Executive Leadership Team

Kent Britton is the Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi, where he oversees $200 million in revenue and more than 300 employees. In his role as CEO, Kent leads the largest United States port in total revenue tonnage and the largest gateway for U.S. produced energy exports.

An adept relationship manager, Kent credits the success of the Port of Corpus Christi to its community of customers and world-class staff.

Prior to joining the Port of Corpus Christi in 2017, Kent worked as Chief Financial Officer for the Glencore-owned Sherwin Alumina Company. His career spans more than 30 years of progressive experience in the accounting and finance fields, including leadership and executive roles at Alcoa, the world’s leading integrated aluminum company, and Blackbaud, Inc., the premiere software provider to non-profit organizations.

A seasoned finance executive, Kent was named Chief Financial Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi in 2019. In 2023, the Port of Corpus Christi Commission voted to promote Kent to Chief Executive Officer.

Kent is an advocate for his communities and is a staunch believer in service to others. In addition to volunteering with a variety of area organizations, Kent has served as Treasurer of the London Independent School District Athletic Booster Club and separately as Treasurer and President of Padre Little League. Currently, Kent serves as a Board Member for the local United Way and is the Chairman of the American Association of Ports Audit Committee.

Kent holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Georgia Tech and is a licensed CPA. He has been happily married to Angie Britton for 24 years, and they have two college-age sons, Zach and Tanner.

Cindy Bertolami is the Chief Financial Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. In her role as CFO, Cindy is responsible for the financial integrity of the organization where she oversees the Port of Corpus Christi’s annual operating and capital budgets.

Prior to joining the Port of Corpus Christi as Director of Finance in 2019, Cindy held leadership roles in finance and accounting with DPT Laboratories, Ltd. in San Antonio, Texas and Puratos Corporation in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Her career spans more than 25 years of experience in financial leadership. She is an expert in financial transparency initiatives, which she brings to the internal processes and systems of the Port of Corpus Christi.

As Director of Finance, Cindy coordinated the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, improved efficiencies with financial accounting processes and served as project manager for timekeeping and financial software transitions. In September of 2023, Cindy was appointed to Interim CFO, expanding her responsibilities to include Real Estate, Procurement, Information Technology, Accounting and Risk Management. In 2024, Cindy was officially named Chief Financial Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi.

Under Bertolami’s leadership, the Port of Corpus Christi has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada every year.

Cindy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey.

An experienced leader in the energy sector, Omar Garcia is the Chief External Affairs Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi – currently ranked the largest U.S. port in total revenue tonnage as well as the nation’s leading energy export gateway.

In his role, Garcia liaises between Port of Corpus Christi executive leadership and the public advocacy groups, local and national elected officials, business leaders, community members and regional stakeholders. He manages all external affairs for the Port of Corpus Christi and is responsible for oversight and guidance of Government Affairs, Public Affairs, Communications, Trade Development and Community Relations. Garcia oversees more than $5 million of community giving annually and coordinates national media outreach campaigns for the Port of Corpus Christi.

Prior to joining the Port of Corpus Christi in 2018, Garcia served as the Chief Executive Officer of the South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable (STEER), where he facilitated communication, education and public advocacy surrounding the production of energy resources in South Texas.

Garcia is a former vice president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation and has more than 14 years of economic development experience, including positions with the Texas Governor’s Office, TIP Strategies, Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development, and the City of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department. Garcia’s lengthy career also includes two years with Bank of America, where he served as Vice President of Business Development for the Treasury Management division.

A native of Kingsville, Texas, Garcia is highly skilled in developing public and economic policy, having been appointed in 2010 to the Texas Economic Development Corporation by then Governor Rick Perry. In 2021, the prestigious Texas Lyceum swore in Garcia as a director. Garcia holds a degree in International Business and Spanish from St. Edwards University and is a certified economic development finance professional through the National Development Council.

Kyle Hogan joined the team as the Port of Corpus Christi’s Chief Operating Officer in August of 2024. In this role, Kyle oversees the Port of Corpus Christi’s Engineering Services, Port Operations, Safety and Port Security functions and the personnel in these functions.

Before joining the Port of Corpus Christi, Kyle was the commander of the world’s largest rotor-wing remanufacturing facility, the Corpus Christi Army Depot. In that role, Kyle directly impacted the readiness and availability of US Army Helicopters worldwide, operating $1.3b in annual work and three million square feet of industrial space. Before moving to South Texas, Kyle’s three decades of Distinguished Military Service included assignments in Kentucky, North Carolina, Korea, Bosnia, and Alabama. Most significantly, of these assignments, he spent 15 years with the world’s only Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the 160^th SOAR Airborne, the “Night Stalkers.”

Although Kyle’s talents are focused operationally, he has also served as a Small Business Administration THRIVE coach for the Coastal Bend and an executive coach for multiple senior leaders and Fortune 500 companies. In these roles, he has inspired and guided others to deliver business results through talent development and process improvement.

Kyle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Charleston and a Master of Strategic Studies from Air University. He is also certified in Lean Six Sigma and a credentialed executive coach by the International Coaching Federation.

Jeffrey Pollack is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, where he oversees all planning, environmental, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) functions as well as the Port’s Technology Advancement Program. Jeff joined the Port of Corpus Christi in mid-2018 as its inaugural Director of Planning, with responsibility for strategic planning, land-use master planning (with an emphasis on coastal resilience), transportation planning, and grant pursuits.

Prior to joining the Port, Jeff served as the Executive Director for the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Coastal Bend. Jeff specializes in growth and development issues in coastal zones and brings particular experience in multi-modal transportation and watershed planning.

Jeff holds a Master’s degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University, where he was a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow. Jeff is a certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners and is an Envision Sustainability Professional through the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

Brenda Reed is the Chief Talent Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. In her role as CTO, Brenda has been a catalyst for finding, attracting, recruiting and retaining top talent at the Port of Corpus Christi since her arrival in 2018. Equipped with over 31 years of experience in the Human Resources arena, her efforts at the Port have resulted in the creation of an exceptionally skilled workforce that has catapulted the Port of Corpus Christi to its position as the nation’s largest energy export gateway.

Prior to joining the Port of Corpus Christi, Brenda held leadership roles in all areas of human resources (HR), HR operations and risk management with the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, City of Olathe, Kansas, Miami County, Kansas and Sisters of Charity in Lenexa, Kansas.

Brenda’s expertise and broad knowledge of human resources includes talent acquisition, change management, business process improvement, performance management, total rewards and employee relations.

Brenda holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Upper Iowa University and a Master of Art in HR Management from Ottawa University. She is HRCI, PHR and SHRM-CP certified.

Yudi Takizawa serves as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for the Port of Corpus Christi, where he leads the Port’s commercial strategy, business development, customer engagement, and global market initiatives. He is responsible for advancing strategic partnerships, expanding international trade opportunities, and supporting the Port’s continued growth as the Energy Port of the Americas.

With more than 20 years of international experience in commercial strategy, market development, and business development, Yudi has built a career focused on driving growth through strategic partnerships and customer-focused solutions across the energy and maritime sectors.

Before joining the Port in 2022, Yudi held senior commercial leadership positions with Royal Vopak, including Commercial Head for the Vopak/BlackRock Joint Venture and Regional Marketing & Business Development Manager for Vopak Americas. He began his career in Brazil with Duratex (DEXCO), specializing in market intelligence and business development.

Yudi holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and MBAs in Marketing and Business Management from Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil. He also earned the Credential of Readiness from Harvard Business School Online.

Fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, Yudi is passionate about building global relationships that foster innovation, economic development, and long-term business success.