
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

