State legislators, key decision makers, and industry leaders will discuss education, health care, infrastructure, natural resources, economics, and more at a two-day event on challenges and solutions in rural communities.
The Texas Tribune will host a free, two-day event, The Future of Rural Texas: A Texas Tribune Symposium, on Nov. 12 and 13 at Texas A&M University. The symposium, the first event focused on rural Texas for the nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide news organization, will bring together Texas lawmakers, stakeholders, and industry leaders to discuss the most pressing issues facing the state’s sprawling rural communities.
Find a full schedule and register for this event at www.texastribune.org/events.
Monday, Nov. 12 At 6pm, The Future of Rural Texas will kick off with a keynote conversation on The 86th Legislative Agenda with state Reps. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin; Drew Darby, R-San Angelo; Mary González, D-Clint; Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass; and Four Price, R-Amarillo, with Texas Tribune Co-Founder and CEO Evan Smith moderating. The event will be held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, 1002 George Bush Dr. West. The opening-night reception is 7:15pm to 9pm and will include complimentary light bites and a cash bar.
Tuesday, Nov.13 The second day is full of programming and events in the Century Ballroom at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, 177 Joe Routt Blvd. A light breakfast and lunch are included with complimentary RSVP. Paid visitor parking will be available in Cain Garage and is not included in registration.
7:30am: Breakfast and Expo Open
8:20 to 8:40am: Setting the table: What is Rural Texas? Tom Luce, founder and chairman of Texas 2036
8:45 to 9:05am: Public Opinion and Rural Texas Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project
9:15-10:05am: Educating the Next Generation Kim Alexander, superintendent of the Roscoe Independent School District Jimmie Don Aycock, former state representative and former chair of the House Public Education Committee Sylvia Leal, senior program officer for education and economic development at the T.L.L Temple Foundation Cheryl Sparks, president of Howard College Moderated by Alana Rocha, multimedia reporter for The Texas Tribune
10:15 to 11:05am: Investing in Infrastructure Will Conley, chairman of CAMPO and a former Hays County commissioner State Rep. Ben Leman, R-Anderson, and former Grimes County judge State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, chair of the House Transportation Committee Bill Stockton, executive associate agency director for the Interdisciplinary Research Group at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute Moderated by Brandon Formby, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune
11:15am to 12:05pm: Preserving Natural Resources Blair Fitzsimons, CEO of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust Marilu Hastings, vice president for sustainability at the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation State Rep. Kyle Kacal, R-College Station Roel Lopez, director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute Moderated by Andrew Sansom, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University
12:05pm: Lunch
12:40pm: Introduction: Bruce Esterline, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and grants at the Meadows Foundation
12:45 to 1:35pm: The View from Rural Communities Donnie Allred, Oldham County judge Shelley Brophy, mayor of Nacogdoches Alma Moreno, San Patricio County commissioner Ramiro Rodriguez, mayor of Palmhurst Moderated by Evan Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of The Texas Tribune
1:45 to 2:15pm: The State of the Rural Economy Glenn Hegar, Texas comptroller of public accounts
2:25 to 3:15pm: Building an Economic Future Becky Garlick, executive dean of Blinn College Arleene Loyd, executive director of the Gainesville Economic Development Corporation Joe Outlaw, professor and extension economist in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University Ines Polonius, CEO of Communities Unlimited Moderated by Alana Rocha, multimedia reporter for The Texas Tribune
3:25 to 4:15pm: Ensuring Rural Health Debra Flores, director of the West Texas Area Health Education Center at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health John Henderson, president and CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals Susan Rushing, CEO of Burke State Rep. J.D. Sheffield, R-Gatesville Moderated by Marissa Evans, health and human services policy reporter at The Texas Tribune
Event Details: Out-of-town attendees can reserve a room at the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center in advance. All panels from this event will be livestreamed here.
For media RSVP, email Texas Tribune director of media relations Natalie Choate at nchoate@texastribune.org.
Community Conversations: The Texas Tribune is committed to promoting civic dialogue and discussion on today’s biggest issues. In tandem with this live event, the Tribune has produced a Future of Rural Texas Community Conversation Toolkit, a step-by-step guide to hosting a Symposium watch party and to sparking meaningful conversations on how the issues discussed at the symposium impact your family and community.
Download the toolkit here and find Symposium watch parties happening near you.
This event is presented by Educate Texas, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Greater Texas Foundation, the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation, the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation, the Meadows Foundation, the St. David's Foundation, the Still Water Foundation, the Rebuild Texas, T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and the Texas Pioneer Foundation.
About The Texas Tribune The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public media organization whose mission is to promote civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government, and other matters of statewide interest. For more information on The Texas Tribune, visit www.texastribune.org.
