New Chief Financial Officer

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC)announced the selection of Shawn Hufstedler, CPA, CGFM, as the organization's new chief financial officer, effective November 2. Hufstedler brings more than 30 years of experience in governmental and nonprofit finance, regional government, grant management, and organizational leadership. He joins H-GAC from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), where he served as chief operating officer. In that role, he oversaw finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, administrative operations, contracts, risk management, and related internal functions.

"We are thrilled to welcome Shawn to the H-GAC team," said Ron Papsdorf, H-GAC executive director. "His deep understanding for regional planning, finance, and organizational leadership makes him exceptionally well suited to support H-GAC's mission. He brings a strong track record of building sound financial systems and driving operational improvements. We are confident he will be a tremendous asset to our organization and the communities we serve."

During his more than 17 years at MORPC, Hufstedler advanced from finance director to chief of staff, and ultimately chief operating officer. Under his leadership, MORPC's budget more than tripled. He helped strengthen the organization's financial systems, administrative infrastructure, internal controls, and operational capacity.

"I'm incredibly excited to join H-GAC and become part of an organization that is so well respected both in Texas and nationally," Hufstedler said. "It's a tremendous opportunity to serve the region, support the organization's mission, and contribute to the important work H-GAC is doing for communities across the Texas Gulf Coast."

Before joining MORPC, Hufstedler began his career as a certified public accountant with KPMG. Over more than six years, his work focused on state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, supporting financial statement audits, internal controls, federal award audits, and presentations to audit committees and boards. Hufstedler earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with dual majors in Accounting and Finance from The Ohio State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). He is a past president of the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association, where he has also served in multiple board and committee leadership roles.