As Coronavirus grips the world, Houston’s leadership is stepping up to ensure that the recovery is well taken care of. On Monday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo each named a recovery czar to co-lead the local coronavirus recovery effort, including a plan to restart the economy and prepare for a possible resurgence in cases. Mayor Turner has tapped ex-President of Shell Marvin Odum to lead the city’s recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic as the official “Relief and Recovery Czar”.
Marvin has extensive experience in disaster recovery– 2 years ago, he served as Houston’s Chief Recovery Officer after Hurricane Harvey that ravaged the city. Turner specified during his announcement that Odum received rave reviews from the teams he assembled and was credited with working successfully with regional, state, and federal partners to secure funding for housing and reform policies. “In all sectors, he received rave reviews for the team he assembled, the task force he created and the collaboration that he forged,” Turner said in regards to Odum’s leadership during Harvey.
Mayor Sylvester Turner is known for creating a great team around him of the best individuals for the task at hand- this is no exception.
“To be clear, this is about keeping people safe and getting people back to work and re-energizing our economy,” said Odum. “We have been charged with completing the plans that reflect the delicate balance between the need to return to work with the necessary vigilance required to keep people safe and healthy.”
According to the City of Houston’s press release, Odum will work directly with the county’s designated recovery czar Rep. Armando Walle to forge a cohesive strategy and a plan for Houston and Harris County.
His official bio is impressive, Odum served as Chairman/President of Shell Oil Company from 2008-16 and was a director/executive committee member of Royal Dutch Shell. In addition to working with and investing in several technology-based start-up companies, Odum is a board member of Europe-based Stena international and Stena Drilling, CEO of TerraLithium and Chairman of AAL LLC – focused on low carbon energy technologies. He is a board member of the National Urban League and MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Dean’s Council for Harvard’s JFK School of Government, advisory board for University of Texas’s Cockrell School of Engineering and co-chair of the capital campaign for the University of Houston which has exceeded its goal of raising $1 billion.
