Building a resilient region is a key priority for any major metro that wants to remain competitive. That’s why it is one of the Greater Houston Partnership’s strategic imperatives.
In Houston, resilience means making sure the critical systems that keep our region running — from power and health care to city services — are prepared for whatever comes next. These systems don’t just support daily life; they safeguard businesses, jobs and the overall strength of our economy. As part of our Houston Next: Advancing Opportunity strategy, the Partnership is bringing together leaders who own, operate, and depend on this infrastructure to ensure Houston can thrive in the face of disruption.
That focus was front and center at the Partnership’s recent forum, where leaders from Memorial Hermann, Entergy and the City of Houston shared how their organizations are advancing resilience and why cross-industry collaboration is key to Houston’s future.
Here are the key themes discussed:
Building Capacity and Reducing Dependencies
Adam Lee of Memorial Hermann emphasized that resiliency begins with building capacity across infrastructure, workforce, and cybersecurity, so Houston can operate without overreliance on external partners. Critical services like power and water are essential dependencies that must be strengthened to ensure operations continue, even during major storms when hospitals and other essential institutions cannot close. Looking ahead, leaders must invest in systems built not only for current needs but for future challenges.
Collaboration with People at the Center
Angela Blanchard of the City of Houston highlighted that Houston’s resilience has global implications, as the world depends on the Texas Medical Center, the region’s energy infrastructure, and its port. She noted that true capacity requires stronger connections between institutions, and that the Partnership plays a unique role in convening the broader business, civic, and nonprofit community to align efforts. Blanchard underscored that the human factor must remain at the center of resilience planning. Reflecting on both successes and challenges after crises, she said, enables leaders to strengthen community responses and replicate what works.
Strengthening and Modernizing Critical Systems
Sean Meredith of Entergy outlined a three-part strategy to enhance resilience of the power grid: hardening systems to better withstand increasingly frequent and severe storms, enabling self-healing technologies to reduce downtime, and improving recovery to restore service quickly. He emphasized that after each storm, Entergy assesses what can be improved, asking which risks are acceptable and which require mitigation. The ultimate goal, he said, is to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible.
Learn how the Partnership is building a more resilient Houston.