Texas Tribune Festival
September 19 - 21, 2014
Austin, United States
Doors open at:
About the Event
Trib Fest is a weekend of debate, discussion and dialogue featuring some of the biggest names in the world of politics and public policy — all on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. This year’s tracks include criminal justice and the courts, the environment, open government, health care, higher and public education, immigration, energy and transportation, as well as keynote addresses from today’s biggest political players. And don’t miss the parties, receptions, networking opportunities and much more!
Our Speakers
AP
Aaron Peña
Former State Representative
State of Texas
AH
Abel Herrero
State Representative; Chairman of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
State of Texas
AG
Adrian Garcia
Harris County Sheriff
Harris County
AR
Alana Rocha (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
AU
Alexa Ura (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
AN
Ali Noorani
Executive Director
National Immigration Forum
AB
Aman Batheja (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
AY
Ana Yáñez-Correa
Executive Director
Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
AS
Andrew Sansom
Executive Director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Texas State University
AO
Angela Oriano
Executive Director
Texas Success Center
AG
Antonio Garza
Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
U.S. Department of State
BS
Barry Smitherman
Texas Railroad Commissioner
State of Texas
BP
Ben Philpott (mod.)
Senior Reporter
KUT News
BO
Beto O'Rourke
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
BA
Bill Allison
Editorial Director
The Sunlight Foundation
BF
Bill Flores
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
BH
Bill Hammond
President and CEO
Texas Association of Business
BK
Bill Keller (mod.)
Editor-in-Chief
The Marshall Project
BM
Bill Meadows
Chairman
Commission for High-Speed Rail in the Dallas/Fort Worth Region
BP
Bill Powers
President
The University of Texas at Austin
BF
Blair Fitzsimons
CEO
Texas Agricultural Land Trust
BF
Blake Farenthold
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
BD
Bob Deuell
State Senator; Vice Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee
State of Texas
BM
Brandy Marty
Texas Public Utility Commissioner
State of Texas
BG
Brett Giroir
CEO
Texas A&M University Health Science Center
BM
Brian McCall
Chancellor
Texas State University System
BS
Brian Sweany (mod.)
Editor-in-Chief
Texas Monthly
BW
Brian Woods
Superintendent
Northside Independent School District
BS
Bryan Shaw
Chairman
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
CW
C.J. Wax
Mayor of Rockport
City of Rockport
CR
Carlos Rubinstein
Chairman
Texas Water Development Board
CU
Carlos Uresti
State Senator; Vice Chairman of the Redistricting, Administration, and the Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security committees
State of Texas
CA
Carol Alvarado
State Representative; Co-chairwoman of the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations
State of Texas
CO
Charles Ornstein (mod.)
Senior Reporter
ProPublica
CS
Charles Schwertner
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee
State of Texas
CG
Charlie Geren
State Representative; Chairman of the House Administration Committee
State of Texas
CU
Chase Untermeyer
Former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar; Texas Ethics Commissioner
U.S. Department of State; State of Texas
CH
Chris Hayes
Host
All In with Chris Hayes
CW
Chris Watts
Mayor of Denton
City of Denton
CC
Christi Craddick
Chairwoman
Texas Railroad Commission
CJ
Clay Jenkins
Dallas County Judge
Dallas County
CJ
Clay Johnston
Dean
Dell Medical School
CM
Corrie MacLaggan (mod.)
News Editor
The Texas Tribune
DB
Dan Balz (mod.)
Chief Correspondent
The Washington Post
DB
Dan Branch
State Representative; Chairman of the House Higher Education Committee
State of Texas
DH
Dan Huberty
State Representative
State of Texas
DJ
Dan Jones
President and CEO
Texas A&M University-Commerce
DK
Daniel King
Superintendent
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District
DM
Daniel McNeel Lane Jr.
Partner
Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer & Feld
DP
Daniel Podolsky
President
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
DS
Daniel Sharphorn
Vice Chancellor and General Counsel
The University of Texas System
DL
Dave Levinthal (mod.)
