Texas Tribune Festival 2019: Full Schedule

The Texas Tribune Festival is one of the nation’s largest, most buzzworthy political gatherings. Our three-day festival brings Texans together to address the politics and policy that affect our communities, our schools, our work and our daily lives. We hope you will join us.

TBA

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Wednesday September 25, 2019 TBA

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Speakers

Christopher Collins

Rural Reporter for The Texas Observer

Collins is an investigative journalist based in Abilene, Texas, and writes about rural Texas for The Texas Observer. Previously, he worked as a reporter at the Abilene Reporter-News and the Wichita Falls Times Record News. Collins’ work has appeared in USA Today, Civil Eats and... Read More →

Nicole Conley

Chief Business and Operations Officer for the Austin Independent School District

Conley serves as chief business and operations officer, where she is responsible for the district's budget and capital program. In 2018, she was appointed to the Texas Commission on Public School Finance by then-Speaker Joe Straus. Prior to joining AISD, Conley worked for several... Read More →

Laura Ryan

Texas Transportation Commissioner

Ryan was first appointed to the Texas Transportation Commission by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016 and was confirmed for a full six-year term in 2017. She has 25 years of experience in the automotive industry, worked at Gulf States Toyota Inc. and served as chair of the board of the Texas... Read More →

Wednesday September 25, 2019 TBA
Virtual

Live

ACCESS Free Program

TBA

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Speakers

Mary González

State Representative

González, D-Clint, has represented House District 75 since 2013. She serves as vice chair of the House Local & Consent Calendars Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Public Education committees. She is currently chair of the newly formed House LGBTQ Caucus. González is also... Read More →

Gina Ortiz Jones

Democratic Candidate for Texas' 23rd Congressional District

Ortiz Jones is a Democratic candidate in the 2020 race for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. Ortiz Jones also ran for the seat in 2018. Previously, she was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force and served in Iraq. She also served... Read More →

Jonathan Martin

National Political Correspondent for The New York Times

Martin is a national political correspondent for The New York Times and appears frequently on television and radio as a political analyst and commentator. He began covering politics for National Journal’s political publication, The Hotline, and then reported on party politics and... Read More →

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Smith is the CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune. Previously, he spent nearly 18 years at Texas Monthly, including eight years as editor and a year as president and editor-in-chief. Smith also hosts “Overheard with Evan Smith,” airing on PBS stations nationally.

Wednesday September 25, 2019 TBA
Virtual

Live

ACCESS Ticket Holder Only
SUBJECT TAGS Economy

6:30pm CDT

Franklin Barbecue Feast – SOLD OUT!

Skip the line and join us for this special pre-Texas Tribune Festival kick-off event at the legendary Franklin Barbecue with world-class fare, cold beer and conversation. Nate Silver, founder and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, joins Tribune co-founder and CEO Evan Smith in conversation about the state of politics and polling heading into the 2020 election cycle.

Presented by Lyft

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Nate Silver

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of FiveThirtyEight

Silver founded the data-focused news site FiveThirtyEight in 2008, and the site garnered national attention after successfully predicting the outcomes in 49 of the 50 states in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Previously, he worked in sports journalism and in 2019 was named... Read More →

Wednesday September 25, 2019 6:30pm - 8:30pm CDT
Franklin Barbecue

Special Event

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Media

7:30am CDT

Members-Only "How to #TribFest19" Breakfast

Join Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith and special guest Matt K. Lewis, senior columnist for The Daily Beast and commentator for CNN, for a Tribune members-only preview of the Festival. Over breakfast tacos and coffee, get an insider peek at Evan's top panel picks, meet other members and get all of your questions answered about How to Fest. Find out more about Members at the Fest.

This breakfast is open to Member passholders only.

Speakers

Matt K. Lewis

Senior Columnist for The Daily Beast and Commentator for CNN

Lewis is a senior columnist at The Daily Beast and political commentator for CNN. He is also the author of “Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots).” Lewis is the host of his own podcast, “Matt... Read More →

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Thursday September 26, 2019 7:30am - 9:00am CDT
Walmart Technology

Special Event

ACCESS #txlege, Media, National Politics

8:00am CDT

Walmart Lounge at #TribFest19

Need to recharge during TribFest? Head over to the Walmart Lounge at 800 Congress anytime during the Festival where you can sit and relax and charge your phone while you visit with other attendees.

Presented by Walmart

Sponsors

Walmart

Presenting Sponsor

Celebrating over 40 years of doing business in Texas, Walmart is proud to be the state's largest private employer with 160,000 Texas associates and 591 stores. Walmart spent more than $48.5 billion with Texas-based suppliers for FYE 2019, supporting an additional 267,000 Texas jobs... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

9:00am CDT

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas's Blue Expo

Stop by the Texas Public Policy Foundation to check out the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Blue Expo display. BCBSTX is getting to the heart of social determinates of health by addressing health equity, tackling food insecurity with partners, bringing vaccinations to those who need them and supporting fitness for families across Texas.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

We're a statewide customer-owned health insurer. We believe Texas consumers and employers deserve the best of both worlds: access to affordable, quality health care and top-notch service from a company that focuses solely on customers, not shareholders. For 90 years, we have forged... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 9:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, First Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Health Care, Free Program

10:30am CDT

"Overheard with Evan Smith" tapes Jeff Flake

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KLRU invites Festival attendees to join for a live taping of "Overheard with Evan Smith" with former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake at KLRU's Studio 6A.

This event is free to attend but an RSVP is required.

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Jeff Flake

Former U.S. Senator

Flake, R-Arizona, was a U.S. Senator from 2013 to January 2019, and declined to run for re-election. Previously, he served in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2013. Currently, he is a contributor to CBS News and partners with CBS on a series called “Common Ground.” Flake is also the... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 10:30am - 12:30pm CDT
KLRU Studio 6A

Partner Program

ACCESS National Politics

11:00am CDT

Live Recording of the "Matt Lewis and the News" Podcast

The former Massachusetts governor William Weld on the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2020.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Matt K. Lewis

Senior Columnist for The Daily Beast and Commentator for CNN

Speakers

William Weld

2020 Republican Candidate for President

Weld served two terms as governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. He announced his 2020 presidential campaign in April 2019. He previously served as assistant U.S. attorney general in charge of Washington, D.C.’s criminal division, as the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts and... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Free Program

12:00pm CDT

Women at #TribFest19 Meet-Up

The Texas Tribune invites women registered for Festival to network over light bites and tea at The Goodman Building, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas's downtown offices. Come together with some of the top women shaping politics, business, technology and public policy in Texas.

Stop by the Festival Hub at 800 Congress before or after the event to pick up your Festival credentials.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Supported by Uber.

This event is free for #TribFest19 passholders. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

Thursday September 26, 2019 12:00pm - 1:30pm CDT
The Goodman Building

Partner Program

ACCESS #txlege, Gender, Free Program

12:30pm CDT

Live Recording of Vox Media's "Recode Media" Podcast

Peter Kafka talks to Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, about the digital news organization’s history, mission, reach and future.

Programmed in partnership with Vox Media.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Peter Kafka

Senior Correspondent at Recode and Host of the "Recode Media" Podcast

Kafka is the host of “Recode Media,” a weekly podcast from Vox Media dedicated to exploring the future of media and technology. He also serves as senior correspondent at Recode and as co-executive producer of Recode’s Code Conference. Previously, Kafka worked at Forbes.com and... Read More →

Speakers

Ben Smith

Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News

Thursday September 26, 2019 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS Media, National Politics, Free Program

1:00pm CDT

TIME's Person of the Year Should Be...?

The magazine’s executive editor and special guests discuss who — for better or worse — has done the most to influence the events of 2019.

Programmed in partnership with TIME.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Ben Goldberger

Executive Editor of TIME

Goldberger is executive editor of TIME magazine, overseeing coverage of national news and sports across all platforms and directing the magazine’s special projects, including Person of the Year. He joined TIME in 2012, serving initially as senior editor and later as nation editor... Read More →

Speakers

Jeff Flake

Former U.S. Senator

John Harwood

Editor-at-Large at CNBC

Harwood first joined CNBC in 2006 as chief Washington correspondent. Currently, he covers Washington and hosts the video series "Speakeasy with John Harwood." Previously, Harwood worked at The Wall Street Journal as a White House correspondent, political editor and chief political... Read More →

Susana Martinez

Former Governor of New Mexico

Martinez was first elected governor of New Mexico in 2010, becoming the state’s first female governor and the first Hispanic female governor in U.S. history. During her tenure, she prioritized public safety, education reforms to improve student learning and diversifying and growing... Read More →

Shannon Watts

Founder of Moms Demand Action

Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action and an active board member of Emerge America, an organization aimed at recruiting and training women to run for office. Previously, she was a stay-at-home mom until she started a Facebook group after the Sandy Hook shooting that turned into... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, Security, 2020, Free Program, Media

2:00pm CDT

Live Recording of Vox's "The Weeds" Podcast

Jane Coaston, Dara Lind and Matt Yglesias dig deep into politics, policy and national issues.

Programmed in partnership with Vox Media.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Jane Coaston

Senior Politics Reporter at Vox

Coaston is a senior politics reporter for Vox, specializing in conservatism and the American Right. She previously worked for MTV News, where she covered the 2016 election and Republican party politics. Coaston has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and ESPN... Read More →

Dara Lind

Reporter at ProPublica

Lind joined ProPublica in May after covering immigration, criminal justice and politics for Vox, where she worked since the site’s launch in 2014. She has worked as a reporting fellow for the University of Southern California Center for Health Journalism and with John Jay College's... Read More →

Matt Yglesias

Co-Founder and Senior Correspondent at Vox

Yglesias co-founded Vox with Ezra Klein and Melissa Bell in 2014. He is currently a senior correspondent at the publication, where he focuses on politics and economic policy and hosts “The Weeds” podcast. Previously, Yglesias authored the Moneybag column for Slate and served as... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, Free Program

2:30pm CDT

Screening of "Border Hustle"

The documentary — a collaboration between The Texas Tribune and TIME — is about smugglers, cartels and how the detention industry makes billions off of desperate migrants.

Programmed in partnership with TIME.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Jay Root

Investigative Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Root has been a senior political and investigative reporter for the Tribune since 2011. He is an award-winning journalist and author of “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail,” an insider’s account of Rick Perry’s gaffe-filled run for president. Root’s latest investigative... Read More →

Justine Simons

Supervising Producer for Video at TIME

Simons is a supervising producer for video at TIME magazine, where she began in 2016. Previously, she spent 10 years at The New York Times as a senior news and documentary producer. Simons also worked as a reporter and producer for CNN, where she produced a daily business news show... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Screening

ACCESS Immigration, 2020, National Politics, Free Program, Security

3:30pm CDT

Live Recording of Slate's "What Next" Podcast

Slate’s Mary Harris sits down with former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, and Wendy Davis, a Democratic candidate in the race for Texas Congressional District 21, to talk about the news of the day.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Mary Harris

Host and Managing Editor of Slate's “What Next” Podcast

Harris is the host and managing editor of "What Next," Slate’s new daily news podcast. For the past decade, she has reported throughout the public radio system, including for NPR, Marketplace and WNYC. Before working in public radio, Harris worked as a producer at ABC News.

Speakers

Wendy Davis

Former State Senator and Democratic Candidate for Texas' 21st Congressional District

Davis announced her campaign for Texas’ 21st Congressional District in July. She founded Deeds Not Words, an online engagement initiative focused on women’s rights, in 2016. Previously, she served in the Texas Senate for six years, representing parts of Fort Worth, and on the... Read More →

Jeff Flake

Former U.S. Senator

Thursday September 26, 2019 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Free Program

3:45pm CDT

"Overheard with Evan Smith" tapes Bari Weiss

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KLRU invites Festival attendees to join for a live taping of "Overheard with Evan Smith" with The New York Times' Bari Weiss at KLRU's Studio 6A.

This event is free to attend but an RSVP is required.

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Bari Weiss

Staff Editor and Writer for the New York Times Opinion Desk

Weiss is an editor and writer for The New York Times’ opinion section. Previously, she worked as an op-ed editor and associate book review editor at The Wall Street Journal. She also spent two years as a senior editor at Tablet, an online magazine covering Jewish news and culture... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 3:45pm - 5:45pm CDT
KLRU Studio 6A

Partner Program

ACCESS National Politics

4:00pm CDT

Live Recording of "The Lawfare Podcast"

Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes talks to Judge John Bates, the senior judge on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (also known as the FISA court), about how government surveillance works

Programmed in partnership with Lawfare and the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Benjamin Wittes

Editor-in-Chief of Lawfare

Wittes is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Lawfare blog and a senior fellow in governance studies at The Brookings Institution. He is also a contributing writer at The Atlantic and an analyst at NBC News and MSNBC, and he serves on the Hoover Institution’s Task Force on National... Read More →

Speakers

John Bates

Senior District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Bates was appointed U.S. district judge for the District of Columbia in 2001 and served as presiding judge of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court from 2009 to 2013 after an appointment by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. Bates has also served as chair of the Judicial... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Podcast

ACCESS Security, Tech, Free Program

4:30pm CDT

Badge Grab Party with Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch wants to welcome you to the 2019 Texas Tribune Festival. Come pick up your registration and grab a complimentary cold one.

Presented by Anheuser Busch

Sponsors

Anheuser-Busch

Major Sponsor

For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has been woven into the cultural fabric of the United States, carrying on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers. Anheuser-Busch has been brewing in the Lone Star State for more than 50 years since opening their Houston Brewery... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 4:30pm - 6:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

5:00pm CDT

Live Recording of The Texas Tribune's "TribCast"

On this episode of our weekly podcast about the news in Texas and elsewhere, we talk about the crisis at the border and the 2020 presidential campaign.

Supported by The Texas A&M University System, TEXAS 2036, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Walmart, Raise Your Hand Texas and Uber.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Mary González

State Representative

Susana Martinez

Former Governor of New Mexico

Ross Ramsey

Executive Editor of The Texas Tribune

Ramsey is the executive editor and co-founder of the Tribune, where he writes regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the Tribune, he served as editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly and as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Times Herald... Read More →

Karen Tumulty

Columnist for The Washington Post

Tumulty is a columnist covering national politics at The Washington Post, which she joined in 2010. Previously, she worked as a national political correspondent for the paper. Tumulty spent 15 years at Time magazine, where she held positions including national political correspondent... Read More →

Rick Wilson

Republican Political Strategist and CEO of Intrepid Media

Wilson is a Republican political strategist and media consultant. He has produced television ads for several gubernatorial and Senate candidates as well as super PACs and corporations. He is also a columnist for The Daily Beast, where he covers national politics, and writes for publications... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS #txlege, Immigration, National Politics, 2020, Free Program

7:00pm CDT

Opening Keynote: One-on-One with Will Hurd

The Texas congressman on his decision to retire, his support of the president, the future of the Republican party, the surge of white supremacy and the crisis at the border.

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Presented by Walmart and PepsiCo

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Will Hurd

U.S. Representative

Hurd, R-Helotes, has represented Texas’ 23rd Congressional District since 2015. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and sits on the Military Construction & Veterans Affairs and Transportation, Housing & Urban Development subcommittees. He also is a ranking member... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2019 7:00pm - 8:15pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Security, Immigration

7:00am CDT

VR demo at Walmart Lounge

Head over to the Walmart Lounge at the Festival Hub to try out the Virtual Reality goggles Walmart used to train store associates. While you’re there, sit and relax and charge your phone.

Presented by Walmart

Sponsors

Walmart

Presenting Sponsor

Friday September 27, 2019 7:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Tech

7:00am CDT

Walmart Lounge at #TribFest19

Sponsors

Walmart

Presenting Sponsor

Friday September 27, 2019 7:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

7:30am CDT

Spurs Business Summit

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Join Spurs Sports & Entertainment on Friday, September 27 to connect with the executive leadership from Spurs and learn about the future of the organization and how to leverage the Spurs brand. Doors open at 7:30 AM for breakfast and networking; program runs from 8:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the Austin Club.

This event is open to Executive passholders ONLY. An RSVP is required to attend this event. RSVP here.

Presented by Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Sponsors

Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Major Sponsor

Spurs Sports & Entertainment is the premier provider of sports and entertainment in South Texas. SS&E owns and operates the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), San Antonio Rampage (AHL), Austin Spurs (NBA Development League), San Antonio FC (USL), and also manages the day-to-day operations of... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 7:30am - 11:00am CDT
The Austin Club

Partner Program

ACCESS Sports, Economy, Executives

8:00am CDT

Breakfast with the Texas A&M University System

Join The Texas A&M University System for breakfast ahead of the day's first panels

Presented by The Texas A&M University System

Sponsors

The Texas A&M University System

Major Sponsor

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and eight state agencies, the A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:00am - 8:30am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Sixth Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Higher Education

8:00am CDT

Student Breakfast

Students are invited for tacos and coffee to pre-game each day of the Fest and connect with other #TTFStudents. Meet Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life staff and our social media ambassadors, get highlights of the day and inside information on what’s happening. We'll also be joined by special guest Jennifer Palmieri, former director of White House communications for President Barack Obama. Learn more about Students at the Fest.

Students at the Fest is presented in partnership with the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. Supporting sponsors include the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, Pearson, Texas Exes, Austin Community College and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation.

Speakers

Jennifer Palmieri

Former Director of White House Communications for President Barack Obama

Palmieri served as communications director for President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2015. Previously, she served as president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Palmieri also served as director of communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and as... Read More →

Sponsors

Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life

Supporting Sponsor

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life in the Moody College of Communication at The University of Austin was founded in the year 2000 on the belief that active, engaged citizens are made, not born, and that society benefits from increased citizen participation in civic life... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
CapMetro Project Connect Community Office

Special Event

8:00am CDT

Blue Promise Podcast Recording and Breakfast

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Please join Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, who will interview the following experts as part of the Blue Promise podcast and video blog.

Podcast guests will include:

Amy McGeady, PhD CEO of It’s Time Texas, to discuss, “How can we Enable Wellness in Public School Systems?”
Gregory D. Winfree, JD Agency Director at Texas A&M Transportation Institute, to discuss, “How is Health Care Impacted by Transportation Challenges?”
Matthew McCredie, SVP of Enterprise Client Organization at MDLive, to discuss, “Why Aren’t People Using Telemedicine?”

An RSVP is required to attend this event. RSVP here.

Date: Friday, September 27, 2019
Time: Breakfast and networking at 8 a.m., Recording begins at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas office, 206 W. 13th Street, Austin, TX 78701
Limited street parking

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

Friday September 27, 2019 8:00am - 9:30am CDT
The Goodman Building

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Health Care

8:00am CDT

Executive Lounge

Need to catch up on calls, grab a cup of coffee or meet with a colleague? The Victorian Room at The Driskill Hotel is reserved for executive passholders, speakers and sponsors to handle business or catch some much-needed air conditioning.

Friday September 27, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Executives

8:00am CDT

Mother’s Room

The Festival offers a quiet room for mothers on Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28. The room is located at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 301 E. 8th St., and is equipped with a table, power outlet and refrigerator. Please go to the Info Desk at St. David's and request to use.

Friday September 27, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church

Special Event

8:30am CDT

Ed and the Feds

Two ex-governors on how D.C. and the states can work more effectively on education policy

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by Pearson and the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Moderator

Sarah Darville

National Editor for Chalkbeat

Darville is the national editor of Chalkbeat. Previously, she worked as Chalkbeat’s New York City bureau chief and as a reporter covering New York City schools. She also was a Google News Fellow. Darville’s work has appeared in the New York Daily News and the South Florida Su... Read More →

Speakers

Jack Markell

Former Governor of Delaware

Markell served as governor of Delaware from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, Delaware won the top spot in President Obama’s Race to the Top contest, a federal initiative designed to stimulate education reform among the states, and he served as chair of both the National Governors... Read More →

Susana Martinez

Former Governor of New Mexico

Friday September 27, 2019 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Public Education, Higher Education

8:30am CDT

The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism

Amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy, it threatens us all

Moderator

Steven Waldman

President and Co-Founder of Report for America

Waldman is the co-founder of Report for America, a program that places journalists in under-covered local communities. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of Beliefnet, a lifestyle site that covers belief and faith topics. Waldman also served as national editor of US News... Read More →

Speakers

David Saperstein

Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Saperstein served as U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom from 2015 to 2017. He served decades as director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, where he currently works as a senior adviser for policy and strategy. Saperstein also is the co-author... Read More →

Bari Weiss

Staff Editor and Writer for the New York Times Opinion Desk

Friday September 27, 2019 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS 2020

8:30am CDT

Will the Texas House Flip?

It’s a longshot, but Democrats see a path. Republicans are girding for battle.

