2014 Speakers

Aaronson develops news applications and works on special investigative projects for The Texas Tribune. After joining the Tribune in 2010, she was promoted in 2012 to cover health care, during which time she was nationally recognized for her coverage of women’s health and abortion politics. Aaronson was a founding member of the Tribune’s news apps team.

Alameel is the founder of the Alameel Foundation, which provides community service in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He also serves as president of the League of Latin American Citizens Greater Texas LULAC Council. Alameel previously served in the U.S. Army.

Allison is an investigative journalist and editor for nonprofit media. He worked for the Center for Public Integrity, where he co-authored The Cheating of America and served as co-editor of the New York Times bestseller The Buying of the President 2004. Previously, Allison worked for eight years at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Andrade has served as a Texas workforce commissioner since 2013. From 2008 to 2012, she served as the first Latina secretary of state of Texas. She has also served on the Texas Transportation Commission. Andrade has been a leader in the San Antonio business community for more than three decades.

Antuna co-founded Hispanic Republicans of Texas in 2009. He sits on the Epilepsy Foundation of Central South Texas fundraising committee and has served on the Texas Lyceum Board of Directors. Previously, Antuna served for three years on the Schertz City Council.

Averitt is a certified public accountant and consultant who works with the public affairs firm Averitt & Associates. He was elected to represent Senate District 22 in 2002 and previously served in the Texas House for nearly 10 years. He is a former chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and is now a member of the board of trustees for the Texas Water Foundation.

Balz has served as The Washington Post’s national editor, political editor, White House correspondent and Southwest correspondent. He is co-author of two books, including the New York Times bestseller The Battle for America 2008, a narrative history of the 2008 presidential campaign. In 2011, Balz received the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Merriman Smith Award.

Barton oversees all operations at TxDOT. Before that, he served as assistant executive director for engineering operations. Previously, Barton worked as the director of transportation planning and development for the Wichita Falls district and as district engineer for the Beaumont district.

Beltran is running to represent District 13 on the Texas State Board of Education. She currently serves as the regional director for Leadership for Education Equity, where she works to engage current and former teachers civically and politically. Previously, Beltran served at the Dallas-based nonprofit Teaching Trust, where she directed a leadership development program for teachers.

Boyd was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Rick Perry in 2012. Previously, he served as the governor’s chief of staff and as his general counsel. Previously, he served as senior partner at Thompson & Knight LLP. Boyd also served as deputy attorney general for general litigation for then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn and again with Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Bradley, D-New Jersey, served as a U.S. senator from 1979 to 1997 and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000. Bradley, a 1964 Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer, now serves as a managing director for Allen & Company LLC and is the host of a weekly radio show, American Voices.

Brown is host and managing editor of the Texas Standard, a new statewide public radio program produced at the studios of KUT News in Austin in association with The Texas Tribune, NPR and media partners across Texas. Brown is a former host of the business program Marketplace and a longtime public radio correspondent based in Washington, London and Los Angeles.

Brown is the editor of The Bryan-College Station Eagle, which is considered a boot camp for young journalists. Previously, she served as managing editor, taught at Texas A&M University and worked as a private investigator. Brown has worked in newspapers for 23 years, covering courts, police, politics and other local beats.

Burgess, R-Lewisville, was first elected in 2002 to represent Texas’ Congressional District 26. He serves on the House Energy & Commerce and Rules committees and is the vice chairman of the Health and Oversight & Investigations subcommittees. Burgess received his M.D. from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Cabrera was named superintendent of the El Paso ISD in 2013. Most recently, he worked as a school law attorney and served as general counsel to more than 20 Texas school districts. Cabrera is a certified K-8 bilingual teacher and has worked as an international general counsel, corporate executive with publicly traded technology firms, litigator and adviser to technological and investment firms.

Capriglione, R-Southlake, has represented District 98 in the Texas House since 2012. He serves on the Government Efficiency & Reform and International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs committees. Capriglione is also president of Texas Adventure Capital LLC, which provides services to largely Texas-based small businesses.

DeLuna Castro joined the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an independent policy research organization, in 1998. She has spent 23 years in Texas budget battles including serving as an analyst for the Texas comptroller, researching policy issues related to state revenue and spending.

Chambers has served as the leader of Alief Independent School District since 2011. Before joining Alief ISD, he served as superintendent of the Stafford Municipal School District. Chambers began his career in education as a teacher and coach in the Aldine school district, and he previously served in campus and central administration roles for 14 years in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.

Coleman, D-Houston, was first elected in 1992 to represent House District 147. He currently serves as chairman of the House County Affairs Committee and is a member of the Public Health Committee and Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding. Coleman is the president and CEO of Apartments for America, a nonprofit affordable housing cooperation.

Cook, R-Corsicana, was first elected to serve District 8 in the Texas House in 2002. He also sits on the Calendars Committee. He recently served on the Sunset Advisory Commission, which reviews the efficiency of state agencies. Previously, Cook served as chairman of the Environmental Regulation and Civil Practices committees.

Craddick was elected in 2012 to serve a six-year term on the Texas Railroad Commission. She is an attorney specializing in oil and gas, water, electric deregulation and environmental policy. Prior to serving on the Railroad Commission, Craddick was the chief political and legal adviser to the speaker of the Texas House.

Cruz, the interim superintendent of the Austin Independent School District, previously served as chief schools officer, supervising four associate superintendents and more than 120 campus principals. Cruz has worked in education for 28 years and is in his ninth year with Austin ISD.