Senior Political Reporter
Center for Public Integrity
DA
David Anthony
CEO
Raise Your Hand Texas
DB
David Brown (mod.)
Host and Managing Editor
Texas Standard
DD
David Dewhurst
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
State of Texas
DK
David Keating
President
Center for Competitive Politics
DL
David Lakey
Commissioner
Texas Department of State Health Services
DR
David Rivkin
Partner
Baker Hostetler
DS
David Simpson
State Representative
State of Texas
DW
David Weigel
Political Reporter
Slate
DD
David R. Dow
Founder of the Texas Innocence Network; Professor at the University of Houston Law Center
Texas Innocence Network; University of Houston
DD
Dawnna Dukes
State Representative; Vice Chairwoman of the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee
State of Texas
DD
Deirdre Delisi
Former Chairwoman
Texas Transportation Commission
DN
Dennis E. Nixon
President and CEO
International Bank of Commerce
DN
Diana Natalicio
President
University of Texas at El Paso
DO
Diarmuid O'Connell
Vice President of Business Development
Tesla
DW
Don Willett
Texas Supreme Court Justice
State of Texas
DH
Donna Howard
State Representative; Vice Chairwoman of the House Administration Committee
State of Texas
DB
Doyle N. Beneby
President and CEO
CPS Energy
EA
Ed Archuleta
Former President and CEO
El Paso Water Utilities
EI
Ed Ireland
Executive Director
Barnett Shale Energy Education Council
ER
Emily Ramshaw (mod.)
Editor
The Texas Tribune
EG
Erica Grieder (mod.)
Senior Editor
Texas Monthly
EB
Erika Beltran
Democratic Nominee for State Board of Education
State of Texas
ED
Eva DeLuna Castro
Senior Budget Analyst
Center for Public Policy Priorities
EG
Eva Guzman
Texas Supreme Court Justice
State of Texas
GP
Gaby Pacheco
Program Director
The Dream.US
GC
Garnet Coleman
State Representative; Chairman of the House County Affairs Committee
State of Texas
GM
Garry Mauro
Former Land Commissioner
State of Texas
GG
Gene Green
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
GA
George Antuna
Co-founder
Hispanic Republicans of Texas
GR
George Rodriguez
South Texas Coordinator
National Tea Party Patriots
GC
Giovanni Capriglione
State Representative
State of Texas
GH
Glenn Hegar
State Senator; Republican Nominee for State Comptroller
State of Texas
GW
Gregory Williams
President
Odessa College
HC
H.D. Chambers
Superintendent
Alief Independent School District
HS
Hadassah Schloss
Open Records Coordinator
Texas General Land Office
HN
Heather Nevitt (mod.)
Editor-in-Chief
Texas Lawyer
HY
Helen Young
Deputy Commissioner of Coastal Resources
General Land Office
HC
Henry Cuellar
U.S. Representative; Vice Chairman of the House Steering and Policy Committee
U.S. Congress
HA
Hope Andrade
Texas Workforce Commissioner
State of Texas
IT
Ivy Taylor
Mayor of San Antonio
City of San Antonio
JH
James Henson (mod.)
Director
Texas Politics Project
JM
James Marston
Environmental Defense Fund Vice President
U.S. Climate and Energy
JW
James White
State Representative; Vice Chairman of the House Corrections Committee
State of Texas
JM
Jamie Merisotis
President and CEO
Lumina Foundation
JV
Jason Villalba
State Representative
State of Texas
JT
Javier Treviño
Member of the lower chamber (Camara de Diputados) of Mexico's Congress
Mexican Congress
JB
Jeff Brown
Texas Supreme Court Justice
State of Texas
JL
Jeff Leach
State Representative
State of Texas
JV
Jennifer Vanos
Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Science
Texas Tech University
JM
Jerry Morales
Mayor of Midland
City of Midland
JP
Jerry Patterson
Texas Land Commissioner
State of Texas
JC
Jim Clancy
Chairman
Texas Ethics Commission
JK
Jim Keffer
State Representative; Chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee
State of Texas
JM
Jim Malewitz (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
JP
Jim Pitts
State Representative; Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
State of Texas
JS
Jim Sartwelle
Director of Public Policy
Texas Farm Bureau
JW
Jim Willett
Director
Texas Prison Museum
JH
Joan Huffman
State Senator; Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee
State of Texas
JC
Joaquin Castro
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
JB
Joe Barton
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
JD
Joe Deshotel
State Representative; Chairman of the House Land and Resource Management Committee
State of Texas
JL
Joe Larsen
First Amendment Lawyer for Sedgwick LLP; Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Board Member
Sedgwick LLP
JP
Joe Pickett
State Rep.; Chairman of the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee & the Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures and Financing
State of Texas
JW
Joe Weber
Executive Director
Texas Department of Transportation
JB
John Barton
Deputy Executive Director
Texas Department of Transportation
JR
John Reynolds (mod.)