Moderator

Cassandra Pollock

State Political Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Pollock began as a state political reporter for the Tribune in 2019. She previously served as an engagement reporter for the publication after serving as a fellow during the 85th legislative session. Pollock has also reported for The Daily Texan and The Washington Examiner in Washington... Read More →

Speakers

Royce Brooks

Executive Director of Annie's List

Brooks joined Annie’s List, an organization that works to get more women elected in Texas, in 2018. Previously, she served as the first chief equity officer for Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked with city leaders to develop policies to address inequality in the city. She also worked... Read More →

Manny Garcia

Executive Director of the Texas Democratic Party

Garcia began as executive director of the Texas Democratic Party in early 2019 after serving as the party’s deputy director for four years. He also has served as the party’s communications director. Previously, Garcia worked as director of policy for the Texas House’s Mexican... Read More →

Jamie McWright

President of the Associated Republicans of Texas

McWright has served as the president of the Associated Republicans of Texas, a nonprofit that works to get Republicans elected to office in Texas, since 2014. Previously, she spent 11 years on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s staff in Washington, D.C., where she held roles including legislative... Read More →

Steve Munisteri

Senior Adviser to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s 2020 Campaign

Munisteri began serving as a senior adviser to U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s 2020 reelection campaign in February. Previously, he spent two years as principal deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison and as deputy assistant to President Donald Trump in the White House. Munisteri... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, 2020

8:30am CDT

The Heart Gallery of Central Texas

The Heart Gallery of Central Texas, a volunteer-driven program of the non-profit Partnerships for Children, features portraits of children in the foster care system who are available for adoption and hoping to find a forever home. Simply displaying this mobile exhibit across the community has increased adoption rates by 60%

Presented by The Heart Gallery of Central Texas

Friday September 27, 2019 8:30am - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Mezzanine

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:30am CDT

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas's Blue Expo

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

Friday September 27, 2019 8:30am - 5:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, First Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Health Care, Free Program

8:45am CDT

Gendered Justice

There's a right way to treat women in prison

Moderator

Keri Blakinger

Reporter for the Houston Chronicle

Blakinger covers prisons, criminal justice and death row at the Houston Chronicle. Before her career in journalism, she spent 21 months behind bars in upstate New York on drug-related charges. Previously, Blakinger worked at the New York Daily News and the Ithaca Times. She was also... Read More →

Speakers

Michele Deitch

Senior Lecturer at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Texas Law School

Deitch is a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School and School of Law and a Soros Senior Justice Fellow. She has more than three decades of experience working on criminal justice issues and previously helped draft the American Bar Association's standards... Read More →

Piper Kerman

Criminal Justice Reform Advocate and Author of "Orange is the New Black"

Kerman is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison.” She serves as an executive consultant to the Netflix show based off her book. Kerman also serves on the board of directors of the Women’s Prison Association... Read More →

Sally Peña

Travis County Jail Administrator

Peña was appointed major of the Travis County Sheriff's Office Corrections Bureau in 2018, making her the first female jail administrator in Travis County history. She has worked in the Travis County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years in a variety of assignments. Most recently, Peña... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:45am - 9:45am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Justice, Gender

8:45am CDT

One-on-One with General John M. Murray

The commander of the Army Futures Command on transforming the nation’s fighting force

Supported by Dell

Moderator

John Amble

Editorial Director at the Modern War Institute at West Point

Amble is editorial director of the Modern War Institute at West Point and co-director of the institute’s Urban Warfare Project, an initiative to study the character of war in cities. He was also a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to the U.S. Army... Read More →

Speakers

John M. Murray

Commanding General of the U.S. Army Futures Command

Murray is the first commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command, a new four-star Army Command headquartered in Austin and aimed at modernizing the Army. Previously he was the G-8, a deputy chief of staff to the chief of staff of the United States Army. Murray also commanded... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:45am - 9:45am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS Tech, Security

8:45am CDT

One-on-One with George F. Will

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist on what’s happened to conservatism, why he left the Republican Party and the calamity of an imperial presidency

Supported by CenterPoint Energy, Inc., Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Texas A&M University.

Moderator

Mark Updegrove

President and CEO of the LBJ Foundation

Updegrove is the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, a nonprofit which supports the LBJ Presidential Library and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He is a presidential historian for ABC News and served as director of the LBJ Presidential Library from 2009 to 2017. Previously... Read More →

Speakers

George F. Will

Columnist for The Washington Post

Will has been a columnist for The Washington Post since 1974. He is also a regular contributor to MSNBC and NBC News. He previously worked as a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1977 for his newspaper columns. Will is the author of multiple books... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:45am - 9:45am CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

8:45am CDT

The Civic Commons

What rethinking public spaces does for equity, engagement and sustainability

Moderator

Allison Arieff

Editorial Director at SPUR

Arieff serves as editorial director of SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association. She has been a contributing columnist to The New York Times and other publications since 2006 and writes about architecture, design and sustainability. Previously, Arieff... Read More →

Speakers

Carol Coletta

Senior Fellow for the American Cities Program at The Kresge Foundation

Coletta is a senior fellow with The Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Program, which works to expand opportunities for low-income individuals in cities across the country. Previously, she spent seven years as president of CEO for Cities, a nonprofit that helps build collaboration... Read More →

James Hardy

Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development for the City of Akron, Ohio

Hardy became the first deputy mayor for integrated development for Akron, Ohio, in 2018 and focuses on engaging with businesses and community development in innovative ways. Previously, he served as assistant director of community health at Summit County Public Health and as a regional... Read More →

Peter Mullan

CEO of the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy

Mullan has led the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, a nonprofit that works to create and maintain urban parks around Austin’s Waller Creek, since 2015. Previously, he served as executive vice president of the Friends of the High Line, a nonprofit that works to maintain the High Line... Read More →

Erin Salazar

Executive Director and Founder of Exhibition District

Salazar is the founder and executive director of Exhibition District, a nonprofit that seeks to make economic opportunities for creatives. She also opened Local Color in downtown San Jose, an initiative that works to turn unused buildings into creative spaces. In 2016, Salazar was... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 8:45am - 9:45am CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Cities

9:00am CDT

El Paso and Dayton

An unbearably tragic weekend and a remarkably resilient aftermath

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Supported by the Texas Municipal League

Moderator

John Harwood

Editor-at-Large at CNBC

Speakers

Dee Margo

Mayor of El Paso

Margo was elected mayor in 2017. Previously, he represented District 78 in the Texas House and served as chair of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, he was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve on the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight... Read More →

Nan Whaley

Mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Whaley was first elected mayor of Dayton, Ohio, in 2013 and during her time in office has focused on the areas of community development, manufacturing, and women and children. As mayor, she serves on the board of trustees for the U.S. Conference of Mayors and as chair of the International... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, Cities, Justice

9:00am CDT

One-on-One with Nikole Hannah-Jones

The New York Times Magazine writer on her groundbreaking 1619 Project and the legacy of slavery in America

Moderator

Errin Haines

National Writer on Race and Ethnicity for The Associated Press

Haines is a national writer on race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. She started at the AP in 2002 in the Atlanta bureau, where she later covered urban affairs and the Georgia legislature for seven years, and returned to AP in Philadelphia in 2015. Haines also has worked for... Read More →

Speakers

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Staff Writer at The New York Times Magazine

Hannah-Jones is an award-winning staff writer and domestic correspondent for The New York Times Magazine focusing on racial injustice. She investigates the way racial segregation in housing and schools is maintained through official action and policy and was the author behind the... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Stateside at The Paramount

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, Media, Justice, 2020

9:00am CDT

The Dallas Model

Lessons from the school district that set the standard for public education reform

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Uber.

Moderator

Eva-Marie Ayala

Education Reporter for The Dallas Morning News

Ayala has been a reporter for The Dallas Morning News since 2012 and specializes in local, state and national education news. Prior to joining the Morning News, she covered education, economic development and city government for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 11 years. Ayala also... Read More →

Speakers

Melissa Higginbotham

Board Member at Dallas Kids First

Higginbotham serves on the governing board of Dallas Kids First, an organization focused on the impact of strong school board leadership for student outcomes, where she has led many trustee campaigns. In her work, she advocates for strong leadership at the governance level of Dallas... Read More →

Michael Hinojosa

Superintendent of Dallas Independent School District

Hinojosa served an initial term as superintendent of Dallas ISD from 2005 to 2011 and returned in 2015. As superintendent, he has begun initiatives in Dallas ISD schools that include early childhood and career and technical education programs. During his more than three-decade career... Read More →

Miguel Solis

Trustee of the Dallas Independent School District

Solis was elected to the board of Dallas ISD in 2013 and has served as the district’s board president and vice president. Previously, he served as special assistant to the Dallas ISD superintendent and as a public school teacher for Teach for America. Solis is also the co-founder... Read More →

Todd Williams

CEO and Founder of The Commit Partnership

Williams is the founding chair, CEO and president of The Commit Partnership, an organization dedicated to improving postsecondary education completion levels across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He also served as an education policy adviser to former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and as... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Public Education, Cities, #txlege

9:45am CDT

Book Signing of Bari Weiss's "How to Fight Anti-Semitism"

Join us for a signing of Bari Weiss's book, "How to Fight Anti-Semitism." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Bari Weiss

Staff Editor and Writer for the New York Times Opinion Desk

Friday September 27, 2019 9:45am - 10:15am CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS 2020, Free Program

9:45am CDT

Book Signing of Steven Waldman's "Sacred Liberty"

Join us for a signing of Steven Waldman's book, "Sacred Liberty: America's Long, Bloody, and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Steven Waldman

President and Co-Founder of Report for America

Friday September 27, 2019 9:45am - 10:15am CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS 2020, Free Program, National Politics

10:00am CDT

Book Signing of George F. Will's "The Conservative Sensibility"

Join us for a signing of George F. Will's book, "The Conservative Sensibility." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

George F. Will

Columnist for The Washington Post

Friday September 27, 2019 10:00am - 10:30am CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Book Signing

10:00am CDT

Civic Enragement

How progressive politics are turning citizens into warriors and cities into battlegrounds.

Supported by Texas Southern University. Programmed in partnership with the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Moderator

Matt Yglesias

Co-Founder and Senior Correspondent at Vox

Speakers

Sarah Eckhardt

Travis County Judge

Eckhardt became Travis County’s first female county judge in 2015 and presides over the county’s commissioners court. Previously, she spent eight years as an assistant Travis County attorney and was elected to represent Precinct 2 on the county commissioners court in 2006. Eckhardt... Read More →

Alicia K. Glen

Former Deputy Mayor of New York for Housing and Economic Development

Glen served as deputy mayor for New York City from 2014 to March 2019. She currently serves as founder and chair of women.nyc, an organization that seeks to empower women. Previously, Glen served as the head of the urban investment group at Goldman Sachs and as assistant commissioner... Read More →

Jerry Morales

Mayor of Midland

Morales has been mayor of Midland, Texas, since 2014. Previously, he was an at-large council member. Morales owns and operates Gerardo’s Casita, Gerardo’s Bistro, Gerardo’s Catering and the Mulberry Café, all located in Midland.

Alan Webber

Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Webber was elected as mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2018. Before running for mayor, he built a career in business and journalism. Previously, he served as editorial director for the Harvard Business Review and as co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of Fast Company Magazine.

Friday September 27, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Cities, 2020

10:00am CDT

Good Sports

Four close observers of public university athletics in Texas on TV deals, ballooning budgets, paying players and, of course, winning.

Supported by St. David's HealthCare.

Moderator

Matthew Watkins

Politics Editor at The Texas Tribune

Watkins began as politics editor for the Tribune in June after serving as the Tribune’s breaking news editor. Before becoming an editor, he wrote about higher education and the business of college sports for the Tribune. Previously, Watkins covered local government as the Dallas... Read More →

Speakers

Ross Bjork

Athletic Director of Texas A&M University

Bjork was selected as Texas A&M University’s athletic director in May. Previously, he served as director of athletics at the University of Mississippi. Bjork has also served in various athletic department leadership roles at schools including Western Kentucky University, UCLA, the... Read More →

Chris Del Conte

Athletic Director for the University of Texas

Del Conte has served as vice president and athletics director at the University of Texas at Austin since 2017. Previously, he served as director of intercollegiate athletics at Texas Christian University and as athletics director at Rice University. Del Conte has also worked in sports... Read More →

Renu Khator

President of the University of Houston and Chancellor of the University of Houston System

Khator joined the University of Houston System in 2008. As chancellor, she oversees a four-university system of nearly 74,000 students. She also serves as board chair for the American Athletic Conference. Previously, Khator served as board chair for the American Council on Education... Read More →

John D. Steinmetz

Member of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents

Steinmetz was first appointed to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents in 2011. He currently serves as chair of the Academic, Clinical and Student Affairs Committee and is a member of the Regents’ Rules Review Committee. Steinmetz is CEO of Vista Bank, where he oversees... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Higher Education, Sports

10:00am CDT

The Republican Do-Over

Job number one is to make sure 2020 doesn't turn out like 2018.

Moderator

Patrick Svitek

Political Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Svitek covers politics for the Tribune and has served as editor of The Blast, the Tribune's subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Previously, he worked for the Houston Chronicle’s Austin bureau and interned at The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Huffington... Read More →

Speakers

Wadi Gaitan

National Spokesperson for The LIBRE Initiative

Gaitan serves as the national spokesperson for The LIBRE Initiative, a nonprofit that works to inform and mobilize the U.S. Hispanic community. He also serves on NBC Universal’s advisory council for the Erase The Hate project. Previously, Gaitan served as director of communications... Read More →

Susan Lilly

President and CEO of Lilly & Company

Lilly is the president and CEO of the political consulting firm Lilly & Company, which works with many congressional leaders, state legislators and Texas Supreme Court members. Previously, she worked as a staffer for Railroad Commissioner Barry Williamson, and she has worked in every... Read More →

Jeff Roe

Founder of Axiom Strategies

Roe founded the Republican consulting firm Axiom Strategies in 2006. In 2008 he coordinated phone contact and GOTV efforts for then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign. Roe also worked on Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaigns and ran U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2015... Read More →

Brendan Steinhauser

Partner at Steinhauser Strategies

Steinhauser is a partner at the public relations and political consulting company Steinhauser Strategies. Previously, he worked as U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's campaign manager in 2014 and served as a political strategist for U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Michael McCaul. Steinhauser also... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, 2020

10:00am CDT

Live Broadcast of "Texas Standard"

Watch a broadcast of Texas Standard, the national daily news show of Texas, live from the Texas Tribune Festival. Get a behind-the-scenes look as host David Brown interviews local and national newsmakers driving the discussion and shaping policy that impact every day citizens.

Featured guests will include Karen Tumulty, Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, Mose Buchele and Emily Ramshaw.

Presented by Texas Standard

Speakers

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Victoria DeFrancesco Soto

Director of Civic Engagement at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Soto specializes in immigration, race and gender in politics, and campaigns and elections as a lecturer at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Her research on political behavior has been featured in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Politico. Previously, Soto taught at Northwestern... Read More →

Karen Tumulty

Columnist for The Washington Post

Sponsors

Texas Standard

Media Partner

“Texas Standard” sets the bar for broadcast news coverage, offering crisp, expansive coverage of politics, lifestyle and culture, the environment, technology and innovation, and business and the economy — from a distinctly Texas perspective. Hosted by award-winning journalist... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS #txlege, Free Program

10:15am CDT

Barreling Ahead

How oil and gas powers the Texas economy

Supported by the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Moderator

Russell Gold

Senior Energy Reporter for The Wall Street Journal

Gold has been a reporter in Texas for The Wall Street Journal since 2000. He covers climate change and business and is the author of “Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy” and “The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the... Read More →

Speakers

Sylvia Kerrigan

Executive Director of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business at the University of Texas at Austin

Kerrigan began as executive director of UT Austin’s Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business in 2017. Previously, she worked at Marathon Oil, which she joined in 1995. She held various leadership roles with the corporation, eventually serving as executive vice president... Read More →

Brooks Landgraf

State Representative

Landgraf, R-Odessa, has represented House District 81 since 2015. He serves as vice chair of the House Transportation Committee and sits on the Business & Industry Committee. Landgraf is also a business lawyer with experience in the oil and gas and healthcare industries. He currently... Read More →

Chris Paddie

State Representative

Paddie, R-Marshall, has represented House District 9 since 2013. He serves as chair of the House Energy Resources Committee and sits on the Licensing & Administrative Procedures and Redistricting committees. He is also a member of the Texas Conservative Coalition and the Young Texans... Read More →

Todd Staples

President of the Texas Oil and Gas Association

Staples has led the Texas and Oil & Gas Association, the state’s oldest and largest oil and gas trade association, since 2014. Previously, he served two terms as Texas agriculture commissioner. Staples was also a member of the Texas House and Senate and a member of the Palestine... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Economy, Energy, Rural, #txlege

10:15am CDT

Black and White

The reality of race and policing

Supported by Texas Southern University

Moderator

Cassandra Jaramillo

Public Safety Reporter for The Dallas Morning News

Jaramillo began at The Dallas Morning News in 2016 and currently covers public safety and the Dallas Police Department. Previously, she wrote feature stories on race, identity and culture for the Morning News. Recently, Jaramillo received a first place in commentary from the Society... Read More →

Speakers

Garnet Coleman

State Representative

Coleman, D-Houston, has represented House District 147 since 1993. He serves as chair of the House County Affairs Committee and sits on the Public Health Committee. He has also served as chair of the Legislative Study Group since 2003. In the 85th Legislative Session, Coleman authored... Read More →

Brian Manley

Chief of the Austin Police Department

Manley joined the Austin Police Department in 1990 and was named chief of police in 2018 after serving nearly two years as interim chief. In his nearly 30 years with the department, he has served in and led many areas of the department, including narcotics, child abuse, homicide and... Read More →

Vana Hammond Parham

Former Chief of Community Relations for the City of Dallas

Hammond Parham is the former chief of community relations for the city of Dallas. She helped lead the city’s GrowSouth initiative, which seeks to improve and grow the Southern Dallas area. Previously, she served as a Dallas police officer and as an assistant city attorney. Hammond... Read More →

Meme Styles

President and Founder of Measure

Styles is the president and founder of Measure, a nonprofit that uses data to eliminate social inequality. She also serves as chair of the Greater East Austin Youth Association's Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant and is on the board of African TV5. Styles is also creator of EarlyAware.com... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Justice, #txlege

10:15am CDT

Small But Mighty

Can the state meet the needs of rural schools and rural students?

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by the Greater Texas Foundation and Educate Texas.

Moderator

Christopher Collins

Rural Reporter for The Texas Observer

Speakers

Keven Ellis

Member of the State Board of Education

Ellis represents District 9 on the State Board of Education. He serves on the board’s Committee on School Initiatives, which oversees items including charter schools, certification rules and school board member training. Ellis previously served as a member and president of the Lufkin... Read More →

Ken King

State Representative

King, R-Canadian, has represented House District 88 since 2015. He sits on the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures and Public Education committees. He also serves on the House Research Organization board of directors and is a member of several House caucuses including the... Read More →

Becky McCutchen

Superintendent of Alpine Independent School District

McCutchen has served as superintendent of Alpine ISD since 2015. Early in her career in education she worked as an educational diagnostician, and she later spent eight years as a classroom teacher. Previously, she served as director of special education for 588 Cooperative in Alpine... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS Public Education, #txlege, Rural

10:15am CDT

The Name of this Panel is Talking Heads

These five pundits have hot takes about politics and elections. (Same as it ever was.)

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Matthew Dowd

Political Strategist and Chief Political Analyst for ABC News

Dowd serves as chief political analyst for ABC News and is the founder of Paradox Capital, a social impact venture fund. Previously, he served as chief political strategist to former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 and President George W. Bush in 2004. Dowd is the author... Read More →

David Jolly

Former U.S. Representative

Jolly represented Florida in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 and is currently a policy and politics analyst for MSNBC and CNN. He has worked in specialty finance, as an attorney and as a political consultant, and he previously served as an adjunct professor at the University of South... Read More →

Elise Jordan

Columnist for Time and Contributor for NBC News and MSNBC

Jordan is a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC and a contributor to Time. Previously, she served as director for communications in the National Security Council and as speechwriter for then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Jordan’s work has also appeared in The Atlantic, Buzzfeed... Read More →

Jennifer Palmieri

Former Director of White House Communications for President Barack Obama

Rick Wilson

Republican Political Strategist and CEO of Intrepid Media

Friday September 27, 2019 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

10:30am CDT

Executive Meet-and-Greet with "El Paso and Dayton" Panelists

Join us for a meet-and-greet with the "El Paso and Dayton" panelists in the Executive Lounge immediately following their Festival panel.

This meet-and-greet is open to executive, sponsor and speaker passholders only.

Speakers

John Harwood

Editor-at-Large at CNBC

Dee Margo

Mayor of El Paso

Nan Whaley

Mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Friday September 27, 2019 10:30am - 11:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Executives, Cities

11:00am CDT

Fade to Blue

The evolving politics of the Texas suburbs

Moderator

Ross Ramsey

Executive Editor of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Rodney Anderson

Chair of the Dallas County Republican Party

Anderson was elected to lead the Dallas County GOP in May. Previously, he represented District 106 in the Texas House from 2011 to 2013, and represented House District 105 from 2015 to 2018. Anderson is also the Southwest regional manager for Alliant National Title Insurance Comp... Read More →

John Bucy

State Representative

Bucy, D-Austin, is currently serving his first term representing House District 136. He sits on the Culture, Recreation & Tourism and Elections committees. Previously, Bucy served as chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party and as a legislative liaison for the Texas Democratic... Read More →

KP George

Fort Bend County Judge

George was elected presiding officer of the Fort Bend Commissioners Court and director of the Fort Bend Office of Emergency Management in 2018. Previously, he served as a former two-term member of the Fort Bend ISD school board. George also co-owns and manages an independent financial... Read More →

Larry Gonzales

Former State Representative

Gonzales, R-Round Rock, represented District 52 in the Texas House from 2011 to 2018. During his time in the Legislature, he served as chair of the Sunset Advisory Commission and twice served as a budget subcommittee chairman. He is the founder of Lazarus Graphics and Gonzales Realty... Read More →

Erin Zwiener

State Representative

Zwiener, D-Driftwood, is currently serving her first term representing House District 45. She sits on the House Agriculture & Livestock and Environmental Regulation committees. She is a founding member of the Texas House’s LGBTQ Caucus and serves as its secretary. Zwiener also serves... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS 2020, #txlege

11:00am CDT

The Trigger

After more than one mass shooting per day this year, will we talk differently about guns?

