable, iconic destinations in the country. Among his many accomplishments are: assisting in securing funding for and execution of a $235 million capital improvement program to improve accessibility, including infrastructure development on Post Oak Boulevard to accommodate its use as a transit corridor; negotiation and acquisition of the Water Wall Park, ensuring its preservation as a public destination for future generations; and the acquisition of federal funding of $62 million for the execution of a $192.5 million Uptown Mobility Project. Prior to joining the Uptown Houston District, he held positions as Vice-President of Operations and Planning at Rice Center, METRO Transit Authority and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Breeding has a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University.

For twenty six years Robert M. Eury has served as President of Central Houston, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation, formed to lead the planning and implementation of the redevelopment of Houston’s central city area, principally downtown. Mr. Eury is also the Executive Director of the Houston Downtown Management District, a special assessment district within downtown Houston.

Mr. Eury was Vice President and Director of Research Development for Rice Center prior to starting Central Houston in 1983. During his nine years with Rice Center, his research focused on land use/transportation joint development, urban services delivery, development regulation, and environmental design. Prior to joining Rice Center in 1974, Mr. Eury served as Director of Community Planning Studies for the Urban Studies Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky.