This year, Texas lawmakers have grappled with questions that will help determine the future of this state. How do we fund our schools? Do we have enough water? Can our power grid support the industries of the future? Can we ensure that every Texan can afford a home?
For the past five months, The Texas Tribune sought to shine light on those questions and demystify the legislative process for everyday Texans. Texas 2036 has promoted data-driven solutions and worked with lawmakers to focus on Texas' future.
On June 6, days after the legislative session has wrapped up, our two teams will convene to discuss what happened — and what's coming next.
• Sonal Shah, CEO of The Texas Tribune
• David Leebron, president and CEO of Texas 2036
• Guhan Venkatu, vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
• John Hryhorchuk, senior vice president, policy and advocacy, Texas 2036
• Mary Lynn Pruneda, director of education and workforce policy, Texas 2036
• Moderated by Matthew Watkins, editor-in-chief, The Texas Tribune
• Jeremy Mazur, director of infrastructure and natural resources policy, Texas 2036
• Rahul Sreenivasan, director of government performance and fiscal policy, Texas 2036
Email us at events@texastribune.org
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Saucedo-Herrera is the president and CEO of greater:SATX, a regional economic partnership charged with growing and diversifying the eight-county San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA. During her seven-year tenure at the helm of San Antonio’s economic development team, greater:SATX has secured over 23,000 jobs for the region through recruitment and expansion projects that include work with Ernst & Young, Victory Capital, Navistar and Aisin.
Kamerlander is president and CEO of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. He formerly served as director of Lockhart Economic Development, where he developed the city’s first economic development strategic plan to promote Lockhart as a destination for job creation and investment. The successful program saw the development of a LEDC-owned 75 acre-acre industrial park housing Lockhart’s most recent announcement, The Ziegenfelder Company, a frozen treat manufacturer. The project included a $46 million investment and is creating 100 new jobs.
Latson is the CEO of Opportunity Austin. Previously, he founded and served as executive director for ARMA, the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association, a business group focused on strengthening the advanced manufacturing community through advocacy, workforce development and networking. Latson is also a member of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Semiconductor Taskforce.
Packer is president and CEO of the New Braunfels Chamber, a membership organization representing more than 1,600 businesses. The chamber advocates for sound public policy, serves as the destination marketing organization for New Braunfels and manages Confluence, a public-private economic development initiative.
Cisneros is chair of the infrastructure investment firm American Triple I. He is also vice chair of the board of directors and equity owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co. LLC and principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co. LLC. He was mayor of San Antonio from 1981-89 and secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1993-97.