Moderator

Garrett Haake

Washington Correspondent for MSNBC

Speakers

Peter Ambler

Executive Director and Co-Founder of Giffords

Ambler joined former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, to launch Giffords, formerly Americans for Responsible Solutions, in 2013. He currently serves as the organization’s executive director, overseeing the organization’s political and advocacy strategies... Read More →

César Blanco

State Representative

Blanco, D-El Paso, has represented House District 76 since 2015. He sits on the House Environmental Regulation and International Relations & Economic Development committees. He also serves on the executive committee of the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization. Previously, Blanco... Read More →

Betsy Price

Mayor of Fort Worth

Price was first elected to lead the city of Fort Worth in 2011. As mayor, she has initiated the citywide health initiative FitWorth and has helped launch Fort Worth’s Education Initiative to promote early childhood education. Before being elected mayor, Price served as Tarrant County’s... Read More →

Shannon Watts

Founder of Moms Demand Action

Friday September 27, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Stateside at The Paramount

Panel

ACCESS Justice, National Politics

11:00am CDT

Live Recording of the "Takeout" Podcast

The retired four-star admiral and former chancellor of the University of Texas System William McRaven talks with Major Garrett of CBS News about his life at sea, at war and in higher ed

Watch the livestream of this session here.

Moderator

Major Garrett

Chief White House Correspondent for CBS News

Garrett was named CBS News' chief Washington correspondent in 2018. Previously, he worked as CBS News’ White House correspondent and as the White House correspondent for Fox News. He spent 16 months on the road covering the 2016 presidential campaign and has reported on every major... Read More →

Speakers

William McRaven

Former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command

McRaven served for 37 years as a Navy SEAL and was commander of U.S. Special Operations. He is the primary author of the government’s 2006 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism and has advised the U.S. secretary of defense, secretary of state and secretary of homeland security... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, Security, Higher Education

11:15am CDT

Executive Meet-and-Greet with Sarah Eckhardt and Alan Webber

Join us for a meet-and-greet with Sarah Eckhardt, Travis County judge, and Alan Webber, mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the Executive Lounge immediately following their Festival panel.

This meet-and-greet is open to executive, sponsor and speaker passholders only.

Speakers

Sarah Eckhardt

Travis County Judge

Alan Webber

Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Friday September 27, 2019 11:15am - 11:45am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Cities, Executives

11:30am CDT

School Finance 2.0

More spending per student, more pay for teachers and everyone finally loves pre-K. What’s next?

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas and the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium. Supported by Texas REALTORS.

Moderator

Aliyya Swaby

Public Education Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Swaby has covered public education for the Tribune since 2016. Previously, she worked for the hyperlocal nonprofit New Haven Independent, where she covered education, zoning and transit for two years. After graduating from Yale University in 2013, Swaby spent a year freelance reporting... Read More →

Speakers

Diego Bernal

State Representative

Bernal, D-San Antonio, has represented House District 123 since 2015. He serves as vice chair of the House Public Education Committee and sits on the Local & Consent Calendars and Transportation committees. Previously, Bernal served as an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense... Read More →

Mary González

State Representative

Dan Huberty

State Representative

Huberty, R-Houston, has represented House District 127 since 2011. He serves as chair of the House Public Education Committee and sits on the County Affairs Committee. Previously, he served as board president and trustee for the Humble ISD school board. Huberty also serves as president... Read More →

Larry Taylor

State Senator

Taylor, R-Friendswood, has represented Senate District 11 since 2013. He serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee and sits on the Finance, Higher Education and Water & Rural Affairs committees. He also co-chairs the Joint Interim Committee to Study a Coastal Barrier System... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Public Education, #txlege

11:30am CDT

Taking Heat

Can cities address climate change without making inequality worse?

Supported by SXSW, BP and Lyft. Programmed in partnership with the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Moderator

Neena Satija

Investigative Reporter for The Washington Post

Satija began at The Washington Post in January. Previously, she was an investigative reporter and radio producer for The Texas Tribune and Reveal, a public radio program from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Satija has also worked for a number of East Coast news outlets, including... Read More →

Speakers

Kevin Dancy

Community Development Adviser for the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Dancy works as the community development adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Houston branch and has published research on topics including financial capabilities, consumer finance and lending, community reinvestment, disaster recovery, economic development, housing and... Read More →

Rodney Ellis

Harris County Commissioner

Ellis has served as a Harris County commissioner since 2017. He previously represented Texas Senate District 13 from 1990 to 2017, during which time he worked on economic development, education and budget policy. Ellis also served three terms on the Houston City Council and as chief... Read More →

Laura Huffman

Texas State Director of The Nature Conservancy

Huffman establishes conservation strategy, provides policy leadership and leads a statewide team of scientists and conservation experts at The Nature Conservancy in Texas. She also serves as founding director of the Conservancy’s North America Cities program and board chair for... Read More →

Carmen Llanes Pulido

Executive Director of Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin

Carmen Llanes Pulido is the founding executive director of Go Austin/ Vamos Austin or GAVA, a group that organizes and mobilizes community power for health equity. Llanes Pulido worked as a research analyst and organizer with the environmental justice organization, PODER, in East... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Environment, Cities, Economy, Gender

12:00pm CDT

From Within

How do we fight domestic terrorism?

Programmed in partnership with Lawfare and the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin

Moderator

David Priess

Chief Operating Officer of the Lawfare Institute

Priess is the chief operating officer of the Lawfare Institute as well as a writer and speaker on the presidency, national security and intelligence. Previously, he served in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations as a CIA officer, an intelligence briefer and a State... Read More →

Speakers

Robert Chesney

James Baker Chair and Associate Dean at the University of Texas School of Law and Co-Founder of Lawfare

Chesney joined the University of Texas School of Law, where he teaches law and serves as director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, in 2008. Previously, he served on the Justice Department’s Detention Policy Task Force under President Barack Obama. Chesney... Read More →

Mary McCord

Former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice

McCord serves as senior litigator from practice at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection as well as a visiting professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center. She served as principal deputy assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s... Read More →

Lisa Monaco

Former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, Co-Chair of the Aspen Cybersecurity Group and Partner at O'Melveny & Myers

Monaco served as assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism from 2013 to 2017. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, including serving as counsel and chief of staff to then-FBI Director Robert Mueller. Currently, Monaco works... Read More →

Nick Rasmussen

Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center

Rasmussen served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 2014 to 2017. He also served on the National Security Council staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, joining in the wake of Sept. 11. Rasmussen currently serves as senior director for counterterrorism... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS Security, National Politics, 2020

12:00pm CDT

One-on-One with Eric Johnson

The brand new mayor of Dallas on crime, affordability, local control, and his vision for transforming that iconic city

Supported by UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Municipal League and The Dallas Morning News

Moderator

Mike Wilson

Editor of The Dallas Morning News

Wilson has served as editor of The Dallas Morning News since 2015. Previously, he worked for ESPN, where he served as founding managing editor of the data journalism website FiveThirtyEight. Wilson spent 12 years as a writer and editor for the Miami Herald and spent 18 years at the... Read More →

Speakers

Eric Johnson

Mayor of Dallas

Johnson was elected mayor of Dallas in June. Previously, he served in the Texas House from 2010 to 2019 and served as chair of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation. Johnson has been a practicing lawyer in Dallas for the past 15 years and has served on the boards of several organizations... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Cities

12:00pm CDT

Political Climate

How to talk about extreme temperatures, severe storms and science heading into 2020

Supported by BP

Moderator

John Schwartz

Science Writer for The New York Times

Schwartz is a science writer for The New York Times, where his writing focuses on climate change. He also writes a humor column for the business section’s mutual funds quarterly and previously covered topics including the space program, law and infrastructure. Previously, Schwartz... Read More →

Speakers

Katharine Hayhoe

Atmospheric Scientist and Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University

Hayhoe is a professor at Texas Tech University, where she is also the director of the Climate Science Center. She has been the lead author for several National Climate Assessments and her research focuses on understanding what climate change means for people and the places where we... Read More →

Amy Myers Jaffe

David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment and Director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations

Jaffe has expertise on energy and the environment and currently serves as the director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she served as executive director for energy and sustainability at the University of California... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Environment, 2020, Cities, National Politics, #txlege

12:00pm CDT

Live Recording of Vox Media's "Function" Podcast

On this episode of Anil Dash’s podcast about how technology is shaping our culture and communications: Remember when we were going to have a healthy Internet culture?

Supported by Panacea Collective. Programmed in partnership with the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia and Vox Media.

Moderator

Anil Dash

CEO of Glitch and Host of the “Function” Podcast

Dash is the host of Vox Media’s “Function” podcast, which explores the ways that technology changes our culture. He was the first employee of Six Apart, the makers of Movable Type, TypePad and Vox. Dash is also a partner at ACTIVATE.com and is co-founder and CEO of ThinkUp... Read More →

Speakers

Charlton McIlwain

Vice Provost and Professor of Media, Culture & Communication at New York University

McIlwain is vice provost and professor of Media, Culture & Communication at New York University, where his work and expertise focus on race and digital media technology. He is the author of “Black Software: The Internet & Racial Justice, From the AfroNet to Black Lives Matter... Read More →

Anne Helen Petersen

Senior Culture Writer for BuzzFeed News

Petersen joined Buzzfeed in 2014 and is based in Missoula, Montana. She is the author of “Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema” and “Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud.” Her latest book on millennial burnout will be published... Read More →

Sarah T. Roberts

Assistant Professor of Information Studies at UCLA

Roberts is an assistant professor of information studies in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies with expertise in internet culture, social media and the intersection of media and technology. Previously, she spent 15 years as an information technology professional... Read More →

Siva Vaidhyanathan

Director of Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia

Vaidhyanathan is a professor of media studies and director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia. He has written several books on technology and intellectual property, including “Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Podcast

ACCESS Tech, Media

12:00pm CDT

Screening of "The Weekly"

In this episode of the New York Times documentary series, reporter Astead Herndon goes inside the Democratic Party's civil war.

The program will be followed by a live Q&A with select members of the episode's cast and creators.

Programmed in partnership with The New York Times.

Moderator

Rodney Gibbs

Chief Product Officer for The Texas Tribune

Gibbs is chief product officer of The Texas Tribune. He ran two startups that developed digital products for news organizations and entertainment brands, and he wrote for television before joining the Tribune. Gibbs is a board member of the Online News Association and KLRU, Austin’s... Read More →

Speakers

Astead Herndon

National Political Reporter for The New York Times

Herndon began as a national political reporter for The New York Times in 2018. Previously, he worked at The Boston Globe as a Washington-based political reporter, where he covered Donald Trump’s presidency. Herndon also served as a city hall reporter and as a general assignment... Read More →

Samantha Stark

Producer and Director of “The Weekly” at The New York Times

Stark began at The New York Times as a video journalist in 2012. She is the producer and director of “The Weekly,” a show that delves into one story from the Times’ journalists each week. Stark was also part of The New York Times team that won a 2017 Emmy for the short documentary... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Screening

ACCESS Media, 2020, National Politics

12:00pm CDT

Executives at #TribFest19 Luncheon

Get out of the heat and enjoy lunch with colleagues on the mezzanine of the historic Driskill Hotel. Discuss panels, further professional development and build strategic alliances with fellow attendees. This unique environment is a gathering place for individuals with diverse levels of professional experiences to come together during the busy Festival.

The luncheon is included with the Executive Pass. Tickets for other passholders may be available closer to the event based on capacity.

Friday September 27, 2019 12:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Mezzanine

Special Event

ACCESS Executives

12:15pm CDT

Book Signing of Major Garrett's "Mr. Trump's Wild Ride"

Join us for a signing of Major Garrett's book, "Mr. Trump's Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Major Garrett

Chief White House Correspondent for CBS News

Friday September 27, 2019 12:15pm - 12:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Free Program, National Politics, Media

12:15pm CDT

Book Signing of Shannon Watts's "Fight Like a Mother"

Join us for a signing of Shannon Watts's book, "Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Shannon Watts

Founder of Moms Demand Action

Friday September 27, 2019 12:15pm - 12:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Free Program, Gender, National Politics

12:15pm CDT

Book Signing of William McRaven's "Sea Stories"

Join us for a signing of William McRaven's book, "Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

William McRaven

Former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command

Friday September 27, 2019 12:15pm - 12:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Security, Free Program

1:00pm CDT

Meet-and-Greet with Mayor Eric Johnson and Mike Wilson

Join us for a meet-and-greet with the panelists of One-on-One with Eric Johnson in the sixth floor lobby of the Texas Public Policy Foundation immediately following their panel.

Presented by the Texas Municipal League and The Dallas Morning News

Speakers

Eric Johnson

Mayor of Dallas

Mike Wilson

Editor of The Dallas Morning News

Sponsors

Texas Municipal League

Major Sponsor

The Texas Municipal League is the united voice for 1,161 member cities throughout Texas. Since 1913, TML has helped Texas cities serve their citizens and govern effectively. The League provides education, resources, and legal support to cities, and advocates for Texans to decide... Read More →

The Dallas Morning News

Media Partner

The Dallas Morning News is the leading provider of news and information in North Texas. Founded in 1885, we make our community stronger through quality local journalism that informs and inspires.@dallasnews... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 1:00pm - 1:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Sixth Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Cities

1:00pm CDT

Live Broadcast of KERA's "Think"

The chancellors of the University of Texas and the Texas A&M University systems talk to Krys Boyd about the future of higher ed

Programmed in partnership with KERA. Supported by TEXAS 2036 and Educate Texas.

Moderator

Krys Boyd

Host and Managing Editor of KERA's “Think”

Boyd is host and managing editor of the midday talk show Think from KERA, North Texas’ NPR and PBS member station. Before joining KERA in 2001, she worked for Broadcast.com, Yahoo and served as a journalist along the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to its daily statewide broadcast... Read More →

Speakers

J.B. Milliken

Chancellor of the University of Texas System

Milliken was named head of the University of Texas System in 2018. As chancellor, he oversees 14 health and academic institutions, including six medical schools. Previously, Milliken served as chancellor of the City University of New York, president of the University of Nebraska and... Read More →

John Sharp

Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System

Sharp has led the Texas A&M University System since 2011. In 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott named him head of the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas, which was charged with rebuilding the state’s infrastructure in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Previously, Sharp served in the... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Podcast

ACCESS Higher Education, #txlege

1:15pm CDT

Book Signing of David Priess's "How to Get Rid of a President"

Join us for a signing of David Priess's book, "How to Get Rid of a President: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

David Priess

Chief Operating Officer of the Lawfare Institute

Friday September 27, 2019 1:15pm - 1:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS National Politics, Justice, Free Program

1:15pm CDT

Book Signing of Sarah Roberts' "Behind the Screen"

Join us for a signing of Sarah Roberts' book, "Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Sarah T. Roberts

Assistant Professor of Information Studies at UCLA

Friday September 27, 2019 1:15pm - 1:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Tech, Free Program

2:00pm CDT

One-on-One with Joe Walsh

The former Illinois congressman on the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2020

This event is free to attend and open-to-the-public. No RSVP is required.

Moderator

Ben Smith

Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News

Speakers

Joe Walsh

Republican Candidate for U.S. President and Former U.S. Representative, R-Illinois

Walsh announced his candidacy for U.S. president, challenging President Donald Trump, in August. Previously, he served one term in the U.S. House representing Illinois' 8th Congressional District. Walsh began his career as a social worker in the Chicago area and currently hosts a... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Special Event

ACCESS Free Program, National Politics, 2020

2:00pm CDT

Building for the Future

We've crunched the data. We know the challenges and opportunities. We see a strong, vibrant Texas off in the distance. How do we get from here to there?

Presented by Ascension Seton and Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by Oncor and Texas Charter Schools Association.

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Chuy Hinojosa

State Senator

Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has represented Senate District 20 since 2003. He serves as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee and sits on the Agriculture, Natural Resources & Economic Development, Property Tax and Transportation committees. Previously, Hinojosa served in the Texas House... Read More →

Donna Howard

State Representative

Howard, D-Austin, has represented House District 48 since 2007. She serves as vice chair of the House Administration Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Higher Education committees. Howard is a former president of the Texas Nurses Association and previously worked as a critical... Read More →

Tom Luce

Founder and Chairman of Texas 2036

Luce founded Texas 2036, a public policy nonprofit that conducts research for policymakers to make informed decisions about the state’s future, in 2016. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of education under former President George W. Bush and as chief justice of the Texas... Read More →

John Zerwas

State Representative

Zerwas, R-Richmond, has represented House District 28 since 2007. He serves as chair of the House Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Legislative Budget Board. Zerwas is an anesthesiologist and previously served as president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Economy, Cities, Health Care, Higher Education, Public Education, Rural, Transportation

2:00pm CDT

No Man's Land

How do we prepare for the driverless city?

Supported by Oncor, Capital Metro and Toyota and Gulf States Toyota. Programmed in partnership with the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Moderator

Steven Pedigo

Director of the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Pedigo has expertise in economic and urban development, city strategy and management, and placemaking. He currently serves as director of research and advising at the global advisory firm Creative Class Group as well as in leadership roles at two other global consultancy firms. Previously... Read More →

Speakers

Darran Anderson

Director of Strategy and Innovation for the Texas Department of Transportation

Anderson directs technology and business process improvements, strategic research and innovation initiatives for the Texas Department of Transportation. He oversees the Strategic Planning, Information Management and Research and Technology Implementation divisions and coordinates... Read More →

Allison Arieff

Editorial Director at SPUR

Lilian Coral

Director of National Strategy and Technology Innovation at the Knight Foundation

Coral joined the Knight Foundation in 2017. As director of national strategy, she manages the foundation’s national portfolio and focuses on the development of the Smart Cities strategy. Previously, she served as chief data officer for Mayor Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles, where she... Read More →

Jeff Williams

Mayor of Arlington

Williams was elected mayor of Arlington in 2015. He also serves as president of the engineering and planning firm Graham Associates Inc., where he has worked on projects including the AT&T Stadium and the I-30 Three Bridges project. He was awarded the State of Texas Outstanding Civil... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Cities, Transportation, Tech

2:00pm CDT

One-on-One with Pete Buttigieg

The Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, on his race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Programmed in partnership with NBC News

Moderator

Stephanie Ruhle

Correspondent for NBC News and Anchor for "MSNBC Live"

Ruhle is a correspondent for NBC News and anchors “MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle” and “MSNBC Live with Velshi & Ruhle.” Previously, she served as anchor and managing editor for Bloomberg Television and editor-at-large for Bloomberg News, where she co-hosted “Bloomberg... Read More →

Speakers

Pete Buttigieg

Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Democratic Candidate for President

Buttigieg has served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, since 2012. He announced his campaign for president in April. He is a former president of the Indiana Urban Mayors Caucus and was a candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2017. Buttigieg served as a lieutenant... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS 2020, National Politics

2:00pm CDT

Supermajority Rules

How to leverage the political power of women

Supported by PepsiCo and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Moderator

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Alicia Garza

Co-Founder of Supermajority

Garza co-founded Supermajority, an organization promoting women's activism, training and gender equity, in 2019. She worked as the strategy and partnerships director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and as principal at Black Futures Lab. Garza is also co-founder of the Black... Read More →

Ai-Jen Poo

Co-Founder of Supermajority

Poo is the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, co-director of the Caring Across Generations campaign and co-founder of Supermajority, an organization promoting women's activism. She is a 2014 MacArthur “genius” Fellow and TIME 100 alumna. Poo is also the author... Read More →

Cecile Richards

Co-Founder of Supermajority

Richards is a co-founder of Supermajority, an organization promoting women's political activism. She is a former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund and previously served as deputy chief of staff to U.S. Speaker of the House... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Stateside at The Paramount

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Gender

2:00pm CDT

Live Recording of the "Politics with Amy Walter" Podcast

Amy Walter talks to New York Times journalists who cover politics in this extraordinary moment for their industry and our democracy

Moderator

Amy Walter

National Editor at The Cook Political Report and Host of WNYC's “Politics with Amy Walter”

Walter is the national editor of The Cook Political Report, where she provides analysis of issues that shape the political environment. She is also the host of WNYC's “The Takeaway (Politics with Amy Walter),” and is a regular contributor to the PBS “NewsHour.” Previously... Read More →

Speakers

Rachel Dry

Deputy Editor for Enterprise at The New York Times

Dry is the deputy politics editor for enterprise at The New York Times and oversees feature stories about the 2020 campaign. She is also the creator and host of Opinion Live, a monthly show featuring readings and performances from Opinion contributors. Previously, Dry worked as the... Read More →

Matt Flegenheimer

Reporter at The New York Times

Flegenheimer is a reporter covering national politics for The New York Times. He started at the Times in 2011 on the Metro desk covering transit, City Hall and campaigns.

Katie Glueck

Political Reporter at The New York Times

Glueck reports on politics for The New York Times, where she began in May. Previously, she served as a reporter for McClatchy and Politico, where she covered the 2016 presidential election. Her work has also appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Washingtonian... Read More →

Astead Herndon

National Political Reporter for The New York Times

Jonathan Martin

National Political Correspondent for The New York Times

Friday September 27, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS Media, National Politics

2:30pm CDT

Jurist Prudence

Is there a sensible way to reform how we select judges?

