Governor Abbott Names Chair, Appoints Eight To Aerospace And Aviation Advisory Committee
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Sonja Clark and Summer Webb to the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee for terms set to expire on September 1, 2025. Additionally, the Governor has appointed Kevin Cox and Robin Donnelly and reappointed John D. Guevara, Arturo Machuca, George S. Moussa, and John Mulholland for terms set to expire on September 1, 2027. The Governor also named Shelly deZevallos, Ed.D. as chair for a term set to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The committee assists in the state’s economic development efforts to recruit and retain aerospace and aviation jobs and investments in Texas.
Sonja Clark of Amarillo is the site leader of Bell Textron’s Military and Commercial Aircraft Assembly and Delivery Center in Amarillo. Previously, she had a career in health care as a registered nurse and administrator. Her shift to the aerospace sector occurred in 2006, since then, she has held multiple leadership roles in Environmental, Health & Safety, Human Resources, and Integrated Operations. She is a board member of the Amarillo Area Foundation, West Texas A&M Foundation, Texas Association of Community Colleges, Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, High Plains Food Bank, and the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health. Additionally, she is a former board member and former president of the Panhandle Texas Nurses Association and former board chair of the Northwest Texas Healthcare System. Clark received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from West Texas A&M University.
Summer Webb of Valentine is a senior project manager and director of Texas Government Relations for Blue Origin and is the Mayor of Valentine. She is the representative for rural communities on the Rio Grande Council of Governments, club manager for Valentine 4-H, and member of the Valentine Parent Teacher Association and the West of the Pecos Texas Cattlewomen. Additionally, she is the former secretary for Van Horn Adult Leaders and a former coach for the Van Horn Little Dribblers. Webb received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from The University of Texas (UT) at El Paso.
Kevin Cox of Southlake is CEO of Ferrovial Vertiports. He is a former member of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Commission, State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association Forum on Air and Space Law, Young President’s Organization – Lone Star Chapter, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, and The Texas Lyceum. Additionally, he is former president of the Southlake Baseball Association and former member of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas Committees on Foreign Relations, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Business Council for the Arts, and the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Corporate Counsel. Cox received a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Oklahoma State University (OSU) and a Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law.
Robin Donnelly of Midland is president of The Eastland Oil Company. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen and the Independent Petroleum Association of America and president and a director of the Midland Army Airfield Foundation. He is former president of the Natural Gas Producers Association, Midland Rotary, and the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center Advisory Board in Odessa and former board member for the Texas Conference of Urban Counties and the Permian Basin Petroleum Landmen’s Association. Additionally, he is former chairman of the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization, City of Midland Airport Advisory Board, Permian Basin Workforce Development Board, and Midland Odessa Transportation Alliance. Donnelly received a Bachelor of Arts from UT Austin.
John D. Guevara of Harlingen serves as of counsel to the Linebarger law firm. He is a director of Texas Regional Bank and member of the State Bar of Texas and the Cameron County Bar Association. Additionally, he is a board member of the Rio Grande Council Boys Scouts of America and an administrative committee member for the Wesley Methodist Church of Harlingen. He has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee since 2021. Guevara received a Bachelor of Business Administration from UT Brownsville and a Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Arturo Machuca of Friendswood is the director of Ellington Airport and Houston Spaceport for the Houston Airport System. He is a member of the Global Spaceport Alliance, Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and Houston Spaceport Development Corporation. Machuca received a Bachelor of Business in Hotels and Tourism Administration from Universidad Regiomontana in Monterrey, Mexico.
George S. Moussa of Dallas is president and CEO of Ambella Home Collection, a manufacturer of medium high end home furnishings, and president and CEO of Ambassador Jet Center, a full-service fixed-based operator located at Dallas Executive Airport. He is a board member of Angel Flight South Central and served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee since 2020. Moussa received a Bachelor of Business Administration from SMU.
John Mulholland of Missouri City is vice president and program manager of the International Space Station for Boeing. Prior to working for Boeing, he was an engineer and manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He is a member of the board of directors and executive committee for the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and a member of the Space Center Houston Board of Directors and the NASA’s Johnson Space Center Joint Leadership Team. He has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee since 2021. Mulholland received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University.
Shelly deZevallos, Ed.D. of Houston is the president of West Houston Airport and a licensed pilot. She is a member of the National Business Aviation Association Board of Directors and the Experimental Aircraft Association, board member for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, and volunteer for The Ninety-Nines. She has served as a federal appointee to the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee and as a gubernatorial appointee on the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee since 2021. deZevallos received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UT Austin, Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University, and a Doctor of Education in Aviation and Space from OSU.