Registration and Continental Breakfast

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Adding 198516671 to Unordered.

• Erin Waters - Publisher, GOVERNING

Keynote - Keeping Texas Strong: Managing for Today and Investing in Tomorrow

In his opening day address on January 8, 2013, Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus noted the strong economic performance of Texas relative to... more

Adding 198516671 to Unordered.

• Erin Waters - Publisher, GOVERNING

BREAK

Plenary Session - Managing for Today and Investing in Tomorrow: The Local Perspective

In the words of the State Budget Task Force's Texas Report, "Texas state government has a somewhat schizophrenic relationship with its local governments." The... more

Adding 199609691 to Unordered.

• Mark Funkhouser, Ph.D. - Director, GOVERNING Institute, former mayor, Kansas City, Missouri

Adding 218548611 to Unordered.

Adding 224606581 to Unordered.

• Joyce A. Wilson - City Manager, City of El Paso
• Honorable Paul Harpole - Mayor, City of Amarillo, Texas

Town Hall Session: The Mission for Transparency, Truth and Accountability

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has turned her passion for civic service into a mission for truth and accountability in government. Traveling the state she hosted... more

• Susan Combs - Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, State of Texas

Lunch

Plenary Session - The Mission Continues: The Value of Public Service in 21st Century Texas

Well over a million people work for state and local government in Texas. As the Baby Boomers retire, replenishing and strengthening that workforce is... more

Adding 198516671 to Unordered.

• Erin Waters - Publisher, GOVERNING

Adding 225827631 to Unordered.

Adding 223541451 to Unordered.

• Ann S. Bishop - Executive Director, Employees Retirement System, State of Texas
• Rick Baker - President, The Edwards Group, former Mayor St. Petersburg, FL

BREAK

Concurrent Sessions

Managing for Today: The Healthcare Challenge

Managing for Today: The Healthcare Challenge More than one in four Texans is uninsured, the highest percentage of any state, and Medicaid and similar health-related programs... more

Adding 170015156 to Unordered.

• Zach Patton - Executive Editor, GOVERNING

Adding 225578752 to Unordered.

Adding 225880891 to Unordered.

Adding 225579092 to Unordered.

• Anne Dunkelberg - Associate Director, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Austin, Texas
• John Davidson - Health Care Policy Analyst, Texas Public Policy Foundation
• Trish A. Young Brown - President & CEO, Central Health

Investing in the Future: The Challenge of an Adequate Transportation System

"Everybody knows..." that Texas needs to spend billions on transportation to keep up with its burgeoning population growth. Texas' population has increased by nearly... more

Adding 170015426 to Unordered.

• Ryan Holeywell - Staff Writer, GOVERNING

Adding 225579352 to Unordered.

Adding 225834481 to Unordered.

• Dennis Christiansen, Ph.D., P.E. - Director, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Gary C. Thomas - President/Executive Director, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

Better, Faster, Cheaper: Managing Government Today, Redefining Government for Tomorrow

Nationally, six straight years of revenue declines have put enormous pressure on cities to do more with less and to do it better. Some cities... more

Adding 199609691 to Unordered.

• Mark Funkhouser, Ph.D. - Director, GOVERNING Institute, former mayor, Kansas City, Missouri

Adding 226330991 to Unordered.

• William H. Kuntz - Executive Director, Department of Licensing and Regulation, State of Texas

BREAK

Concurrent Sessions

Managing for Today: Meeting the Workforce Challenge

The high-minded things that government is supposed to do - keep our communities safe, educate our children, assure a safe and reliable water supply, develop... more

Adding 198516671 to Unordered.

• Erin Waters - Publisher, GOVERNING

Adding 226180001 to Unordered.

Adding 171210551 to Unordered.

• Ken Levine - Director, Sunset Advisory Committee
• Sherri Greenberg - Director, Center for Politics and Governance, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

Investing in the Future: Creating a Sustainable Financial System

With a strong and growing economy, revenues coming in far beyond forecasted amounts and a very healthy reserve fund, Texas is in far better financial... more

Adding 199609691 to Unordered.

• Mark Funkhouser, Ph.D. - Director, GOVERNING Institute, former mayor, Kansas City, Missouri

Adding 226033591 to Unordered.

Adding 223542001 to Unordered.

Adding 226491891 to Unordered.

Adding 226331271 to Unordered.

• Billy Hamilton - former Deputy Controller, State of Texas
• John Gregg - former Co-Speaker, Indiana House of Representatives
• Ross Ramsey - Executive Editor, The Texas Tribune
• Ursula Parks - Director, Legislative Budget Board, State of Texas

Concurrent Sessions

Managing for Today: The Challenge of Providing Quality Public Education

The ongoing battle over the appropriate level and allocation of state funding for Texas' public schools is not simply a budget challenge; it is an... more

Adding 170015156 to Unordered.

• Zach Patton - Executive Editor, GOVERNING

Adding 226032931 to Unordered.

Adding 170015236 to Unordered.

Adding 223541801 to Unordered.

• Robert C. Bobb - President and CEO, Robert Bobb Group LLC
• Sheryl Sculley - City Manager, San Antonio, Texas
• Steve H. Murdock, Ph.D. - Director, Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, Rice University

Investing in the Future: The Challenge of Sufficient Water

With a population quickly outgrowing its now-antiquated water infrastructure, a water crisis looms in Texas' future. Emphasized by recent legal battles and drought, the... more

Adding 170015426 to Unordered.

• Ryan Holeywell - Staff Writer, GOVERNING

Adding 226495481 to Unordered.

Adding 225579632 to Unordered.

Adding 225579942 to Unordered.

• Bech Bruun - Board Member, Texas Water Development Board
• Honorable Doug Miller - State Representative, State of Texas
• Ted Chapman - Director, Public Finance Infrastructure Group, Standard & Poor's

Reception