Moderator

Emma Platoff

Justice and Politics Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Platoff is a justice and politics reporter for The Texas Tribune. She is the former managing editor of the Yale Daily News and a former intern at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Hartford Courant. Platoff is a graduate of Yale University.

Speakers

Nathan Hecht

Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court

Hecht was appointed chief justice by then-Gov. Rick Perry in 2013. First elected to the state’s high court in 1988, he is the longest-serving Texas Supreme Court member in history. In this role, Hecht has led the court’s efforts to ensure Texans have access to basic civil legal... Read More →

Jeff Leach

State Representative

Leach, R-Plano, has represented House District 67 since 2013. He serves as chair of the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee and sits on the Pensions, Investments & Financial Services and Redistricting committees. He also serves on the board of trustees for Houston Baptist... Read More →

Ina Minjarez

State Representative

Minjarez, D-San Antonio, has represented House District 124 since a 2015 special election. She sits on the House Appropriations, Land & Resource Management and Redistricting committees. She was also appointed by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg as a community representative to the... Read More →

Latosha Lewis Payne

Judge of the 55th Civil Judicial District

Payne was elected as a civil district judge in Harris County in 2018. She has been a civil trial lawyer for nearly 18 years and is a co-founding partner of Trahan Kornegay Payne LLP. Previously, she worked as a partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. Payne is a board member and past... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Justice

2:30pm CDT

One-on-One with Heather Wilson

The new president of the University of Texas at El Paso on building bridges after her controversial hiring and creating higher ed opportunity in a community eager for it

Supported by Pearson

Moderator

Shannon Najmabadi

Higher Education Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Najmabadi covers higher education for the Tribune, where she started as a fellow in 2017. She has reported on the business of college sports, student debt and the intersection of politics and public higher education in Texas. Najmabadi has also reported on a variety of other issues... Read More →

Speakers

Heather Wilson

President of the University of Texas at El Paso

Wilson was named president of the University of Texas at El Paso in April. Previously, she served as the U.S. Air Force secretary, a role she was appointed to in 2017. She also served as president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and served for 11 years in the U.S... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Higher Education, National Politics, Security

2:30pm CDT

Points of Light

The shining example of George H.W. and Barbara Bush

Supported by Texas Monthly

Moderator

Karen Tumulty

Columnist for The Washington Post

Speakers

Michael Beschloss

Author and Presidential Historian for NBC News

Beschloss serves as a presidential historian for NBC News and as a contributor for PBS NewsHour. He is the author of nine books on presidential history, including, most recently, the New York Times bestselling “Presidents of War” and “Presidential Courage,” as well as two... Read More →

George P. Bush

Texas Land Commissioner

Bush was elected Texas land commissioner in 2014. He is also chair of the Texas Veterans Land Board, where he oversees the administration of veterans’ benefits and housing loans. Previously, Bush served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, co-founded an investment firm focused... Read More →

Susan Page

Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today

Page writes about politics and the White House for USA Today and serves as its Washington Bureau Chief. Previously, she worked as a reporter for Newsday and USA Today, and she has covered six White House administrations and 10 presidential elections. Page is also the author of the... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS National Politics

2:30pm CDT

Representation Nation

Are we going to count every person and every vote?

Programmed in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network.

Moderator

Alexa Ura

Demographics Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Ura covers the intersection between politics and race, with an emphasis on the state’s surging Hispanic population, as the Tribune’s demographics reporter. She also covers voting rights issues for the Tribune, where she started as a reporting fellow in 2013. Ura is a graduate... Read More →

Speakers

Carol Alvarado

State Senator

Alvarado, D-Houston, has represented Senate District 6 since a 2019 special election. She sits on the Senate Intergovernmental Relations, Nominations, Transportation, and Water & Rural Affairs committees. Previously, Alvarado served more than 10 years representing House District 145... Read More →

Rick Hasen

Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine School of Law

Hasen has expertise in election law and has written on issues including campaign finance, election administration and Supreme Court jurisprudence. He is the author of four academic books, including “Plutocrats United” and, most recently, “The Justice of Contradictions” on... Read More →

Michael Li

Redistricting and Voting Counsel at the Brennan Center at New York University Law School

Li serves as senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where he focuses on redistricting, voting rights and elections. He is also the author of txredistricting.org, a widely cited redistricting blog. Previously, Li practiced law at Baker Botts LLP in Dallas and... Read More →

Nina Perales

Vice President of Litigation at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Perales is the vice president of litigation at MALDEF, where she supervises the organization’s legal staff and litigation dockets. She has worked on numerous redistricting and voting rights cases, including the 2006 case LULAC v. Perry, a Voting Rights Act challenge to Texas congressional... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS 2020, National Politics, Cities, Rural, #txlege

2:30pm CDT

The Democratic Do-Over

Four congressional candidates hope this time's the charm

Moderator

Abby Livingston

Washington Bureau Chief for The Texas Tribune

Livingston joined the Tribune in 2014 as the lead reporter in Washington, D.C., and won the 2017 National Press Club Award for Washington Regional Reporting for her work. She has covered political campaigns, House leadership and Congress for Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper... Read More →

Speakers

Wendy Davis

Former State Senator and Democratic Candidate for Texas' 21st Congressional District

Gina Ortiz Jones

Democratic Candidate for Texas' 23rd Congressional District

Sri Kulkarni

Democratic Candidate for Texas' 22nd Congressional District

Kulkarni is a Democratic candidate for Texas’ 22nd Congressional District. Previously, he was commissioned as a U.S. Foreign Service officer, serving overseas in places including Iraq, Israel, Russia, Taiwan and Jamaica. Kulkarni also worked on national security issues in the U.S... Read More →

Kim Olson

Democratic Candidate for Texas' 24th Congressional District

Olson announced her campaign for Texas’ 24th Congressional District in March. Previously, she served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired at the rank of colonel. She also served as the CEO of Grace After Fire, an organization that helps women veterans upon their return home... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

2:30pm CDT

This Way Up

How higher education is an engine of social mobility

Supported by The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Exes, The Trellis Foundation and Texas State Technical College.

Moderator

Paul Tough

Contributing Writer at The New York Times Magazine

Tough is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, where he writes about education, parenting, poverty and politics. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” and, most recently, “Helping... Read More →

Speakers

Ellie Bertani

Senior Director of Learning Strategy and Innovation at Walmart

Bertani joined Walmart in 2013 and is currently the company’s senior director of learning strategy and innovation. She is responsible for delivering training, development and education programs to the company’s U.S. employees. Previously, she held positions with the Bill and Melinda... Read More →

Raymund Paredes

Texas Commissioner of Higher Education

Paredes is the Texas commissioner of higher education and the CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He spent most of his career at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he spent 30 years as an English professor and 10 as vice chancellor for academic development... Read More →

Chris Turner

State Representative

Turner, D-Grand Prairie, has represented House District 101 since 2013. He also served as the district’s state representative from 2009 to 2011. He currently serves as chair of the House Higher Education Committee and as vice chair of the Redistricting Committee, and he sits on... Read More →

Ashley Williams

Economic Opportunity Policy Analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities

Williams joined the Center for Public Policy Priorities in 2018 and focuses on postsecondary education and immigration policy. She is dedicated to intersectional policy research and advocacy and previously researched the disparate impact of high-cost online lending on communities... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Higher Education, #txlege

3:00pm CDT

Meet-and-Greet with 'Building for the Future' Panelists

Join us for a meet-and-greet with the panelists of Building for the Future in the Crail Hall lounge, just outside the panel venue, immediately following their panel.

Presented by Oncor

Speakers

Chuy Hinojosa

State Senator

Donna Howard

State Representative

Tom Luce

Founder and Chairman of Texas 2036

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

John Zerwas

State Representative

Sponsors

Oncor

Major Sponsor

Oncor is the largest electric utility in Texas, serving more than 10 million Texans and operating more than 137,000 miles of power lines across the state. Each and every day, Oncor delivers safe, reliable, affordable electric service at the lowest rates of any investor owned utility... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall Lounge (Second Floor)

Partner Program

ACCESS #txlege, Economy, Higher Education, Public Education, Transportation, Health Care, Cities, Rural

3:30pm CDT

Both Sides Now

It’s a heck of a time to be a bi-national city

Programmed in partnership with the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Moderator

Jean Guerrero

Investigative Reporter at KPBS San Diego

Guerrero is an investigative reporter at KPBS, San Diego’s public television station. Her reporting on family separations at the border, the border wall, deportations and the migrant caravan has been recognized by organizations including the San Diego Press Club and the Society... Read More →

Speakers

César Blanco

State Representative

Pete Saenz

Mayor of Laredo

Saenz has served as mayor of Laredo since 2014. As mayor, he initiated “New Voice; New Vision,” an agenda focused on government transparency and job growth. Previously, he spent 12 years on the Laredo Community College Board, four of which he served as president. Saenz also worked... Read More →

Mary Walshok

Associate Vice Chancellor of the University of California at San Diego

Walshok serves as an associate vice chancellor at the University of California at San Diego and was one of the first women to be hired in a senior academic position at the university. During her tenure, she has led a number of initiatives to encourage more women to pursue STEM fields... Read More →

Ruth Wasem

Clinical Professor of Public Policy Practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Wasem is a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and an opinion contributor at The Hill. She was a domestic policy specialist at the U.S. Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service for more than 25 years and testified before Congress... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Panel

ACCESS Economy, Cities, Immigration

3:30pm CDT

Have Faith

Religious liberty, religious diversity and the search for common ground

Moderator

Tom Gjelten

Religion and Belief Correspondent for National Public Radio

Gjelten reports on religion, faith and belief for NPR News. He first joined NPR in 1982 as a labor and education reporter, and during his tenure he has covered wars in Central America, political conflict in South America, the first Gulf War and transitions to democracy in Eastern... Read More →

Speakers

Matt Krause

State Representative

Krause, R-Fort Worth, has represented House District 93 since 2013. He sits on the House General Investigating, Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, Redistricting and Transportation committees, and chairs the Texas Legislative Tourism Caucus. Krause also works as a constitutional attorney... Read More →

Kevin Roberts

Executive Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Roberts is the executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and has expertise in the Constitution, the history of education in the U.S. and school reform. Previously, he worked as a history professor in New Mexico and started his own elementary school in Louisiana. Roberts... Read More →

Omar Suleiman

Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research & Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University

Suleiman is the founder and president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, a nonprofit research initiative, and a professor of Islamic Studies at SMU. He began his career in New Orleans, where he served as the imam of the city’s Jefferson Muslim Association and later directed... Read More →

Asma Uddin

Senior Scholar at the Freedom Forum Institute

Uddin is the founding editor-in-chief of altMuslimah, an online news outlet that covers topics on gender and Islam. She is a senior scholar at the Freedom Forum Institute and a visiting scholar at Brigham Young University. Previously, Uddin served as an attorney with Becket, a nonprofit... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Cities

3:30pm CDT

Home Base

What pro sports and big cities get from each other

Moderator

Matthew Watkins

Politics Editor at The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Alan Ledford

President of the El Paso Chihuahuas

Ledford is the president of MountainStar Sport Group, where he oversees the El Paso Chihuahuas, a minor league baseball team that is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, and the El Paso Locomotive FC professional soccer team. Previously, he spent 15 seasons with the Oakland... Read More →

Andy Loughnane

President of Austin FC

Loughnane is the president of the professional soccer franchise, Austin FC, where he oversees stadium operations, community engagement and marketing. Previously, he served as Columbus Crew SC’s president of business operations. Loughnane has also served in leadership and sales roles... Read More →

Laura Miller

Former Mayor of Dallas

Miller served as mayor of Dallas from 2002 to 2007 after nearly two terms as a member of the Dallas City Council. Previously, she served as director of projects for Texas for Summit Power Group, a Seattle-based developer of wind, solar and gas-fired power plants. Miller also worked... Read More →

Bobby Perez

Executive Vice President General Counsel and Corporate Relations for Spurs Sports and Entertainment

Perez is in his sixth year as executive vice president general counsel and corporate relations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, where his responsibilities include handling legal affairs, business development, personnel relations, soccer operations and government relations. Previously... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Cities, Economy, Sports

3:45pm CDT

Book Signing of Paul Tough's "The Years That Matter Most"

Join us for a signing of Paul Tough's book, "The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Paul Tough

Contributing Writer at The New York Times Magazine

Friday September 27, 2019 3:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Higher Education, Free Program

3:45pm CDT

Book Signing of Susan Page's "The Matriarch"

Join us for a signing of Susan Page's book, "The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Susan Page

Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today

Friday September 27, 2019 3:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS National Politics, Gender, Free Program

3:45pm CDT

Executive Meet-and-Greet with Carol Alvarado and Michael Li

Join us for a meet-and-greet with state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Michael Li, redistrictring and voting counsel at the Brennan Center at New York University Law School, in the Executive Lounge immediately following their Festival panel.

This meet-and-greet is open to executive, sponsor and speaker passholders only.

Speakers

Carol Alvarado

State Senator

Michael Li

Redistricting and Voting Counsel at the Brennan Center at New York University Law School

Friday September 27, 2019 3:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Executives

3:45pm CDT

Black in the Newsroom

Race, politics and journalism in the age of Trump

Moderator

Dana Canedy

Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes

Canedy was appointed administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes by the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2017. Previously, she worked in numerous positions at The New York Times, including as a special projects reporter and editor, and she was a lead journalist on “How Race Is Lived in America... Read More →

Speakers

Errin Haines

National Writer on Race and Ethnicity for The Associated Press

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Staff Writer at The New York Times Magazine

Astead Herndon

National Political Reporter for The New York Times

Wesley Lowery

National Correspondent for The Washington Post

Lowery is a Pulitzer Prize-winning national correspondent covering law enforcement, race and justice for The Washington Post. He also appears frequently as an on-air contributor for CNN. Previously, Lowery worked as a breaking news and local politics reporter at The Boston Globe... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm CDT
Stateside at The Paramount

Panel

ACCESS Media, National Politics

3:45pm CDT

One-on-One with Anthony Scaramucci

The former White House communications director on his 11 days of infamy, what he thinks of Trump and the media and who’s going to win in 2020

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Moderator

Ben Smith

Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News

Speakers

Anthony Scaramucci

Former White House Communications Director

Scaramucci is the founder and co-managing partner of the global investment firm SkyBridge Capital. In 2016, he was named to President-elect Donald Trump’s 16-person Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee. He served as the White House communications director for a period... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Media

4:00pm CDT

Keep Digging

Four of the nation’s top investigative journalists on how they search for the truth

Supported by the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Arnold Ventures

Moderator

Christa Scharfenberg

CEO of The Center for Investigative Reporting

Scharfenberg joined The Center for Investigative Reporting in 2003 and has led its growth from a small nonprofit newsroom to a multiplatform news outlet. She also led the launch of the national public radio show and podcast “Reveal” and has been an executive director or senior... Read More →

Speakers

Bryan Burrough

Special Correspondent at Vanity Fair and Writer at Audible

Burrough joined Vanity Fair in 1992 and has been a special correspondent for the publication since 1995. He has covered topics including the events that led to the war in Iraq, the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and the Anthony Pellicano case. Previously, he worked as an investigative... Read More →

David Fahrenthold

Reporter for The Washington Post

Fahrenthold has been with the Post since 2000. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting in 2017 for his coverage of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Previously, Fahrenthold served as the Post’s New England correspondent and covered environmental issues... Read More →

Walter V. Robinson

Editor-at-Large at The Boston Globe

Robinson is editor-at-large at The Boston Globe, a publication for which he has served in various roles since 1972, including as a foreign and national correspondent and as Middle East bureau chief. He also led the Boston Globe Spotlight Team that won a Pulitzer  for its investigation... Read More →

Harriet Ryan

Investigative Reporter for the Los Angeles Times

Ryan joined the Los Angeles Times in 2008 and has covered high-profile people and institutions, including the Catholic Church and Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, for the publication. She was part of the team that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom

Panel

ACCESS Media

4:00pm CDT

Mental Note

The Legislature is finally focused on behavioral health, but there’s more work to be done.

Presented by Ascension Seton.

Moderator

Corrie MacLaggan

Managing Editor for The Texas Tribune

MacLaggan is the Tribune’s managing editor. Previously, she worked as a national correspondent for Reuters, writing and editing stories about Texas and nearby states and overseeing a network of freelance writers. Before joining Reuters, she covered Texas government and politics... Read More →

Speakers

Andy Keller

President and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

Keller is president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, an organization that provides nonpartisan policy research to improve mental health services in Texas. He was a founding partner of TriWest Group, a national behavioral health systems consulting firm, and is... Read More →

Four Price

State Representative

Price, R-Amarillo, has represented House District 87 since 2011. He serves as chair of the House Calendars Committee and sits on the Natural Resources, Public Health and Redistricting committees. Price has practiced law for over 20 years and currently serves as vice president and... Read More →

Karen Ranus

Executive Director of NAMI Central Texas

Ranus has served as the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Central Texas since 2014. She has developed and implemented mental health programs to address the needs of faith communities, law enforcement, workplaces and parents of teens. Ranus also sits on... Read More →

Toni Rose

State Representative

Rose, D-Dallas, has represented House District 110 since 2013. She sits on the House Appropriations, Calendars, Human Services and Redistricting committees. Rose also serves as second vice chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus and as treasurer of the National Organization of... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Health Care, #txlege

4:00pm CDT

One-on-One with Susan Rice

The former U.S. national security adviser and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on the state of the American diplomacy and foreign policy and a life in service to family and country

Moderator

Margaret Talev

Politics and White House Editor at Axios

Talev was recently announced as the new politics and White House editor at Axios, where she is tapped to lead the publication's 2020 coverage. Previously, she was a senior White House correspondent for Bloomberg. She is also a past president and a board member of the White House Correspondents... Read More →

Speakers

Susan Rice

Former National Security Adviser and Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Rice served as national security adviser from 2013 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. She also served in the Obama administration as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and assistant secretary of state for African Affairs. Currently, Rice is a distinguished visiting research... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS Security, National Politics

4:00pm CDT

Stirring the Pot

Can Texas get to yes on medical marijuana?

Moderator

Alex Samuels

Political Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Samuels began as a political reporter for the Tribune in 2019 after working as a community reporter for the organization. She joined the Tribune as a newsletters fellow in 2016 and later worked as a reporting fellow during the 85th Texas legislative session. Previously, Samuels worked... Read More →

Speakers

Donna Campbell

State Senator

Campbell, R-New Braunfels, has represented Senate District 25 since 2013. She serves as chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs & Border Security Committee and sits on the Business & Commerce, Education, Finance, Health & Human Services and Intergovernmental Relations committees. Campbell... Read More →

Eddie Lucio III

State Representative

Lucio, D-Brownsville, has represented House District 38 since 2007. He serves as chair of the House Insurance Committee and sits on the Public Health Committee. In the 85th legislative session, he authored House Bill 2107, which aimed to legalize medical marijuana for patients with... Read More →

Stephanie Klick

State Representative

Klick, R-Fort Worth, has represented House District 91 since 2013. She serves as chair of the House Elections Committee and sits on the Human Services Committee. Klick is a registered nurse and has worked as a case manager and health consultant for long-term care facilities. She played... Read More →

José Menéndez

State Senator

Menéndez, D-San Antonio, has represented Senate District 26 since 2015. He sits on the Senate Administration, Business & Commerce, Higher Education, Intergovernmental Relations and Veteran Affairs & Border Security committees. Previously, he spent 14 years in the Texas House, representing... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Economy, Justice, #txlege, Health Care

4:00pm CDT

The Elephant in the Room

Does the GOP have a problem with women voters?

Moderator

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Sarah Davis

State Representative

Davis, R-West University Place, has represented House District 134 since 2011. She serves on the House Appropriations and Insurance committees. She also serves as vice chair of the Legislature's Harris County Delegation and secretary of the Women's Health Caucus, and she is House... Read More →

Eva Guzman

Texas Supreme Court Justice

Guzman was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2009. She became the first Hispanic woman elected to statewide office in Texas when she was elected to a full term in 2010. Previously, Guzman served as a district judge in the 309th District Court in Harris County and was later appointed... Read More →

Stacy Hock

Victory Chair of the Republican Party of Texas

Hock serves as the Texas GOP 2020 victory chairwoman and is charged with leading the party’s statewide strategy in the upcoming election. She is a gubernatorial appointee, serving as vice chair of the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability and on Lt... Read More →

Betsy Price

Mayor of Fort Worth

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Gender

4:00pm CDT

The Impeachment Download

Five close observers of the political moment debrief a week of news like no other and answer your burning questions about what happens next.