Newsletters Editor
The Texas Tribune
JS
John Sharp
Chancellor
Texas A&M University System
JM
Jonathan Martin
National Political Correspondent
The New York Times
JS
Jonathan Saenz
President
Texas Values
JS
Jonathan Stickland
State Representative
State of Texas
JB
Jorge Baldor
President
ResidentCheck
JP
Jorge Piñon (mod.)
Interim Director
Center for International Energy and Environment Policy
JR
José Rodríguez
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus
State of Texas
JC
Juan Cabrera
Superintendent
El Paso Independent School District
JH
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee
State of Texas
JA
Julián Aguilar (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
JL
Julie Linn
Executive Director
Texans for Education Reform
JG
Juliet García
President
The University of Texas at Brownsville
JK
Justin Kintz
Head of North America Public Policy
Uber
KK
Kathryn Kase
Executive Director
Texas Defender Service
KM
Kay McClenney
Founding Director
Center for Community College Student Engagement
KS
Kel Seliger
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee
State of Texas
KB
Kelly Brown
Editor
The Bryan-College Station Eagle
KH
Kelly Hancock
State Senator; Vice Chairman, Senate Economic Development Committee
State of Texas
KA
Kip Averitt
Former State Senator
State of Texas
KW
Kirk Watson
State Senator; Vice Chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee
State of Texas
KJ
Kyle Janek
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner
State of Texas
LP
Larry Phillips
State Representative; Chairman of the House Transportation Committee
State of Texas
LT
Larry Taylor
State Senator; Co-chairman of the Joint Interim Committee to Study a Coastal Barrier System
State of Texas
LH
Laura Huffman
North American Urban Strategies Lead and Texas State Director
The Nature Conservancy
LM
Laura Miller
Director of Texas Projects
Summit Power Group
LJ
Lee Jones
Director of Sales
B-cycle
LL
Lee Leffingwell
Mayor of Austin
City of Austin
LG
Lizzette González Reynolds
Chief Deputy Commissioner
Texas Education Agency
LF
Luis Farías
Senior Vice President of Energy and Sustainability
CEMEX
LM
Luke Metzger
Director
Environment Texas
LV
Lynda Villanueva
Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
Brazosport College
MH
Maggie Haberman
Senior Political Reporter
Politico
MB
Malachi Boyuls
Founding Partner
St. Augustine Capital Partners
MF
Manny Fernandez (mod.)
