Effective response starts with strong fundamentals. The inaugural 2026 Gulf Response Alliance event builds on decades of Gulf spill response experience while capturing the energy and skills of new responders. The GRA brings together industry, institutional, community and regulatory leaders for three days of hands-on training and coordination. This year’s focus is Back to Basics: Reinforcing the capabilities and partnerships that responders rely on.
Gain insights grounded in real-world response experience from seasoned practitioners. Sessions will focus on core principles and current practices informed by field-tested tools and methods.
Effective response relies on shared expectations, communication, and coordination. Our goal is to provide a platform for organizations to align around common approaches across the response community.
Todd Staples, President of the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA), will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural Gulf Response Alliance event, opening the General Session on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas.
His keynote will set the stage for three days of training, demonstrations, and workshops dedicated to Gulf Coast preparedness, collaboration, and environmental stewardship.
Since 2014, Staples has led TXOGA (founded in 1919), representing the companies powering the Texas and Gulf Coast energy economies. He previously served as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and spent 12 years in the Texas Legislature shaping natural resource and economic development policy.
“Todd Staples has spent his career bringing together stakeholders to address complex challenges that impact the Texas oil and gas industry, both inland and along the Gulf coast,”
“His leadership and experience make him an ideal keynote speaker as we launch the Gulf Response Alliance and bring together the organizations responsible for protecting our coastal resources, waterways, wildlife, and communities.”
Join us at the Palmer Events Center from Monday, Sept. 28 to Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026 for three action-packed days of hands-on workshops, live equipment demonstrations, ICS tabletop exercises, and key regulatory updates from federal and state response leaders.
September 28-30, 2026 – Palmer Events Center – Austin, TX
Cancellation requests received 60 days or more prior to the event start date.
Cancellation requests received 30–59 days prior to the event.
Cancellation requests received less than 30 days prior to the event. Registrations may be transferred to another individual at no cost up to 7 days before the event. Only valid for the 2026 Gulf Response Alliance event.
If the event is postponed or canceled due to circumstances beyond control (weather, government action, etc.), registration fees may be transferred to a future event or refunded at the discretion of GRA.
President and CEO,
Oceans and Wildlife Institute
Deputy Director, Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program
Executive Director,
Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office
Steering Committee Chairman, Gulf Response Alliance
Spill Control Association of America
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