Supported by the Texas A&M University System and The Beer Alliance of Texas

Moderator

John Heilemann

Co-host of Showtime's “The Circus”

Speakers

Mieke Eoyang

Vice President for the National Security Program and Chair of the Cyber Enforcement Initiative at Third Way

Eoyang is vice president for the National Security Program at Third Way. She previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo and as defense policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. Eoyang is a contributor for Lawfare and has been featured in Politico, The Wall Street Journal... Read More →

Frank Figliuzzi

Former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence for the FBI

Figliuzzi is a former assistant director for counterintelligence for the FBI and current contributor for NBC. Previously, he worked as assistant chief security officer at General Electric and as chief operating officer of ETS Risk Management, where he consulted with clients on insider... Read More →

Mark McKinnon

Co-host of Showtime's “The Circus”

McKinnon is the co-host of Showtime’s “The Circus.” He has served as a commentator and a media adviser for numerous companies and candidates, including former Texas Gov. Ann Richards and former President George W. Bush. McKinnon is also a co-founder of No Labels, an organization... Read More →

Ashley Parker

White House Reporter for The Washington Post

Parker has been a White House reporter for The Washington Post since 2017. Prior to joining the Post, she worked as a reporter for The New York Times, covering the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. Parker is also an NBC/MSNBC political analyst and has written for The New York... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

4:45pm CDT

Book Signing of Asma Uddin's "When Islam Is Not a Religion"

Join us for a signing of Asma Uddin's book, "When Islam Is Not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Asma Uddin

Senior Scholar at the Freedom Forum Institute

Friday September 27, 2019 4:45pm - 5:15pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Free Program, National Politics

5:00pm CDT

Book Signing of Anthony Scaramucci's "Trump, the Blue-Collar President"

Join us for a signing of Anthony Scaramucci's book, "Trump, the Blue-Collar President." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Anthony Scaramucci

Former White House Communications Director

Friday September 27, 2019 5:00pm - 5:30pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Free Program, National Politics

5:15pm CDT

Book Signing of Susan Rice's "Tough Love"

Join us for a signing of Susan Rice's book, "Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Susan Rice

Former National Security Adviser and Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Friday September 27, 2019 5:15pm - 5:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Security, National Politics, Free Program

6:30pm CDT

SOLD OUT! Trivia Night with Steve Kornacki — Special #TribFest19 Edition

After a full day of programming at the Festival, you are invited to join Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for MSNBC and NBC News, as he hosts a special edition of The Texas Tribune's Trivia Night. Bring your friends and test your knowledge on everything from current events to politics. Teams of up to six will compete for prizes, and there will be a special prize for the best team names.

Tickets for this event are not included with your Festival badge and a Festival badge is not required to attend. Doors to the event will open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.

Tickets to his event are now sold out. Additional tickets will not be made available at the door.

Presented by Pearson, AT&T, Lyft and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Speakers

Steve Kornacki

National Political Correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC

Kornacki is a national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. Previously, he hosted MSNBC’s “Up with Steve Kornacki,” and he is now a regular substitute for Chris Matthews on “Hardball” and a mainstay of election night coverage. Kornacki is the author of “The... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2019 6:30pm - 9:00pm CDT
Scholz Garten

Special Event

ACCESS National Politics

7:00pm CDT

Politics Live with NYT

Custom media button

Join The New York Times for an evening devoted to understanding the historic 2020 campaign, and understanding how to enjoy yourself as you follow along.

You’ll hear from New York Times political reporters Jennifer Medina, Matt Flegenheimer, Katie Glueck and Astead Herndon about the state of the race. And Kim Severson, a Southern-based correspondent who covers the nation’s food culture, and national political correspondent Jonathan Martin will discuss two very important things that often go together: Food and politics. Hosted by deputy politics editor Rachel Dry at the 2019 Texas Tribune Festival.

Seating will be available to Festival passholders on a space available basis without an additional ticket. Tickets for guaranteed seating and attendees without a Festival pass can be purchased here.

Speakers

Rachel Dry

Deputy Editor for Enterprise at The New York Times

Matt Flegenheimer

Reporter at The New York Times

Flegenheimer is a reporter covering national politics for The New York Times. He started at the Times in 2011 on the Metro desk covering transit, City Hall and campaigns.

Katie Glueck

Political Reporter at The New York Times

Astead Herndon

National Political Reporter for The New York Times

Jonathan Martin

National Political Correspondent for The New York Times

Friday September 27, 2019 7:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Stateside at The Paramount

Partner Program

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Media

7:30pm CDT

TribFeast: A Dinner To Support Nonprofit Journalism - SOLD OUT!

Support the Tribune’s nonprofit newsroom at this dinner event on Friday, Sept. 27, featuring best-selling author, Michael Beschloss in conversation with the Tribune's Evan Smith. Join thought leaders, philanthropists, elected officials, policymakers and big-brand journalists for this special evening.

All tickets for this event must be purchased separately in advance and there will be no walk-up sales.

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Michael Beschloss

Author and Presidential Historian for NBC News

Friday September 27, 2019 7:30pm - 10:00pm CDT
Brazos Hall

Special Event

ACCESS National Politics, Media

7:00am CDT

Live Broadcast of "Up with David Gura"

Join NBC News for a live broadcast of "Up with David Gura" from Open Congress featuring U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, Michael Beschloss, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Wendy Davis, Jeh Johnson and The Texas Tribune's Abby Livingston.

Presented by NBC News and MSNBC

Sponsors

NBC News | MSNBC

Media Partner

More Americans watch NBC News and MSNBC than any news organization in the world. NBC News’ award-winning television news broadcasts include TODAY, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Meet the Press with Chuck Todd, Dateline NBC, TODAY with Hoda and Jenna and Sunday TODAY with Willie... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 7:00am - 9:00am CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, National Politics, 2020

8:00am CDT

Breakfast with the Texas Public Policy Foundation

The Texas Public Policy Foundation welcomes participants of the Texas Tribune Festival to join for breakfast on Saturday morning of the Fest. TPPF seeks to defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation.

Presented by the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Sponsors

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Major Sponsor

The Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.@TPPF... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Sixth Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:00am CDT

TEXAS 2036: Tacos with Tom and Margaret

Come enjoy breakfast tacos and coffee with TEXAS 2036 founder and chair Tom Luce and president and CEO Margaret Spellings. Meet the TEXAS 2036 team, learn more about how you can be part of what’s next for Texas and share what issue you think Texas must get right by 2036 in the TEXAS 2036 Photo Booth. Text JOINTX to 52886.

Presented by TEXAS 2016

Speakers

Tom Luce

Founder and Chairman of Texas 2036

Margaret Spellings

CEO of Texas 2036 and Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Spellings is the CEO of Texas 2036, a public policy nonprofit that conducts research for policymakers to make informed decisions about the state’s future. Previously, she served as U.S. secretary of education under President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2009, and most recently she... Read More →

Sponsors

Texas 2036

Major Sponsor

Texas 2036 is a nonprofit organization building long-term, data-driven strategies to secure Texas’ continued prosperity for years to come. We engage Texans—and their leaders—in an honest conversation about our future, focusing on the big challenges. We offer non-partisan ideas... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:00am CDT

Student Breakfast

Students are invited for tacos and coffee to pre-game the final day of the Fest and connect with other #TTFStudents. Meet Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life staff and our social media ambassadors, get highlights of the day and inside information on what’s happening. We'll also be joined by special guest Steve Adler, mayor of Austin. Learn more about Students at the Fest.

Students at the Fest is presented in partnership with the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. Supporting sponsors include the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, Pearson, Texas Exes, Austin Community College and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation.

Speakers

Steve Adler

Mayor of Austin

Adler has served as mayor of Austin since 2015. He has represented Austin in the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and he is a board member of the National Council of Democratic Mayors. Previously, he served as chief of staff to former... Read More →

Sponsors

Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life

Supporting Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Special Event

8:00am CDT

#StopRxGreed with AARP Texas

Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world and AARP is calling for leaders to stick up for people ages 50+ and their families.

Visit the AARP Texas #StopRxGreed Tent to learn more about AARP's efforts to lower prescription drug prices.

Presented by AARP Texas

Sponsors

AARP

Major Sponsor

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, including more than 2 million in Texas. AARP helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Health Care

8:00am CDT

Kaboom Play Space from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Bring your family to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Kaboom play space during Open Congress at the Old Bakery and Emporium. The Imagination Playground was donated by Austin Achieve to allow your kids to play and be creative while you learn more about how BCBSTX is addressing social determinates of health across Texas.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Health Care

8:00am CDT

Spurs Sports & Entertainment at Open Congress

Stop by and show your Spurs Spirit by taking a photo in front of the Austin Spurs Photo Opportunity on Congress Abev. The 18’ long display features the “Austin” wordmark that adorns the front of the Spurs’ G-League Affiliate Austin Spurs jerseys.

Presented by Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Sponsors

Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Sports

8:00am CDT

TEXAS 2036 at Open Congress

Stop by the TEXAS 2036 Tent at Open Congress between programs to meet the TEXAS 2036 team, play Texas lawn games, learn more about how you can be part of what’s next for Texas and share what issue you think Texas must get right by 2036 in the Texas 2036 Photo Booth. Text JOINTX to 52886.

Presented by TEXAS 2036

Sponsors

Texas 2036

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:00am CDT

Texas REALTORS® at Open Congress

You Decide 2020! Visit the Texas REALTORS® tent at 8th St. and Congress Ave. to cast your vote in a presidential straw poll.

Sponsors

Texas REALTORS®

Major Sponsor

With more than 120,000 members, Texas REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS® and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, 2020, National Politics

8:00am CDT

Walmart at Open Congress

Walmart is committed to making healthcare more affordable and accessible for customers in the communities they serve. Walmart will be offering free vision and health screenings including blood glucose, total cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI. They'll have pharmacists offering consultations, educating on immunization awareness, handing out health related resources and promotional giveaways.

Presented by Walmart

Sponsors

Walmart

Presenting Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Health Care, Free Program

8:00am CDT

Walmart Lounge at #TribFest19

Sponsors

Walmart

Presenting Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:00am CDT

Executive Lounge

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Executives

8:00am CDT

Mother’s Room

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church

Special Event

8:00am CDT

Texas A&M at Open Congress

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University Department of Mechanical Engineering are working together to research and test automated and connected vehicles.

Come see an automated vehicle firsthand and talk with Texas A&M researchers about the possibilities of this technology to revolutionize the future of transportation.

Presented by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University

Sponsors

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Supporting Sponsor

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) addresses complex transportation challenges and opportunities with innovation, objectivity and unmatched technical expertise. TTI employs 700 professionals and students from 50 countries, many of whom are recognized leaders in their fields... Read More →

Texas A&M University

Major Sponsor

What began in 1876 as the state’s first public institution of higher learning, Texas A&M University has grown to become one of the largest research universities in the U.S. Our students experience transformational learning on campus and across the globe, with more Aggies studying... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 5:30pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Transportation

8:00am CDT

#TexanSince with Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Burnt Nopal Creative Studio offers thoughtful design influenced by contemporary art. Visit their mural at 800 Congress to see The Texas Tribune’s #TexanSince campaign interpreted through visual design. Also don't miss their booth at Open Congress to see live screenprinting and get some Burnt Nopal goodies.

Presented by Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Sponsors

Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Major Sponsor

Burnt Nopal Creative Studio, offers a full range of services around branding, strategy, design and experiences, bringing Cruz Ortiz’s distinctive “Nuevo Texas” aesthetic to clients seeking an authentic look and feel to their brand, marketing, fashion, interiors and events.@... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 7:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:00am CDT

Be a Voter with MOVE Texas

Make sure you’re Election Day ready with MOVE Texas — a nonpartisan, nonprofit group working to build power in underrepresented youth communities. At MOVE's Open Congress activation you can update your voter registration with our youth organizers, create a custom button and learn more about our work to empower young Texans.

Students at the Fest can network with speakers and panelists during MOVE’s Meet and Greets throughout Saturday’s programming.

MEET-AND-GREET SCHEDULE

10:30-11am – Mayors Steve Adler and Ron Nirenberg

3:45-4:15pm – DeRay Mckesson

5-5:30pm – Rep. James Talarico

and more!

Presented by MOVE Texas

Speakers

Steve Adler

Mayor of Austin

DeRay Mckesson

Civil Rights Activist and Organizer

Mckesson is a prominent activist with the Black Lives Matter movement and an outspoken voice against police violence. He began working against police violence during the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri. In 2015, Mckesson co-founded Campaign Zero, a policy initiative aimed at ending... Read More →

Ron Nirenberg

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:00am - 7:00pm CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

8:30am CDT

One-on-One with Beto O'Rourke

The former Texas congressman on his race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Programmed in partnership with NBC News

Moderator

Garrett Haake

Washington Correspondent for MSNBC

Speakers

Beto O’Rourke

Democratic Candidate for President and Former U.S. Representative

O’Rourke, D-El Paso, represented Texas’ 16th Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. He rose to national prominence during his closer-than-expected, though ultimately unsuccessful, challenge of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. O’Rourke announced his candidacy for president... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS 2020, National Politics

9:00am CDT

The Fight Over Facts

Can journalism save objective truth?

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin. Programmed in partnership with the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Allison Wright

Executive Editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review

Wright is the executive editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review and teaches journalism at the University of Virginia. She is the past president of the nonprofit literary organization WriterHouse and is a former editor of Tiny Hardcore Press. Wright’s work has also appeared in publications... Read More →

Speakers

Angie Drobnic Holan

Editor of PolitiFact

Holan joined PolitiFact in 2007, when she helped launch the site as a reporter. She has also served as the site’s deputy editor and currently serves as its editor, and she was a member of the PolitiFact team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 2008 elections. Previously... Read More →

Kathleen McElroy

Director of the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin

McElroy was named director of the UT-Austin School of Journalism in 2018. Previously, she spent nearly 30 years as a professional journalist and had a long career at The New York Times, where she held positions including associate managing editor, dining editor, deputy sports editor... Read More →

John Schwartz

Science Writer for The New York Times

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Tech, Media, Free Program

9:00am CDT

The Future of Education

What will it take to get today’s students ready for tomorrow’s Texas?

Presented by and programmed in partnership with TEXAS 2036. Also presented by Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by the Austin Community College District, The Commit Partnership, Texas Charter Schools Association and the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Evan Smith

CEO of The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Juliet V. García

Former President of the University of Texas at Brownsville

García served as president of the University of Texas at Brownsville for 22 years. She played a critical role in establishing the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she currently works as a professor. In 2016, Garcia joined the UT System as senior adviser to the chancellor... Read More →

LaTonya Goffney

Superintendent of the Aldine Independent School District

Goffney was named superintendent of Aldine ISD in 2018, where she has overseen many initiatives in the district, including pilot pre-kindergarten, dual language immersion and college readiness programs. Previously, she served as superintendent of Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD and Lufkin... Read More →

Mike Morath

Texas Education Commissioner

Morath was appointed education commissioner by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016. In this role he heads the Texas Education Agency, which oversees pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than five million Texas students. Previously, Morath served on the Dallas ISD board of... Read More →

Margaret Spellings

CEO of Texas 2036 and Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Public Education, #txlege, Economy, Free Program

9:00am CDT

After Harvey

Two years later, the recovery from one of the worst natural disasters in history continues

Supported by Walmart, Anheuser-Busch and CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

Moderator

Kiah Collier

Energy and Environment Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Collier is a reporter and associate editor at the Tribune with a focus on energy and environmental policy. Since graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she has reported for publications across Texas, including the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle.

Speakers

Ed Emmett

Former Harris County Judge and Senior Fellow at Rice University and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Emmett served as a judge in Harris County from 2007 to January 2019 and was the director of the county’s homeland security and emergency management efforts. Currently, he serves as a professor at Rice University and is a fellow at the university’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research... Read More →

Carol Haddock

Director of Houston Public Works

Haddock was appointed director of Houston Public Works, which manages the city’s infrastructure, in 2018 after serving as interim director for a year. She is the first woman to hold the position. Previously, Haddock worked in the Harris County Flood Control District and was program... Read More →

Earthea Nance

Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University

Nance is an associate professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University. Previously, she served as an assistant professor at the University of New Orleans. During her career in environmental engineering, Nance helped New Orleans recovery from Hurricane... Read More →

Patrick Rios

Mayor of Rockport

Rios was sworn in as the mayor of Rockport in 2018. Previously, he served on the Rockport City Council and as the city’s mayor pro tem. Rios is also a member of various boards and committees including Aransas Pathways, The Coastal Bend Council of Governments and the Aransas County... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Environment, Rural, #txlege, Cities

9:00am CDT

Covering Trump

What it’s really like

Moderator

Mark McKinnon

Co-host of Showtime's “The Circus”

Speakers

Michael Bender

White House Reporter for The Wall Street Journal

Bender has covered the White House and American politics for The Wall Street Journal since 2016. Prior to joining The Wall Street Journal, he worked as a senior writer for Bloomberg Politics in Washington, D.C. Bender has worked as a reporter at newspapers in Ohio, Colorado and Florida... Read More →

Geoff Bennett

White House Correspondent for NBC News

Bennett serves as White House correspondent for NBC News, and appears across all NBC News platforms, including MSNBC and NBCNews.com. Previously, he covered the White House and Congress for NPR. Bennett began his journalism career at ABC News in New York.

Ashley Parker

White House Reporter for The Washington Post

Margaret Talev

Politics and White House Editor at Axios

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Media

9:00am CDT

Gimme Shelter

The complicated politics of combating homelessness

Presented by Ascension Seton

Moderator

Juan Pablo Garnham

Urban Affairs Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Garnham covers urban affairs for the Tribune, focusing on the main challenges of the state’s largest metro areas, including Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and Dallas-Fort Worth, where he is based. Previously, he worked as senior producer for the podcast “In The Thick... Read More →

Speakers

Steve Adler

Mayor of Austin

Blake Fetterman

Executive Director of the Carr P. Collins Social Service Center of The Salvation Army of North Texas

Fetterman is the executive director of the Carr P. Collins Social Service Center in Dallas, which is the largest Salvation Army operation in the world and provides services to people combating poverty, addiction and homelessness. She has 13 years of experience managing nonprofits... Read More →

Ron Nirenberg

Mayor of San Antonio

Eva Thibaudeau

CEO of Temenos CDC

Thibaudeau is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked in the field of homelessness since 1996. Recently, she joined Temenos CDC as CEO. Previously, she served as chief program office for the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, where she oversaw a large reduction... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Cities, Health Care, Economy

9:00am CDT

Mood: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What we know — and don’t know — about the country’s political temperament

Moderator

Jim Henson

Director of the Texas Politics Project

Henson is a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin and directs the Texas Politics Project at the university, which seeks to increase engagement in Texas politics. He is a founder and co-director of the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, the only open-source statewide survey... Read More →

Speakers

Mark Z. Barabak

Political Writer for the Los Angeles Times

Barabak covers state and national politics for the Los Angeles Times. He has been a reporter for more than 40 years and has covered campaigns and elections in 49 of the 50 states. Barabak has covered 11 presidential campaigns and reported from the White House and Capitol Hill during... Read More →

Katie Glueck

Political Reporter at The New York Times

Alexi McCammond

Political Reporter at Axios

McCammond covers politics and the 2020 election for Axios, where she also covered the 2018 midterms. Previously, she reported for Bustle, where she covered topics including the Democratic National Committee, the presidential debates and President Donald Trump’s inauguration. McCammond... Read More →

David Weigel

National Political Correspondent for The Washington Post

Weigel is a national political correspondent for The Washington Post, where he covers Congress and grassroots political movements and writes The Trailer, the Post’s campaign newsletter. He previously helped launch Bloomberg Politics and worked as a reporter for Slate, where he authored... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

9:00am CDT

Why Migrants Come

They risk violence, detention and separation for the promise of a better life

Supported by IBC Bank. Programmed in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Moderator

Victoria DeFrancesco Soto

Director of Civic Engagement at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Speakers

Poncho Nevárez

State Representative

Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, has represented House District 74 since 2013. He serves as chair of the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee and sits on the Natural Resources Committee. He also served on the Sunset Advisory Committee and the Select Committee on Opioids. Nevárez... Read More →

Ali Noorani

Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum

Noorani has led the National Immigration Forum since 2008. Previously, he served as executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Noorani was named a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is the author of “There Goes the Neighborhood... Read More →

Jay Root

Investigative Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Perla Trevizo

Reporter for the Houston Chronicle

Trevizo reports on environmental affairs for the Houston Chronicle. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting on immigration and border issues and spent six years on Arizona Daily Star’s investigative team. Most recently, Trevizo reported on the European refugee crisis... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom

Panel

ACCESS Immigration, Security, 2020

9:00am CDT

With Conviction

Three of the most powerful district attorneys in Texas want to reform criminal prosecutions.

Supported by Arnold Ventures

Moderator

Josie Duffy Rice

President of The Appeal and Host of the “Justice in America” Podcast

Rice heads The Appeal, a news organization covering criminal justice in America. She also co-hosts the podcast “Justice in America” and is a senior strategist at The Justice Collaborative. Previously, she covered criminal justice issues at the Daily Kos, and is a co-founder and... Read More →

Speakers

John Creuzot

District Attorney of Dallas County

Creuzot was elected district attorney for Dallas County in 2018. Previously, he spent more than 21 years as a felony district court judge and founded the city’s first specialty drug court in 1998. Creuzot also spent seven years as Dallas County assistant district attorney and chief... Read More →

Mark Gonzalez

District Attorney of Nueces County

Gonzalez was elected district attorney of Nueces County in 2016. Prior to his election, he served as a criminal defense lawyer for eight years and was named 2011 Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year by the Corpus Christi Bar Association. Gonzalez is a graduate of Texas A&M Corpus Christi... Read More →

Margaret Moore

District Attorney of Travis County

Moore was elected Travis County district attorney in 2016. Previously, she served as an assistant Texas attorney general for the office’s Civil Medicaid Fraud Division from 2005 to 2014. Moore has also worked as a juvenile public defender, Travis County attorney, assistant district... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Justice, Cities

9:00am CDT

Live Recording of the "Hacks on Tap" Podcast

Seen-it-all campaign veterans and cable TV mainstays David Axelrod and Mike Murphy narrate the 2020 presidential race with special guest Karl Rove

Moderator

David Axelrod

Director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and Host of “The Axe Files” Podcast

Axelrod serves as director of the University of Chicago's non-partisan Institute of Politics and is a political commentator for CNN. Previously, he served as chief strategist and senior adviser to President Barack Obama and as a political writer for the Chicago Tribune. Axelrod has... Read More →

Mike Murphy

Co-Director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California

Murphy is the co-director of the Center for the Political Future at USC. He has worked as a political consultant on over 20 campaigns, including gubernatorial races for Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Murphy also worked as a senior strategist for U.S. Sen. John McCain... Read More →

Speakers

Karl Rove

Former Deputy White House Chief of Staff

Rove served as deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to President George W. Bush. He also served in the Bush Administration as deputy chief of staff for policy, where he coordinated the White House policy-making process. Previously, he was president of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin-based... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

9:00am CDT

NAMIWalks Central Texas

Custom media button

Join the 2019 NAMIWalks Central Texas to change the mental health conversation! The walk festival and registration starts at 7:30 a.m. followed by a 5K walk through downtown Austin. The event will feature a live performance by Austin Samba, activities for kids, mental health resources and more. Free to participate. Dogs welcome! For more information, visit namiwalks.org/CentralTX.