Houston Bureau Chief
The New York Times
MV
Marc Veasey
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
MW
Marc Williams
Director of Planning
Texas Department of Transportation
MM
Mark McKinnon
Texas Co-Chairman
Freedom to Marry
MG
Mary González
State Representative
State of Texas
MK
Matt Krause
State Representative
State of Texas
MP
Matt Powell
Lubbock County District Attorney
Lubbock County
MB
Michael Burgess
U.S. Representative; Vice Chairman of the Health and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittees
U.S. Congress
MM
Michael Morris
Director of Transportation
North Central Texas Council of Governments
MM
Michael Morton
Author; Exoneree
N/A
MW
Michael Webber
Deputy Director of the Energy Institute and Co-director of the Clean Energy Incubator
University of Texas at Austin
MW
Michael Williams
Texas Education Commissioner
State of Texas
MC
Mike Collier
Democratic Nominee for State Comptroller
State of Texas
MH
Mike Heiligenstein
Executive Director
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
MM
Mike Miles
Superintendent
Dallas Independent School District
MV
Mike Villareal
State Representative; Chairman of the House Investments and Financial Services Committee
State of Texas
MW
Molly White
2014 Republican Candidate for Texas House District 55
State of Texas
MS
Morgan Smith (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
MC
Myra Crownover
State Representative; Vice Chairwoman of the House Energy Resources Committee
State of Texas
NH
Nathan Hecht
Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
State of Texas
NS
Neena Satija (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
NM
Nelda Martinez
Mayor of Corpus Christi
City of Corpus Christi
NH
Nia-Malika Henderson
National Political Reporter
The Washington Post
PC
Paul Cruz
Interim Superintendent
Austin Independent School District
PG
Paul Green
Texas Supreme Court Justice
State of Texas
PG
Pete Gallego
U.S. Representative
U.S. Congress
RP
Raymund A. Paredes
Texas Higher Education Commissioner
State of Texas
RH
Reeve Hamilton (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
RK
Renu Khator
Chancellor of the University of Houston System; President of the University of Houston
University of Houston
RR
Richard Rhodes
President and CEO
Austin Community College
RC
Rick Casey (mod.)
Host
KLRN’s Texas Week with Rick Casey
RP
Rick Perry
Texas Governor
State of Texas
RD
Robert Duncan
Chancellor
Texas Tech University System
RE
Robert Eckels
President
Texas Central Railway
RN
Robert Nichols
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee
State of Texas
RE
Rodney Ellis
State Senator; Chairman of the Senate Open Government Committee
State of Texas
RW
Roger Williams
U.S. Representative
House of Representatives
RG
Russell Gold (mod.)
Senior Energy Reporter
The Wall Street Journal
RS
Ryan Sitton
Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner
State of Texas
SH
Sam Houston
Democratic Candidate for Attorney General
State of Texas
SD
Sarah Davis
State Representative
State of Texas
SR
Shirley Reed
President
South Texas College
SM
Sid Miller
Former State Representative; 2014 Republican Candidate for Agriculture Commissioner
State of Texas
SH
Stephanie Bond Huie
Vice Chancellor
Office of Strategic Initiatives for the University of Texas System
SB
Steve Brown
Democratic Nominee for Railroad Commissioner
State of Texas
SM
Steve McCraw
Director
Texas Department of Public Safety
SW
Steve Wolens
Former State Representative
State of Texas
SM
Sue McMillin
President and CEO
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation
SK
Susan King
State Representative
State of Texas
TC
Ted Cruz
U.S. Senator
U.S. Congress
TM
Tedd Mitchell
President
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
TL
Terri Langford (mod.)
Reporter
The Texas Tribune
TD
Tiffany Dowell
Assistant Professor
Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension
TS
Todd Staples
Texas Agriculture Commissioner
State of Texas
TL
Tom Luce
President and CEO
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
TW
Tommy Williams
Vice Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System; Former State Senator
Texas A&M University System
TS
Tony Solomon
Director
Veterans Behavioral Health Initiative for Mental Health America of Greater Houston
TK
Tracy King
State Representative; Chairman of the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee
State of Texas
TC
Tricia Cortez
Executive Director
Rio Grande International Study Center
VE
Veronica Escobar
El Paso County Judge
City of El Paso
VS
Victor Sáenz
Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration
The University of Texas at Austin
VR
Vikrant Reddy
Senior Policy Analyst
Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice
WW
W. David Watts
President
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
WB
Wanda Bamberg
Superintendent
Aldine Independent School District
WD
Wendy Davis
State Senator; 2014 Democratic Candidate for Governor
State of Texas
WD
Wilhelmina Delco
Texas Ethics Commissioner
State of Texas
WS
William Serrata
President
El Paso Community College
WH
Woody Hunt
Chairman
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Higher Education Strategic Planning Committee
WR
Wynn Rosser
President and CEO
Greater Texas Foundation