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 10:30am CDT
The Long Center

Partner Program

9:00am CDT

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas's Blue Expo

Sponsors

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:00am - 5:30pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, First Floor Lobby

Partner Program

ACCESS Health Care, Free Program

9:30am CDT

Trump Gets Reelected If...

Hear from POLITICO’s Tim Alberta and 2016 campaign chiefs who know what worked and what didn’t and how to pivot the strategy in 2020

Presented by and programmed in partnership with POLITICO.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Tim Alberta

Chief Political Correspondent for Politico Magazine

Alberta serves as chief political correspondent for Politico Magazine, covering Donald Trump’s presidency, Capitol Hill, the ideological warfare between and within the two parties, demographic change in America, and the evolving role of money in elections. Previously, Alberta covered... Read More →

Speakers

Danny Diaz

Republican Strategist and Former Campaign Manager for Jeb Bush's 2016 Presidential Campaign

Diaz is a founding and managing partner of the consulting firm FP1 Strategies. He has worked on four presidential campaigns, including serving as campaign manager for Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign. Previously, he served as communications director at the Republican National... Read More →

Jeff Roe

Founder of Axiom Strategies

Terry Sullivan

Republican Strategist and Former Campaign Manager for Marco Rubio's 2016 Presidential Campaign

Sullivan is a founding partner of the public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies. He has worked on over 100 campaigns, including more than two dozen statewide and presidential campaigns. Previously, he served as campaign manager for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign. Sullivan... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
POLITICO Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Free Program

9:30am CDT

Up in the Air

Fifty years after Apollo 11, what’s the trajectory of our space program?

Presented by and programmed in partnership with Texas Monthly. Supported by Silicon Labs.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Eric Benson

Senior Editor at Texas Monthly

Benson joined Texas Monthly as a senior editor in 2018 after reporting for the publication for four years. He also wrote” Underdog,” a podcast about the 2018 Texas race for U.S. Senate. In 2017, his cover story on immunologist James P. Allison won best profile at the National... Read More →

Speakers

Douglas Brinkley

Professor of History at Rice University and CNN Presidential Historian

Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University, presidential historian for CNN and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Audubon. He is the author of several award-winning books, including "The Great Deluge" and "Cronkite." Brinkley also served as editor of "The Reagan... Read More →

Lori Garver

Former Deputy Administrator of NASA and CEO of Earthrise Alliance

Garver was the deputy administrator of NASA from 2009 to 2013, when she left the position to become general manager of the Air Line Pilots Association. Previously, she worked at NASA from 1996 to 2001, first as a special assistant to the NASA administrator and later as a senior policy... Read More →

Thomas Zurbuchen

Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA

Zurbuchen has served as the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA since 2016. Previously he was a professor of space science and aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, where he helped found the Center for Entrepreneurship. Zurbuchen has... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS National Politics, Security, Tech, Free Program

9:30am CDT

Evidence to the Contrary

The dangers of junk forensic science

Moderator

Pamela Colloff

Senior Writer at ProPublica and Writer-at-Large for The New York Times Magazine

Colloff joined ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine in 2017 after serving as an executive editor and staff writer for Texas Monthly. While at Texas Monthly, she earned a National Magazine Award in Feature Writing for her 2012 story, "The Innocent Man." Colloff was awarded the... Read More →

Speakers

Elsa Alcala

Policy Director for Texas Defender Service

Alcala joined Texas Defender Service, a nonprofit that aims to improve the quality of representation for those facing the death penalty, in January. Previously, she served for seven years on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and for nine years on the First Court of Appeals. Alcala... Read More →

Steven Chaney

Exoneree

Chaney was declared innocent by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in December 2018 after serving 28 years in prison for a 1987 murder. Following his case, the Texas Forensic Science Commission recommended a moratorium on bite-mark analysis, which was used in Chaney’s conviction... Read More →

Lynn Garcia

General Counsel of the Texas Forensic Science Commission

Garcia joined the Texas Forensic Science Commission in 2010. As general counsel, she assists with investigations, provides legal advice and represents the commission in various stakeholder meetings. Garcia has over 18 years of experience conducting investigations in response to criminal... Read More →

Jarvis Parsons

Brazos County District Attorney

Parsons is currently serving his second term as Brazos County district attorney. He was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Forensic Science Commission and serves as president of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, which oversees training for over 1,500 prosecutors... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS Justice

9:30am CDT

No Thanks, Obamacare

Texas is ground zero in the fight over the Affordable Care Act

Presented by Ascension Seton. Supported by DHR Health.

Moderator

Emma Platoff

Justice and Politics Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Speakers

David Balat

Director of the Right on Healthcare Initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Balat is the director of the Right on Healthcare initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He has more than 20 years of leadership and management experience in the health care industry, and he serves as a health care adviser and counsels members of U.S. Congress and the Texas... Read More →

Elena Marks

President and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation

Marks is the president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, a Houston-based philanthropy that works to improve the health of the 57 counties that make up the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. She is also a nonresident fellow in health policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute... Read More →

Stacey Pogue

Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities

Pogue joined the Center for Public Policy Priorities in 2008 and currently focuses on health policy issues. She has done health policy and research work with the Medicaid and CHIP Division of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of Insurance. Pogue... Read More →

Avik Roy

Co-Founder and President of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity

Roy is the co-founder and president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, a nonprofit think tank that conducts research on expanding economic opportunity. He is also the policy editor at Forbes and manages The Apothecary, the publication’s blog on health care policy... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Health Care, 2020, #txlege

10:00am CDT

UT-Austin Presents: A Book Signing of Stephen Harrigan's "Big Wonderful Thing"

Join The University of Texas at Austin for a signing of Stephen Harrigan’s book, "Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas" in The University of Texas at Austin Tent at Open Congress. The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub at 800 Congress.

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin

Speakers

Stephen Harrigan

Writer-at-Large at Texas Monthly

Harrigan is a writer-at-large at Texas Monthly and the author of eleven books, including “The Gates of the Alamo” and, most recently, “Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas.” He is also a screenwriter and has written many movies for television. Previously, Harrigan spent... Read More →

Sponsors

The University Of Texas At Austin

Major Sponsor

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the 40 best universities in the world. It supports some 51,000 diverse students with top national programs across 18 colleges and schools. And as a Tier 1 university, Texas attracts more than $650 million annually for... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:00am - 10:45am CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

10:00am CDT

H-E-Buddy visits Open Congress!

H-E-Buddy loves to be out in the community! You’ll see him at events for local hospitals, schools, festivals, and parades. Don't miss your chance to meet H-E-Buddy at Open Congress on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Kid's area located at 10th and Congress, from 10am- 4pm. Come say hi and grab some buddy bucks!

Presented by H-E-B

Sponsors

H-E-B

Supporting Sponsor

H-E-B operates over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico. The company is recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability. It strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm CDT
Open Congress Street Festival

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

10:15am CDT

The Writing on the Wall: Visualizing our Texas Story

Meet Cruz and Olivia Ortiz, the creative force behind San Antonio-based Burnt Nopal and the artists responsible for turning hundreds of #TexanSince stories into the Texas Tribune Festival’s first mural project. Join the Cruz and Olivia for a discussion of the #TexanSince project and the role of art in cultivating community, moderated by The Texas Tribune's chief audience officer Amanda Zamora.

Presented by Texas A&M University and Burnt Nopal Creative Studio.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Sponsors

Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Major Sponsor

Texas A&M University

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:15am - 10:45am CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

10:15am CDT

Executive Meet-and-Greet with John Creuzot, Mark Gonzalez and Margaret Moore

Join us for a meet-and-greet with John Creuzot, district attorney for Dallas County; Mark Gonzalez, district attorney for Nueces County; and Margaret Moore, district attorney for Travis County; in the Executive Lounge immediately following their Festival panel.

This meet-and-greet is open to executive, sponsor and speaker passholders only.

Speakers

John Creuzot

District Attorney of Dallas County

Mark Gonzalez

District Attorney of Nueces County

Margaret Moore

District Attorney of Travis County

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:15am - 10:45am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Room

Special Event

ACCESS Executives, Justice

10:15am CDT

One-on-One with Amy Klobuchar

The U.S. senator from Minnesota on her race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Programmed in partnership with NBC News

Moderator

Steve Kornacki

National Political Correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC

Speakers

Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Senator and Democratic Candidate for President

Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. She announced her candidacy for president in February. She currently serves on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, Commerce, Science & Transportation, Rules & Administration, and Judiciary committees as... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS 2020, National Politics

10:30am CDT

Class Acts

Four Texas teachers talk pay, testing, school finance and putting our kids on the right path forward

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by Educate Texas.

Moderator

Aliyya Swaby

Public Education Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Sarah Perez

Sixth Grade Social Studies and ELAR Teacher at Riverside Park Academy

Perez is an English-language arts and social studies teacher at Riverside Park Academy in San Antonio ISD. She was a senior policy fellow during the 86th legislative session at Teach Plus, a training program that empowers teachers to become advocates for education policy change. Perez... Read More →

Quanethia L. Rhodes

Second Grade Teacher at Lockhart Elementary School in Houston ISD

Rhodes is a second grade teacher at Lockhart Elementary School in Houston ISD. She previously taught abroad in the United Arab Emirates. During her teaching career, she has served as a team lead, SDM committee representative and campus steward. Rhodes is also a graduate of the Teacher... Read More →

Stanford Simmons

Ninth-Grade World Geography Teacher at MacArthur Ninth Grade School in Aldine ISD

Simmons is a world geography teacher at MacArthur Ninth Grade School in Aldine ISD. Previously, he served as president of Bay Ridge Christian College in Texas for eight years. Simmons has taught courses in communication studies and history at community colleges and four-year universities... Read More →

Josue Tamarez Torres

Fourth Grade Math Teacher at Dallas ISD’s Cesar Chavez Learning Center

Torres is a 2018-19 policy fellow with Teach Plus DFW, a program that trains teachers to become education policy advocates. He teaches fourth grade math at Cesar Chavez Learning Center in Dallas ISD and previously worked for Teach for America. Torres was named 2017-18 Teacher of the... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Public Education, #txlege

10:30am CDT

Small Victories

What microschools can teach us

Moderator

Claire McInerny

Education Reporter for KUT News

McInerny is an education reporter for KUT, the NPR member station in Austin, where she covers schools in Austin ISD. Previously, she worked as an education reporter for NPR and PBS member stations in Indiana. McInerny won an Edward R. Murrow award for a series she wrote in 2016 about... Read More →

Speakers

Matt Candler

Founder of 4.0 Schools

Candler founded 4.0 Schools, an incubator of new schools and startups, in 2010. Previously, he helped found NYC Charter Center, the first citywide charter school incubator in the nation, and worked at the KIPP Foundation. Candler first taught in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and later... Read More →

Catherine Fraise

Founder and Executive Director of Workspace Education

Fraise is the founder and executive director of Workspace Education, a nonprofit educational co-learning community in Connecticut that works to individualize each child’s learning pathway using global resources. Fraise has more than 30 years of experience working in education, including... Read More →

Lisa Zapalac

Co-Founder of Long-View Micro School

Zapalac is a co-founder of Long-View Micro School, a STEM-focused school in Austin. She is also a consultant at the Number Lab, which works with schools and teachers to improve mathematics instruction, and serves as president of the Pease Park Conservancy in Austin. Previously, Zapalac... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Public Education

10:45am CDT

Book Signing of Douglas Brinkley's "American Moonshot"

Join us for a signing of Douglas Brinkley's book, "American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Douglas Brinkley

Professor of History at Rice University and CNN Presidential Historian

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:15am CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Free Program, Security, Tech

10:45am CDT

Health, Not Health Care

We can drive outcomes by focusing on non-medical factors — like where you live, what you eat and whether you exercise.

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin and Ascension Seton. Supported by DHR Health and Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Edgar Walters

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Walters is an investigative reporter covering health and human services for the Tribune, where he started as an intern in 2013. Previously, he had a political reporting fellowship with the Berliner Zeitung, a daily newspaper in Berlin. Walters is a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program... Read More →

Speakers

Mini Kahlon

Vice Dean for Health Ecosystem at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin

Kahlon serves as the vice dean for health ecosystem at the Dell Medical School, leading the school’s innovation efforts. She also serves as executive director of Factor Health at Dell Med, a city-wide platform that addresses the drivers of health or nonmedical factors that can predict... Read More →

Elena Marks

President and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation

Kirk Watson

State Senator

Watson, D-Austin, has represented Senate District 14 since 2007. He serves as the Senate’s president pro tempore. He also serves as vice chair of the Senate Nominations Committee and sits on the Education, Finance and Higher Education committees. Previously, Watson served as chair... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Health Care, Environment, Cities, Free Program

10:45am CDT

The Future of Jobs

Technology and demography are among the forces shaping the economy of tomorrow and the changing demands on our workforce

Presented by and programmed in partnership with TEXAS 2036. Supported by JPMorgan Chase and Texas State Technical College.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Ayan Mittra

Editor of The Texas Tribune

Mittra serves as the editor of The Texas Tribune. He oversees the Tribune's newsroom, which includes more than 30 journalists. During his seven years at the Tribune, the organization has won a Peabody Award and multiple Online News Association and Edward R. Murrow awards. Before joining... Read More →

Speakers

Brenda Hellyer

Chancellor of San Jacinto College

Hellyer was appointed chancellor of San Jacinto College in 2009. Since joining the college in 1996, she has served in a number of executive positions including director of the San Jacinto College Foundation, executive vice president for resource development and vice chancellor for... Read More →

Julian Alvarez III

Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Labor

Alvarez serves as a Texas workforce commissioner representing labor and represents the interests of more than 13 million Texas workers. Previously, he served as CEO of Rio Grande Valley Partnership. He also served as a Texas regional director for the U.S. Senate and director of college... Read More →

Scott McClelland

Chair of the Board of the Greater Houston Partnership and President of H-E-B Food/Drug Stores

McClelland has served as the president of HEB since 2017 and oversees the company’s $26 billion operation among 390 stores in Texas and Mexico. He first joined the organization in 1990. He also serves as chair of the board of the Greater Houston Partnership. Previously, McClelland... Read More →

Marc Veasey

U.S. Representative

Veasey, D-Fort Worth, has represented Texas’ 33rd Congressional District since 2013. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Small Business Committee. Veasey has served as an assistant and regional whip in the U.S. House and as chair of the Democratic Caucus... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Economy, Tech, Free Program

10:45am CDT

One-on-One with Jeff Merkley

The U.S. senator from Oregon on the migrant crisis, chaos in Congress and the battle for the soul of the Democratic Party

Moderator

Dara Lind

Reporter at ProPublica

Speakers

Jeff Merkley

U.S. Senator

Merkley, D-Oregon, has represented Oregon in the U.S. Senate since 2009. He is a member of the Senate Appropriations, Environment & Public Works, Budget and Foreign Relations committees. Prior to joining the U.S. Senate, Merkley served as a member and speaker of the Oregon House of... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Immigration, National Politics, 2020

10:45am CDT

Secrets of Political Fundraising

Two pros at the newfangled ways of prying dollars from donors tell all

Moderator

Dave Levinthal

Federal Politics Editor and Senior Reporter at the Center for Public Integrity

Levinthal joined the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit news organization based in Washington, D.C., in 2013 and leads a reporting team investigating the influence of money in federal politics. Previously, he reported on politics and government for Politico, OpenSecrets.org... Read More →

Speakers

Jon Adams

Founder and President of TAG Strategies

Adams is founder and president of TAG Strategies, a marketing and consulting firm. Previously, he served as a senior advisor to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and as the NRSC's digital director for the 2016 and 2018 election cycles where he oversaw the NRSC’s digital... Read More →

Shelby Cole

Digital Director for Kamala Harris For The People

Cole is a Democratic digital consultant and the digital director for Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. Previously, she served as associate director of Authentic Campaigns, an organization that runs digital campaigns for progressive candidates and other clients. Cole also... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS 2020, Tech

10:45am CDT

The Blue Team

The major Democratic hopefuls for the U.S. Senate on the case for defeating John Cornyn — and each other

Moderator

Patrick Svitek

Political Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Chris Bell

Former U.S. Representative and Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

Bell, D-Houston, announced his run for the U.S. Senate in July, challenging current U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Previously, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, was a gubernatorial nominee in 2006 and ran for mayor of Houston in 2015. Bell also has... Read More →

Amanda Edwards

Houston City Councilwoman and Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

Edwards is a Houston city councilwoman and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, announcing her run for the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in July. During her time on the city council, she has led a number of initiatives, including the mayor’s Technology & Innovation... Read More →

MJ Hegar

Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

Hegar announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate in April 2019, challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. She is a retired Air Force officer and recipient of the Purple Heart. In 2012, she successfully sued the Department of Defense to repeal the Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which prevented... Read More →

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez

Founder and Executive Director of Jolt Texas and Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

Tzintzún Ramirez is founder and executive director of Jolt Texas, a Latino civic advocacy and leadership organization. She announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate in August 2019. She is also a co-founder of the Workers Defense Project, a worker’s rights organization focusing on... Read More →

Royce West

State Senator and Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate

West, D-Dallas, has represented Senate District 23 since 1993. He serves as vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and sits on the Education, Finance and Transportation committees. West was also appointed to serve on the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

10:45am CDT

The Gulf with Mexico

How are we getting along these days with our neighbor to the south?

Supported by IBC Bank and Stratfor

Moderator

Julián Aguilar

Immigration and Border Security Reporter at The Texas Tribune

Aguilar reports on politics, immigration and border security issues for the Tribune from the Texas-Mexico border. His political coverage has included local, legislative and congressional races in Texas as well as local and national elections in Mexico. Previously, Aguilar was a staff... Read More →

Speakers

Henry Cuellar

U.S. Representative

Cuellar, D-Laredo, has represented Texas’ 28th Congressional District since 2005. He currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and on the Homeland Security, Defense, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies subcommittees. Previously... Read More →

Antonio Garza

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

Garza served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009. He is currently counsel to White & Case in Mexico City and serves as a trustee to Southern Methodist University. He is a past president of the University of Texas at Austin's alumni association. Garza has also served... Read More →

Jorge Guajardo

Former Mexican Ambassador to China

Guajardo served under two Mexican presidents as his country’s ambassador to China from 2007 to 2013. He is currently the senior director at McLarty Associates, where he provides strategic counsel and expertise on Latin America and China. Previously he was Consul General of Mexico... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Panel

ACCESS Security, 2020, Immigration

10:45am CDT

Trump's Party

How the GOP became one with POTUS

Moderator

Jane Coaston

Senior Politics Reporter at Vox

Speakers

Tim Alberta

Chief Political Correspondent for Politico Magazine

Kristen Soltis Anderson

Co-Founder of Echelon Insights and Contributor for ABC News

Anderson is the co-founder of Echelon Insights and a political analyst for ABC News. She is a commentator and columnist at The Washington Examiner and has written for The New York Times and The Washington Post. Anderson specializes in public opinion research, particularly on the views... Read More →

Timothy P. Carney

Commentary Editor at the Washington Examiner

Carney is the commentary editor at the Washington Examiner and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on economic competition, cronyism, civil society, localism and religion in America. Carney is also the author of “Alienated America: Why Some Places... Read More →

Mike Murphy

Co-Director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California

Saturday September 28, 2019 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

11:15am CDT

Playbook Exchange with Members of the House Freedom Caucus

POLITICO Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman talk with House Freedom Caucus Founding Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas)

Presented by and programmed in partnership with POLITICO.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Anna Palmer

Senior Washington Correspondent for Politico and Co-Author of the Politico Playbook

Palmer is currently a senior Washington correspondent for Politico, co-author of the daily Politico Playbook newsletter and editorial director of the Politico platform Women Rule. She is co-author of the New York Times bestseller “The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and... Read More →

Jake Sherman

Senior Writer at Politico and Co-Author of the Politico Playbook

Sherman is a senior writer for Politico, where he has worked since 2009, and an NBC and MSNBC political contributor. He is co-author of Politico Playbook, the publication’s daily morning political newsletter. Sherman is also co-author with his Politico colleague Anna Palmer of the... Read More →

Speakers

Jim Jordan

U.S. Representative

Jordan, R-Ohio, has represented the state’s 4th Congressional District since 2007. He serves as a ranking member on the House Oversight & Reform Committee and sits on the Courts, Intellectual Property & Internet and the Constitution & Civil Justice subcommittees. He is a former... Read More →

Mark Meadows

U.S. Representative

Meadows, R-North Carolina, has represented North Carolina's 11th District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He sits on the House Oversight & Reform and Transportation & Infrastructure committees. He is also a ranking member on two subcommittees. Meadows is currently... Read More →

Chip Roy

U.S. Representative

Roy, R-Austin, is currently serving his first term representing Texas' 21st Congressional District. He sits on the House Budget, Oversight & Reform and Veterans' Affairs committees. Previously, he served as director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Tenth Amendment... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 11:15am - 12:15pm CDT
POLITICO Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Free Program

11:15am CDT

The Power of Green

How Texas can lead the way to cleaner sources of energy.

Presented by and programmed in partnership with Texas Monthly. Supported by Imperfect Produce and Burnt Nopal Creative Studio.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Michael Webber

Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin

Webber serves as the chief science and technology officer at ENGIE, an organization that manages energy businesses, and as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and deputy director of the university’s Energy Institute. He was selected as a member of the fourth class of... Read More →

Speakers

Gwenaelle Avice-Huet

CEO of ENGIE North America

Avice-Huet heads ENGIE North America, an organization that manages energy businesses. She was appointed CEO in 2016 after spending two years as the organization’s chief operating officer, and also previously served as the organization’s executive vice president and chief financial... Read More →

Russell Gold

Senior Energy Reporter for The Wall Street Journal

Paula Gold-Williams

President and CEO of CPS Energy

Gold-Williams is the president and CEO of CPS Energy, where she oversees 3,000 employees. She began at CPS Energy in 2004 and has held various leadership positions during her career at the company. Previously, she worked as regional controller for Time Warner’s cable and telephone... Read More →

Amy Hardberger

Associate Dean at St. Mary's University School of Law

Harberger became the associate dean of St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2016. Previously, she served as an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, where she was a national co-leader on a study that worked with city and state agencies on municipal water conservation policies... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 11:15am - 12:15pm CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Energy, Environment, Economy, Free Program

11:15am CDT

Into the Breach

How to catch hackers and other cybercriminals

Programmed in partnership with Lawfare and the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin.

Moderator

Garrett Graff

Contributing Editor for WIRED Magazine

Graff is the director of the Aspen Institute’s cybersecurity and technology program, and is a contributor to WIRED, Longreads and CNN. He has also written for publications including Esquire, Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and is the author of multiple books, including most... Read More →

Speakers

John Carlin

Former Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Former Chief of Staff to FBI Director Robert Mueller

Carlin serves as chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Global Risk + Crisis Management practice and as co-chair of its National Security practice. As former chief of staff and senior counsel to then-FBI Director Robert Mueller, he helped to raise awareness of security threats against U.S... Read More →

Mieke Eoyang

Vice President for the National Security Program and Chair of the Cyber Enforcement Initiative at Third Way

Lisa Monaco

Former White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, Co-Chair of the Aspen Cybersecurity Group and Partner at O'Melveny & Myers

Saturday September 28, 2019 11:15am - 12:15pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Security, Tech

11:15am CDT

Partnering by Choice

When charter school operators and public school districts put aside their differences and join forces, students win.

Presented by Raise Your Hand Texas.

Moderator

Bekah McNeel

Correspondent for The 74

McNeel is a San Antonio-based correspondent for The 74, an education-focused outlet, where she covers the Texas Legislature’s battle over school choice, various lawsuits filed by school districts against the state and Texas’ school finance system. Her work has also appeared in... Read More →

Speakers

Yasmin Bhatia

Chief Executive Officer of Uplift Education

Bhatia joined the public charter school network Uplift Education in 2009. Previously, she spent nine years as a consultant at the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, during which time she served the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the city of Dallas and the Annie... Read More →

Traci Davis

Area Superintendent for the Grand Prairie Independent School District

Davis is an area superintendent for Grand Prairie ISD. As one of the district’s three area superintendents, she oversees 12 of the district’s schools. She has been an educator for 24 years, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of elementary education... Read More →

Orlando Riddick

Superintendent of the Midland Independent School District

Riddick began as superintendent of Midland ISD in 2017, where he has initiated “Listen, Learn, Lead,” an engagement strategy for active community members to share input with the district. Previously, he served for three years as superintendent of Cedar Hill ISD and served two... Read More →

Bethany Solis

Executive Director of the Permian Basin Region for IDEA Public Schools

Solis first joined the public charter school network IDEA Public Schools in 2005 as a teacher at its campus in Donna, Texas. As executive director of the Permian Basin region, she oversees 14 schools in Midland and Odessa. Previously, Solis was the founding elementary principal of... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 11:15am - 12:15pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS Public Education

11:45am CDT

TEXAS 2036: Facts over Snacks

Come enjoy a wide variety of snacks and PepsiCo products and be guided through a one-of-a-kind data interactive showing why we need to act today. Meet the TEXAS 2036 team, learn more about how you can be part of what’s next for Texas and share what issue you think Texas must get right by 2036 in the TEXAS 2036 Photo Booth. Text JOINTX to 52886.

Sponsors

Texas 2036

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 11:45am - 12:45pm CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program

12:00pm CDT

Book Signing of Jeff Merkley's "America Is Better Than This"

Join us for a signing of Jeff Merkley's book, "America Is Better Than This: Trump's War Against Migrant Families." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Jeff Merkley

U.S. Senator

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Immigration, 2020, Security, Free Program, National Politics

12:00pm CDT

Book Signing of Tim Alberta's "American Carnage"

Join us for a signing of Tim Alberta's book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Tim Alberta

Chief Political Correspondent for Politico Magazine

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Media, Free Program

12:00pm CDT

Book Signing of Timothy P. Carney's "Alienated America"

Join us for a signing of Timothy P. Carney's book, "Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Timothy P. Carney

Commentary Editor at the Washington Examiner

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS National Politics, Free Program

12:00pm CDT

Tea with The University of Texas at Austin

Grab an iced tea with The University of Texas at Austin and snap a photo with some of the University's most iconic images.

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin

Sponsors

The University Of Texas At Austin

Major Sponsor

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, Higher Education

12:00pm CDT

Shots Fired

What the controversy over vaccines means for public health

Presented by Ascension Seton and supported by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas.

Moderator

Edgar Walters

Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Susan Bailey

President-Elect of the American Medical Association

Bailey was elected president of the American Medical Association in June. She has held many leadership positions within the association, including speaker and vice speaker of the House of Delegates. She also has served as board chair and president of the Tarrant County Medical Society... Read More →

Peter Hotez

Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine

Hotez has expertise in vaccine development and neglected tropical diseases and is currently leading several projects to develop new vaccines. He is a fellow in disease and poverty at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and is the author of “Forgotten... Read More →

David Lakey

Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for the University of Texas System

Lakey is an expert in disease prevention, outbreak and community health services, and currently works as vice chancellor for health affairs and chief medical officer for the University of Texas System. He also serves as senior advisor to the president and professor of medicine at... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Health Care

12:00pm CDT

Trade Off

Are tariffs, tough talk and the end of NAFTA good for America?

Supported by British Embassy, Texas Farm Bureau and Stratfor

Moderator

Ben White

Chief Economic Correspondent at POLITICO

White joined POLITICO in 2009. Currently he serves as chief economic correspondent and writes Morning Money, a column on the intersection of finance and public policy. Previously, he covered Wall Street for The New York Times and served as Wall Street correspondent and U.S. banking... Read More →

Speakers

Carla Hills

Former U.S. Trade Representative

Hills served as U.S. trade representative during the George H.W. Bush administration, in which role she served as the nation's chief trade negotiator and principal adviser to the president on international trade policy. Previously, Hills served as secretary of the U.S. Department... Read More →

Ron Kirk

Former U.S. Trade Representative

Kirk served as U.S. trade representative under former President Barack Obama, in which role he served as the president’s principal trade adviser and spokesperson on trade issues. He is currently senior counsel in the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm’s offices. In 1994, Kirk was... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Immigration, Economy, 2020, Security, National Politics

12:30pm CDT

Book Signing of Anna Palmer & Jake Sherman's "The Hill to Die On"

Join us for a signing of Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman's book, "The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Anna Palmer

Senior Washington Correspondent for Politico and Co-Author of the Politico Playbook

Jake Sherman

Senior Writer at Politico and Co-Author of the Politico Playbook

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:30pm - 1:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS National Politics, Free Program

12:30pm CDT

Book Signing of John Carlin's "Dawn of the Code War"

Join us for a signing of John Carlin's book, "Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

John Carlin

Former Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Former Chief of Staff to FBI Director Robert Mueller

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:30pm - 1:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Security, Tech, Free Program, National Politics

12:30pm CDT

Book Signing of Michael Webber's "Power Trip"

Join us for a signing of Michael Webber's book, "Power Trip: The Story of Energy." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Michael Webber

Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:30pm - 1:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Energy, Free Program

12:30pm CDT

Book Signing of Russell Gold's "Superpower"

Join us for a signing of Russell Gold's book, "Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Russell Gold

Senior Energy Reporter for The Wall Street Journal

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:30pm - 1:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Energy, Free Program

12:45pm CDT

The Future of Transportation

Moving people and goods in a state with aging infrastructure and surging population is no small feat.

Presented by and programmed in partnership with TEXAS 2036. Supported by Toyota, Gulf States Toyota, Lyft and Capital Metro.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Brandon Formby

Night News Editor at The Texas Tribune

Formby serves as the night news editor at the Tribune. Previously, he covered urban affairs for the Tribune, writing about the challenges facing Texas’ largest metro areas as they experience unbridled growth. He joined the Tribune in October 2016 and was the organization’s first... Read More →

Speakers

Terry Canales

State Representative

Canales, D-Edinburg, has represented House District 40 since 2013. He serves as chair of the House Transportation Committee and sits on the Land & Resource Management Committee. Canales is also an attorney and has his own practice in Edinburg. He is the sixth member of his extended... Read More →

Robert Nichols

State Senator

Nichols, R-Jacksonville, has represented Senate District 3 since 2007. He serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, vice chair of the Business & Commerce Committee, and sits on the Administration, Finance and Intergovernmental Relations committees. Prior to joining the... Read More →

Carrin Patman

Chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

Patman was appointed chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in 2016 by Mayor Sylvester Turner, becoming the first woman to serve in that position. Previously, she spent three decades as a trial lawyer at Bracewell, an international law firm. Patman is an American... Read More →

Laura Ryan

Texas Transportation Commissioner

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS #txlege, Cities, Rural, Transportation, Free Program

12:45pm CDT

The Threat Assessment

Is our homeland secure?

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Amna Nawaz

National Correspondent and Substitute Anchor for PBS NewsHour

Nawaz has been a national correspondent and primary substitute anchor for PBS NewsHour since 2018. Previously, she worked as an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, where she anchored election and breaking news coverage, and she spent several years as NBC’s Islamabad bureau chief... Read More →

Speakers

Jeh Johnson

Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

Johnson led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2013 to 2017, where he was responsible for national security issues. He is currently a regular commentator on outlets including NBC, BBC and CNN. During the Obama administration, Johnson served as general counsel of the U.S... Read More →

Michael McCaul

U.S. Representative

McCaul has represented Texas’ 10th Congressional District since 2005. He currently sits on the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees and is the founder of the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus. Previously, he served as chief of counterterrorism and national security... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Security, 2020, Free Program

12:45pm CDT

A Hate Supreme

What’s behind the resurgence of racism?

Moderator

Errin Haines

National Writer on Race and Ethnicity for The Associated Press

Speakers

Sylvia Garcia

U.S. Representative

Garcia, D-Houston, is currently serving her first term representing Texas’ 29th Congressional District, becoming the first Latina to represent the district. She sits on the House Judiciary and Financial Services committees. Garcia previously served in the Texas Senate. Before that... Read More →

Vanita Gupta

President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Gupta has been with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights since 2017. Previously, she served as acting assistant attorney general and head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, a position she was appointed to by former President Barack Obama. Gupta... Read More →

DeRay Mckesson

Civil Rights Activist and Organizer

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS Justice, National Politics, 2020

12:45pm CDT

Going Local

What the leaders of nonprofit newsrooms are discovering about the future of journalism

Moderator

Margaret Sullivan

Media Columnist for The Washington Post

Sullivan is the media columnist for The Washington Post. Previously, she served as public editor for The New York Times and chief editor of The Buffalo News. Sullivan was also a member of the Pulitzer Prize board and served as director of the American Society of Newspaper Editors... Read More →

Speakers

Jere Hester

Editor-in-Chief of The City

Hester is the founding editor-in-chief of The City, a nonprofit news organization that covers New York City. Previously, he served as news director and director of the reporting and writing program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where he established NYCity... Read More →

David Lesher

Editor of CalMatters

Lesher is the editor and co-founder of CalMatters, a nonprofit news outlet covering politics in California. Previously, he served as director of government affairs at the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank. Lesher also served as a reporter and editor at... Read More →

R.L. Nave

Editor of Mississippi Today

Nave joined Mississippi Today in 2016. He currently serves as editor of the publication and previously served as its news editor and editor-in-chief. Previously, he covered Barack Obama’s presidential campaign for the Illinois Times and served as news editor for the Jackson Free... Read More →

Jon Ralston

Editor of The Nevada Independent

Ralston has covered Nevada politics for over 30 years and founded The Nevada Independent, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website, in 2017. He has written for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Reno Gazette-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun, in addition to running his own political... Read More →

Emily Ramshaw

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Media

12:45pm CDT

Keep Austin Jeered

Why the state capitol bashes the state capital

Supported by the Austin Community College District and AARP Texas.

Moderator

Jonathan Tilove

Chief Political Writer for the Austin American-Statesman

Tilove has been the chief political writer for the Austin American-Statesman since 2012. Previously, he served as a Washington correspondent for the New Orleans Times Picayune and the Springfield, Massachusetts, newspapers. Tilove was also a national correspondent with Newhouse News... Read More →

Speakers

Gina Hinojosa

State Representative

Hinojosa, D-Austin, has represented House District 49 since 2017. She serves as chair of the House Human Services Committee and sits on the Defense & Veterans' Affairs committee. Previously, Hinojosa served on the Austin ISD Board of Trustees, including as board president, and practiced... Read More →

Celia Israel

State Representative

Israel, D-Austin, has represented House District 50 since 2014. She sits on the House Elections and Homeland Security & Public Safety committees. She also serves as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the House's first-ever LGBTQ Caucus. Previously, Israel... Read More →

Eddie Rodriguez

State Representative

Rodriguez, D-Austin, has represented House District 51 since 2003. He sits on the Calendars, State Affairs and Ways & Means committees. He also serves as co-founder and chair of the Texas House Farm-to-Table Caucus and policy chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. Additionally... Read More →

Kirk Watson

State Senator

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom

Panel

ACCESS Cities, #txlege

12:45pm CDT

Second Step

Where federal criminal justice reform goes next

Moderator

Susan Chira

Editor-in-Chief of The Marshall Project

Chira was named editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project in March. She previously worked at The New York Times as a reporter and editor from 1981 to 2019, including as foreign editor and deputy executive editor. While at the Times, Chira was a member of a team that won the 2018 Pulitzer... Read More →

Speakers

Nicole Austin-Hillery

Executive Director of U.S. Programs at Human Rights Watch

Austin-Hillery is the executive director of U.S. Programs at Human Rights Watch, an organization that investigates and reports on human rights issues across the world. In 2008, she opened the Washington, D.C., office of The Brennan Center. She served as the office’s first director... Read More →

Lawrence Krasner

District Attorney of Philadelphia

Krasner was elected district attorney of Philadelphia in 2017. Previously, he worked as a public defender and civil rights attorney for over 30 years and started his own criminal defense and civil rights practice in 1993. Krasner’s clients have included protesters at the 2016 Democratic... Read More →

Marc Levin

Vice President of Criminal Justice Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Levin founded the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s criminal justice program in 2005. In 2010, he developed the concept for the Right on Crime initiative, a project in partnership with Prison Fellowship and the American Conservative Union Foundation that promotes conservative criminal... Read More →

Kevin Ring

President of Families Against Mandatory Minimums

Ring became president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums in 2017 after serving as the group’s vice president and director of strategic initiatives. Previously, Ring worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He spent 20 months in federal prison after he was indicted in 2008 on... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Panel

ACCESS Justice

12:45pm CDT

The Mueller Retort

In the end, did the special counsel’s investigation matter?

Supported by the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Moderator

Natasha Bertrand

National Security Correspondent for Politico

Bertrand joined Politico in April, where she serves as a national security correspondent. She is also a contributor for MSNBC. Previously, Bertrand served as a staff writer for The Atlantic, where she covered national security, the intelligence community and politics.

Speakers

Joaquin Castro

U.S. Representative

Castro, D-San Antonio, has represented Texas’ 20th Congressional District since 2013. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Education and Labor Committee. He currently serves as chair of the Texas Democratic Caucus... Read More →

Frank Figliuzzi

Former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence for the FBI

Matthew Miller

Former Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice

Miller is currently a partner at Vianovo, a strategic advisory firm for brand, policy and crisis issues. Previously, he led the U.S. Department of Justice’s communications team under President Barack Obama and served as spokesman for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Miller also... Read More →

Asha Rangappa

Senior Lecturer at Yale University and Former FBI Agent

Rangappa is a senior lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a former associate dean of Yale Law School. Previously, she worked as a special agent in the New York Division of the FBI, where she specialized in counterintelligence investigations. Rangappa... Read More →

Joyce White Vance

Former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama

Vance served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama during the Obama administration. She currently serves as a distinguished professor of the practice of law at the University of Alabama School of Law and is a contributor for MSNBC and NBC News. Vance previously served... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS Security, 2020

1:00pm CDT

The Best of the Best

Four of Texas Monthly’s top legislators of 2019 tell all

Presented by and programmed in partnership with Texas Monthly. Supported by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and AT&T.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Carlos Sanchez

Senior Editor at Texas Monthly

Sanchez became the news and politics editor at Texas Monthly in 2018. Previously, he served as editor of The Monitor in McAllen for nearly five years and as managing editor of the Baton Rouge bureau of The Times-Picayune. Sanchez also worked as executive editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald... Read More →

Speakers

Donna Howard

State Representative

Joe Moody

State Representative

Moody, D-El Paso, has represented House District 78 since 2009. He currently serves as speaker pro tempore of the Texas House and as vice chair of the House Calendars Committee. He also sits on the Business & Industry, Criminal Jurisprudence and Redistricting committees. Previously... Read More →

Dade Phelan

State Representative

Phelan, R-Beaumont, has represented House District 21 since 2015. He serves as chair of the House State Affairs Committee and was appointed to the State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas Advisory Committee. Phelan was selected as a U.S. foreign delegate to China and Taiwan by the... Read More →

James White

State Representative

White, R-Hillister, has represented House District 19 since 2011. He serves as chair of the House Corrections Committee and sits on the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence and Redistricting committees. After serving in the U.S. Army, White began a career as a public school teacher in... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS #txlege, Free Program

1:00pm CDT

The Care Out There

Hospital closures are compromising the health of rural Texas

Presented by Ascension Seton

Moderator

Sarah Jane Tribble

Senior Correspondent at Kaiser Health News

Tribble is a senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, where she covers pharmaceutical drug development, costs and pricing. Previously, she covered health insurance for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and covered the medical industry for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. She also... Read More →

Speakers

Nancy Dickey

Executive Director of the Rural and Community Health Institute at Texas A&M University

Dickey heads Texas A&M University's Rural and Community Health Institute, where she consults with rural hospitals and communities across the state to facilitate medical best practices. She is also a professor in the Texas A&M College of Medicine and the School of Public Health. Previously... Read More →

Erin Marietta

Director of Operations for Rural Hospitals at CHI St. Joseph Health

Marietta began as director of operations for rural hospitals at CHI St. Joseph Health in 2018 after spending two years as the organization’s communications and marketing director. Previously, she served as chief operating officer and communications and operations director at Louisiana... Read More →

J.D. Sheffield

State Representative

Sheffield, R-Gatesville, has represented House District 59 since 2013. He sits on the House Appropriations and Public Health committees. In addition to his role in the Legislature, Sheffield works in Gatesville as a family physician and serves as medical director at Coryell Medical... Read More →

Sandra Wright

Former CEO of Tyler County Hospital

Wright served as CEO of the Tyler County Hospital from 2001 to 2018 after working at Tyler County Hospital Home Health Services in Woodville, Texas. Previously, she served as interim director of AAA Prestige Home Health and as senior vice president of Concepts of Care, both home health... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS Health Care, Rural, #txlege

1:00pm CDT

The Other Boots on the Ground

A border’s-eye view of the migrant crisis from the humanitarians doing the heavy lifting

Supported by Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Moderator

Robert Moore

CEO of El Paso Matters

Moore is the founder and CEO of El Paso Matters, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on issues in El Paso and the Paso del Norte region. His work reporting on border issues has been featured in publications including Texas Monthly, The Washington Post, PBS, BBC, MSNBC and NPR... Read More →

Speakers

Dylan Corbett

Founding Director of the Hope Border Institute

Corbett is the founding director of Hope Border Institute, a faith-based grassroots organization that works with community leaders along the Mexico-U.S. border. He has worked in the international development and nonprofit sectors in Washington, D.C., Central America and South Asia... Read More →

Mimi Marziani

President of The Texas Civil Rights Project

Marziani is the president of the Texas Civil Rights Project and an election law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she served as counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, where she litigated... Read More →

Linda Rivas

Executive Director of the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center

Rivas serves as executive director and managing attorney of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, where she focuses on meeting the needs of immigrants and asylum seekers in El Paso, West Texas and New Mexico. In 2016, Rivas helped start the Borderland Immigration Council, a group... Read More →

Carlos Spector

Immigration Attorney

Spector has been practicing immigration law in El Paso, Texas, for 30 years, specializing in Mexican asylum claims. He won one of the first Mexican asylum claims in 1990. Previously, he worked for then-U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, D-Texas, as a special assistant handling immigration and... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Immigration, National Politics

1:00pm CDT

Live Recording of "Why is This Happening? with Chris Hayes"

The host of MSNBC’s “All In” talks to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas about small government, big tech, the Senate vs. the House and his relationship with the president

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Programmed in partnership with NBC News

Moderator

Chris Hayes

Host of MSNBC's "All In"

Hayes is the host of “All In with Chris Hayes” on MSNBC and has served as editor-at-large of The Nation since 2007. Previously, he hosted “Up w/ Chris Hayes” and served as a frequent substitute host for “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell... Read More →

Speakers

Ted Cruz

U.S. Senator

Cruz, R-Texas, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and ran as a Republican candidate for president in 2016. He serves on the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Joint Economic and Rules & Administration committees. Previously, Cruz served... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Podcast

ACCESS 2020, National Politics

1:00pm CDT

How to Fix American Politics

In a two-part discussion, POLITICO’s Ryan Heath unpacks potential solutions to improve the state of our politics today. Part one features Heath in conversation with Montana Governor Steve Bullock, a 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate. In part two, Heath and a panel of special guests talk about real-life experiments and pie-in-the-sky ideas.

Presented by and programmed in partnership with POLITICO.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Ryan Heath

Senior Editor for POLITICO

Heath is political editor at POLITICO Europe, with particular responsibility for shaping POLITICO’s 2019 European elections coverage. Heath also creates a weekly podcast, “ EU Confidential,” and manages the EU Influence lobbying and campaigns newsletter for POLITICO.

Speakers

Steve Bullock

Governor of Montana and Democratic Candidate for U.S. President

Bullock has served as governor of Montana since 2013. He announced his candidacy for president in May. He began his career working as legal counsel to the secretary of state of Montana before becoming the executive assistant attorney general and the state’s acting chief deputy attorney... Read More →

Guy-Uriel Charles

Co-Director of the Duke University Center on Law, Race and Politics and Professor of Law at Duke University Law School

Charles is currently the Edward and Ellen Schwarzman professor of law at Duke University Law School and heads the university’s Center on Law, Race and Politics. He also serves as the Bennett Boskey visiting professor of law at Harvard Law School, which he joined as faculty in 2009... Read More →

Cecilia Muñoz

Vice President for Public Interest Technology and Local Initiatives at New America

Muñoz joined New America in 2017 as vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives. Previously, she served for eight years on President Barack Obama’s senior staff, as director of intergovernmental affairs and as director of the Domestic Policy Council. Muñoz... Read More →

Margaret Spellings

CEO of Texas 2036 and Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Ellen L. Weintraub

Chair of the U.S. Federal Election Commission

Weintraub has served as a commissioner on the U.S. Federal Election Commission since 2002 and is currently serving her third term as chair. Prior to her appointment to the FEC, Weintraub was of counsel to the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP and counsel to the House Ethics... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
POLITICO Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Free Program

1:15pm CDT

Book Signing of Peter Hotez's "Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism"

Join us for a signing of Peter Hotez's book, "Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Peter Hotez

Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:15pm - 1:45pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Health Care, Free Program

1:30pm CDT

Disconnected

Can't every rural community have broadband?

Presented by Ascension Seton and Raise Your Hand Texas. Supported by Texas Rural Funders Collaborative, the Texas Farm Bureau and AARP Texas.

Moderator

Paul Flahive

Technology and Entrepreneurship Reporter for Texas Public Radio

Flahive reports on technology and entrepreneurship for Texas Public Radio. He also produces “The Source” and created the outlet’s live storytelling program, Worth Repeating. He has worked in public radio across the country, including in Iowa City, Chicago, Anchorage and San... Read More →

Speakers

Jordana Barton

Senior Adviser in the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Barton is a senior adviser in the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where she focuses on the Community Reinvestment Act, the digital economy, affordable housing and small business development. She also serves on the steering committee for the Digital Inclusion... Read More →

Teresa Burnett

Executive Director of the Monahans Chamber of Commerce

Burnett has served as executive director of the Monahans Chamber of Commerce for 15 years. As director, she helped initiate a permanent charitable endowment for Ward County. Burnett also serves on several boards, including the Ward County Crime Stoppers and the Better Business Bureau... Read More →

Eric Frederick

Executive Director of Connect Michigan and Vice President of Community Affairs for Connected Nation Inc.

Frederick joined Connected Nation Inc., a national nonprofit working to expand access, adoption and use of broadband technology, in 2011. In 2018, he facilitated the Michigan Consortium of Advanced Networks (MCAN) and was the principal author of the Michigan Broadband Roadmap published... Read More →

Four Price

State Representative

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Rural, Economy, Public Education, Higher Education, Health Care, Tech

1:30pm CDT

What Free Speech Costs Us

Now that everyone has a microphone and a printing press, can our democracy survive?

Supported by SXSW. Programmed in partnership with the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia.

Moderator

Charlie Warzel

Writer-at-Large for The New York Times Opinion Desk

Warzel serves as a writer-at-large for The New York Times’ opinion desk, where he writes about online extremism and the intersection of technology, media and politics. Previously, he worked as a science and technology writer at Buzzfeed News, where he reported on topics including... Read More →

Speakers

Kate Klonick

Professor at St. John’s Law School

Klonick is an affiliate fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School and New America and professor of law at St. John’s University Klonick School. Her research centers on law and technology, using cognitive and social psychology. She has written for The New York... Read More →

Siva Vaidhyanathan

Director of Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia

Jacob Weisberg

Co-Founder of Pushkin Industries and Former CEO of The Slate Group

Weisberg co-founded the podcast company Pushkin Industries in 2018. Previously, he served as CEO of The Slate Group, co-founder of Panoply and editor-in-chief of Slate Magazine. He was also the creator and co-host of Slate’s “Trumpcast.” Weisberg is a lecturer at Yale University... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS National Politics, Tech

1:45pm CDT

Meet-and-Greet with Rep. Celia Israel

Join us for a meet-and-greet with state Rep. Celia Israel on The Driskill Hotel's Brazos Balcony immediately following her panel.

Speakers

Celia Israel

State Representative

Saturday September 28, 2019 1:45pm - 2:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Brazos Balcony

Special Event

ACCESS #txlege, Cities

2:00pm CDT

Meet-and-Greet with 'The Best of The Best' Panelists

Join us for a meet-and-greet with the panelists of The Best of the Best in the Texas Monthly Tent immediately following their panel.

Presented by Texas Monthly

Texas Monthly

Media Partner

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Partner Program

ACCESS Free Program, #txlege

2:15pm CDT

Seize and Desist

Has civil asset forfeiture become policing for profit?

Programmed in partnership with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.

Moderator

Dave Harmon

Investigative Editor at The Texas Tribune

Harmon joined the Tribune in 2017 as the investigative and projects editor. He started his reporting career in the Rio Grande Valley at The (McAllen) Monitor, covering health care and the environment. After a short stint at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he returned to Austin and spent... Read More →

Speakers

Pamela Dempsey

Executive Director of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Dempsey is the executive director of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, an online nonprofit news site based in Champaign, Illinois. She has done investigative reporting and editing on topics including agribusiness, migrant farm workers, health, housing and Native American... Read More →

A.J. Louderback

Jackson County Sheriff

Louderback is currently serving his fourth term as Jackson County Sheriff. He is a regular commentator on Fox Business and NRA TV and has led the charge on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s program in the Gulf Bend region. Louderback is a former president of the Sheriffs... Read More →

Jolie McCullough

Criminal Justice Reporter for The Texas Tribune

McCullough reports on Texas criminal justice issues and policy for the Tribune. Previously, she worked on the Tribune's data visuals team and spent four years as a reporter and web developer at the Albuquerque Journal. McCullough also interned at the Arizona Republic before she graduated... Read More →

Arif Panju

Managing Attorney of the Institute for Justice Texas Office

Panju joined the Institute for Justice in 2012 and is the managing attorney at its Texas Office, where he litigates economic liberty, First Amendment, property rights and school choice cases. Previously, he served as an attorney at Cantilo & Bennett LLP and as a constitutional law... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune

Panel

ACCESS Justice, Economy

2:15pm CDT

Street CRED

Is creating economic opportunity the answer to reducing gun violence?

Moderator

DeRay Mckesson

Civil Rights Activist and Organizer

Speakers

Arne Duncan

Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Duncan served as U.S. secretary of education from 2009 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. Previously, he served as CEO of Chicago public schools and ran the Ariel Education Initiative, a nonprofit that works to create educational opportunities in economically disadvantaged areas... Read More →

Bilal Evans

Green ReEntry Coordinator for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network

Evans has served for nearly 10 years with the nonprofit Inner-City Muslim Action Network’s Green ReEntry program, which provides life skills training and housing to formerly incarcerated individuals and high-risk youth, and pairs older men who have done time with at-risk younger... Read More →

Tarik Wilson

Participant at Chicago CRED

Wilson is a 26-year-old participant at Chicago CRED and member of Chicago’s Inner-City Muslim Action Network, and he is studying electrical trade. He was raised in Chicago’s Bronzeville community by a single mother.

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church

Panel

ACCESS Justice

2:15pm CDT

The Latinx Wave

25 years after Proposition 187 activated the Hispanic electorate in California, all eyes are on Texas

Supported by Burnt Nopal Creative Studio

Moderator

Andrea Valdez

Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Observer

Valdez joined the Texas Observer as editor-in-chief in June 2019. Previously, she served as the editor of Wired and spent 10 years at Texas Monthly, holding positions including fact checker, columnist and editor. Valdez is also the author of “How to Be a Texan: The Manual,” which... Read More →

Speakers

María Teresa Kumar

President and CEO of Voto Latino

Kumar is the founding president and CEO of Voto Latino and an Emmy Award-nominated contributor to MSNBC. Under her leadership, Voto Latino has registered more than a quarter million voters to participate in national elections. Kumar also serves on the national boards of EMILY’s... Read More →

Albert Morales

Senior Political Director for Latino Decisions

Morales is senior political director at Latino Decisions, an organization that conducts political opinion research. Previously, he worked at the Democratic Governors Association and served in positions under three different chairs of the Democratic National Committee, including as... Read More →

Alex Padilla

California Secretary of State

Padilla was elected as California’s secretary of state in 2014. Previously, he served in the California State Senate from 2006 to 2014, where he chaired the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. He also served as president of the National Association of Latino Elected... Read More →

Eddie Rodriguez

State Representative

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall

Panel

ACCESS 2020, Immigration

2:15pm CDT

Live Recording of the "With Friends Like These" Podcast

The former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum talks progressive politics, voting rights and 2020 with Ana Marie Cox.

Moderator

Ana Marie Cox

Host of the "With Friends Like These" Podcast

Cox is a political columnist and cultural critic. Previously, she conducted the “Talk” interviews featured in The New York Times Magazine. Since starting the political blog Wonkette in 2004, she has contributed to a variety of outlets, including Time magazine, GQ and The Guardian... Read More →

Speakers

Andrew Gillum

Chair of Forward Florida and 2018 Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor

Gillum is the chair of Forward Florida, an organization that works to get Democrats elected in Florida, and is the former mayor of Tallahassee. In 2018, Gillum made history by becoming the Florida Democratic Party’s first African-American gubernatorial nominee. Previously, he was... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, Hogsett Auditorium

Podcast

ACCESS National Politics, 2020

2:30pm CDT

Meet-and-Greet with 'Disconnected' Panelists

Join us for a meet-and-greet with the panelists of Disconnected on the The Driskill Hotel mezzanine immediately following their panel. Hosted by Connected Nation's Texas Director, Jennifer Harris.

Presented by the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative

Speakers

Jordana Barton

Senior Adviser in the San Antonio Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Teresa Burnett

Executive Director of the Monahans Chamber of Commerce

Paul Flahive

Technology and Entrepreneurship Reporter for Texas Public Radio

Eric Frederick

Executive Director of Connect Michigan and Vice President of Community Affairs for Connected Nation Inc.

Four Price

State Representative

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Brazos Balcony

Partner Program

2:30pm CDT

Doing Our Share

How scooters, ride-hailing, short-term rentals and the like have changed city life.

Presented by The University of Texas at Austin. Programmed in partnership with the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Steven Pedigo

Director of the Urban Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

Speakers

Ashwini Chhabra

Senior Director of Public Affairs at Bird

Chhabra is the head of public affairs at Bird, an electric scooter sharing company. Previously, he oversaw policy development at Uber and worked in various positions in New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s administration, including at the mayor’s office and the city’s Department... Read More →

Spencer Cronk

City Manager of Austin

Cronk was elected Austin’s city manager in 2018. Previously, he served as city coordinator in Minneapolis and as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Administration. Cronk also worked in the Department of Small Business Services for the city of New York.

April Mims

Director of Public Policy at Lyft

Mims serves as director of public policy at Lyft, where she directs policy campaigns in Texas, Oklahoma, and throughout the East Coast and Canada. She began her career as the first Allstate fellow for a transportation policy organization and worked as a senior program manager at the... Read More →

Rebecca Viagran

San Antonio City Councilmember

Viagran was first elected to the San Antonio City Council in 2013. She currently serves as chair of the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Committee and as co-chair of the Economic Development Foundation International Advisory Council. Viagran served as the city council’s... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
The University of Texas at Austin Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Cities, Economy, Free Program

2:30pm CDT

The Future of Health

Can we afford to provide care to all Texans? Can we afford not to?

Presented by and programmed in partnership with TEXAS 2036. Also presented by Ascension Seton.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Corrie MacLaggan

Managing Editor for The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Mini Kahlon

Vice Dean for Health Ecosystem at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin

Mary Dale Peterson

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Driscoll Children's Hospital

Peterson was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Driscoll Children’s Hospital in 2018, after serving as president and chief executive officer of the Driscoll Health Plan since 2006. In her position, she oversees system-wide operations and the Driscoll Health... Read More →

Avik Roy

Co-Founder and President of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity

Kel Seliger

State Senator

Seliger, R-Amarillo, has represented Senate District 31 since 2005. He sits on the Senate Health & Human Services, Nominations and Veteran Affairs & Border Security committees. Previously, Seliger served four terms as mayor of Amarillo and was a member of the Amarillo City Commission... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
TEXAS 2036 Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS #txlege, Cities, Health Care, Rural, Free Program

2:30pm CDT

Suspicions Confirmed

The poisoned politics of Supreme Court nominations are here to stay

Moderator

Stephen Vladeck

A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law

Vladeck is the A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. He specializes in federal jurisdiction, constitutional law and national security law. Vladeck is also a Supreme Court analyst for CNN and is a Supreme Court fellow at the Constitution Project... Read More →

Speakers

Mollie Z. Hemingway

Senior Editor at The Federalist

Hemingway is a senior editor at The Federalist and a contributor to Fox News. Her work has appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post and CNN. Hemingway is also the co-author of “Justice on Trial... Read More →

Carl Hulse

Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times

Hulse is the chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, where he also writes the column On Washington, which chronicles developments in the capital. Previously, he served as the Times’ Washington editor as well as its chief congressional correspondent. Hulse is the author... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Crail Hall

Panel

ACCESS Justice, 2020, National Politics

2:45pm CDT

2020 and the Border

POLITICO’s Laura Barrón-López leads a discussion about how border and immigration policy and politics are shaping the 2020 landscape

Presented by and programmed in partnership with POLITICO.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Laura Barrón-López

National Political Reporter at POLITICO

Barrón-López covers House campaigns and the 2020 presidential race for POLITICO. Previously, she led the 2018 coverage of Democrats for the Washington Examiner, covering the DNC’s efforts to reform the power of superdelegates and traveling to competitive districts that propelled... Read More →

Speakers

Ana Maria Archila

Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy

Archila heads the Center for Popular Democracy. She previously served as co-executive director of Make the Road New York and oversaw the group’s growth into one of the largest in New York City supporting initiatives on behalf of local communities. Archila is an immigrant from Colombia... Read More →

Sylvia Garcia

U.S. Representative

Ron Nirenberg

Mayor of San Antonio

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
POLITICO Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS National Politics, 2020, Immigration, Free Program

2:45pm CDT

This is a Test

Is there a better way to hold public schools accountable?

Presented by and programmed in partnership with Texas Monthly. Also presented by Raise Your Hand Texas.

This event is part of Open Congress, a free, open-to-the-public street festival held on Austin's historic Congress Ave. on Saturday, Sept. 28. RSVP to attend Open Congress here.

Moderator

Mimi Swartz

Executive Editor at Texas Monthly

Swartz is an executive editor at Texas Monthly. Previously, she was a staff writer at both Talk and The New Yorker and spent 13 years as a reporter at Texas Monthly. She is a two time National Magazine Award winner and is the author of “Ticker: The Quest to Create an Artificial... Read More →

Speakers

HD Chambers

Superintendent of Alief Independent School District

Chambers has served as superintendent of Alief ISD since 2011. In 2013, he helped the Texas House develop House Bill 5, which revamped the state’s curriculum and graduation requirements. Chambers also helped the House develop HB 22, which reformed the state’s A-F school rating... Read More →

Nicole Conley

Chief Business and Operations Officer for the Austin Independent School District

Robert Scott

Former Texas Commissioner of Education

Scott served as Texas Commissioner of Education from 2007 to 2012. Previously, he served two terms as the Texas Education Agency’s acting commissioner and served four years as chief deputy commissioner, in which role he managed daily TEA operations. Scott has also served as senior... Read More →

Theresa Trevino

Vice President of the Board of Directors at Texans Advocating for Meaningful Test Assessment

Trevino is a founding member, past president and current vice president of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Test Assessment. In 2016, she served as a governor appointee to the Texas Commission of Next Generation of Assessment and Accountability. Previously, Trevino worked in private... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Texas Monthly Tent

Open Congress

ACCESS Public Education, Free Program

2:45pm CDT

One-on-One with Michael Bennet

The U.S senator from Colorado on his race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020

Watch the livestream of this panel here.

Programmed in partnership with NBC News

Moderator

Lawrence O’Donnell

Author and host of MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell”

O’Donnell is an American television pundit, actor and host of “The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell.” Previously, he worked on staff for the U.S. Senate and as an executive producer and writer for the TV series “The West Wing,” for which he won an Emmy Award. O’Donnell... Read More →

Speakers

Michael Bennet

U.S. Senator and Democratic Candidate for President

Bennet, D-Colorado, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2009. He serves on the Senate Finance and Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry committees as well as the Joint Select Committee on Budget & Appropriations Process Reform and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Previously... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
The Paramount Theatre

Panel

ACCESS 2020, National Politics

2:45pm CDT

Property Brothers

The Legislature's architects of property tax reform on whether limiting local revenue is good for Texas

Supported by Texas REALTORS®.

Moderator

Shannon Najmabadi

Higher Education Reporter for The Texas Tribune

Speakers

Paul Bettencourt

State Senator

Bettencourt, R-Houston, has represented Senate District 7 since 2015. He serves as chair of the Senate Property Tax Committee and sits on the Education, Finance and Higher Education committees. He also serves as chair of the Senate Republican Caucus. Previously, Bettencourt served... Read More →

Dustin Burrows

State Representative

Burrows, R-Lubbock, has represented House District 83 since 2015. He serves as chair of the House Ways & Means Committee and sits on the Elections Committee. He also serves as chair of the House Republican Caucus. Burrows practices at the Burrows Law Firm in Lubbock, where he represents... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Texas Public Policy Foundation, McCombs Events Center

Panel

ACCESS #txlege, Economy

3:00pm CDT

One-on-One with Jack Goldsmith

The Harvard Law School professor and former assistant U.S. attorney general on how the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program led him to search for the truth about his stepfather, the FBI and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.

Programmed in partnership with Lawfare and the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin.

Moderator

Benjamin Wittes

Editor-in-Chief of Lawfare

Speakers

Jack Goldsmith

Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Law at Harvard University and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney General

Goldsmith is the Henry L. Shattuck professor of law at Harvard University. Previously, he served as assistant U.S. attorney general and as a legal adviser to the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School and at the University... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Panel

ACCESS Justice

3:00pm CDT

The Stories of 9/11

The author of the first comprehensive oral history of that fateful day talks with the Pulitzer Prize-winner who wrote "The Looming Tower."

Moderator

Lawrence Wright

Staff Writer at The New Yorker

Wright is an author, screenwriter and playwright who joined The New Yorker in 1992. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” and “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” for which he co-produced HBO’s... Read More →

Speakers

Garrett Graff

Contributing Editor for WIRED Magazine

Saturday September 28, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel

Panel

ACCESS Security

3:30pm CDT

Book Signing of Arne Duncan's "How Schools Work"

Join us for a signing of Arne Duncan's book, "How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success from One of the Nation's Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education." The book will be available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on-site at the Festival Hub.

Presented by BookPeople

This event is free to attend and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

Speakers

Arne Duncan

Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Saturday September 28, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Festival Hub at 800 Congress

Book Signing

ACCESS Public Education, National Politics, Free Program