Cuellar, D-Laredo, was first elected in 2005 to represent Texas’ Congressional District 28. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee and on the subcommittees on Homeland Security and State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. Previously, Cuellar served as the secretary of state of Texas.

Davis, D-Fort Worth, has represented District 10 in the Texas Senate since 2009. She is the Democratic nominee for Texas governor. In the Senate, Davis serves as vice chairwoman of the Open Government Committee and is a member of the Economic Development, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs & Military Installations committees. Previously, Davis served on the Fort Worth City Council for nearly nine years.

Delisi was appointed chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission in 2008. She currently is a partner at Delisi communications, a public relations, government and political consulting business. Previously, she served as Gov. Rick Perry’s chief of staff and campaign manager.

Deuell, R-Greenville, was elected in 2002 to represent District 2 in the Texas Senate. He also serves as chairman of the Economic Development Committee and vice chairman of the State Affairs Committee and sits on the Natural Resources Committee. Deuell has practiced as a board-certified family physician in Greenville for 25 years.

Dow is a distinguished professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he founded and runs the Texas Innocence Network, a program in which law students assist in the representation of inmates facing execution. He and his team have represented over 100 death row inmates in their appeals. Dow is also a professor at Rice University.

Dukes, D-Austin, has represented District 46 in the Texas House since 1994. She chairs the House Select Committee on Child Protection and serves as vice chairwoman of the Article II Appropriations Subcommittee. In 2009, Dukes received the Child Protection Legislator of the Year award from the Child Protection Roundtable for her commitment to the protection of children.

Eckels is president of Texas Central Railway, a private enterprise seeking to build a high-speed rail system linking the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Houston. He served as the Harris County judge, chairman of the Harris County Toll Road Authority, and chairman of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council. Previously, Eckels served in the Texas Legislature.

Escobar was sworn in as the El Paso County judge in 2011. During her tenure, she has worked on border issues and has testified before the U.S. Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and before several Texas state legislative committees. Previously, Escobar served as a county commissioner in El Paso.

Fernandez covers Texas and Oklahoma for The New York Times. Previously, he covered New York City for the paper’s Metro section. He has also worked for the San Francisco Chronicle and The Washington Post as a general assignment reporter. Fernandez was part of a team whose coverage of a deadly Bronx fire was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for breaking news reporting.

Flores, R-Waco, has represented Texas’ Congressional District 17 since 2011. He serves on the House Budget, Natural Resources and Veterans’ Affairs committees. Flores also serves on the board of trustees of Houston Baptist University. Flores, a CPA, has worked in the energy industry, serving as president and CEO of Phoenix Exploration Company.

Garcia was elected in 2008 to serve as Harris County sheriff, heading the state’s largest sheriff’s office. Previously, he served on the Houston City Council and was appointed mayor pro tempore in 2007. Before becoming Sheriff, Garcia served as an officer for 23 years in the Houston Police Department.

Garza served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009. He was previously chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission and secretary of state of Texas. He serves as counsel in the Mexico City office of White & Case LLP, a global law firm, and as chairman of Vianovo Ventures.

Gold has been a reporter in Texas for The Wall Street Journal since 2000. He covers fracking and the U.S. energy industry and and is the author of the new book The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World. He has previously worked for the San Antonio Express-News.

Green, D-Houston, has represented Texas’ Congressional District 29 for over 20 years. He has been a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee since 1996 and sits on the subcommittees on Health, Energy and Power, Environment and Economy, and Oversight and Investigations. Previously, Green served for 20 years in the Texas Legislature.

Grieder is a senior editor at Texas Monthly. Previously, she was the southwest correspondent for The Economist. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Politico magazine. She authored Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas.

Guzman was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Gov. Rick Perry in 2009. Previously, she served as an associate justice on the Houston-based 14th Court of Appeals and as a trial court judge on the 309th Family District Court. Guzman also serves as co-chairwoman of the Houston Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee.

Hamilton covers higher education and politics for The Texas Tribune and hosts the Tribune’s weekly podcast. His writing has also appeared in Texas Monthly and The Texas Observer. Hamilton received his bachelor’s degree in English from Vanderbilt University.

Hancock, R-Fort Worth, was first elected in 2012 to represent District 9 in the Texas Senate. He is vice chairman of the Economic Development Committee. Previously, Hancock served three terms in the Texas House and 13 years on the Birdville Independent School District board.

Hecht was first elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1988 and was appointed chief justice by Gov. Rick Perry in 2013. He is the senior Texas appellate judge in active service. Hecht has overseen revisions to the rules of administration, practice and procedure in Texas courts.

Heiligenstein leads an independent government agency created to design a modern transportation network for Central Texas. He also serves as the president of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. Previously, Heiligenstein worked as a public official in Williamson County for 23 years.

Henson directs the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a founder and co-director of the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, the only open-source statewide survey of public opinion in Texas. Henson is also the co-author of the Texas Politics web-based textbook published by Soomo Learning, used at universities throughout the state.

Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has represented Senate District 20 since 2003. In addition to chairing the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, he is the vice chairman of the Finance Committee. Hinojosa sits on the Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security, Criminal Justice, and Natural Resources committees.

Howard, D-Austin, was first elected in 2006 to serve District 48 in the Texas House. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, she sits on the Article III Subcommittee (Education Funding) and the Subcommittee on Budget Transparency and Reform. Before her election to the Legislature, Howard worked as a critical care nurse.

Huffman, R-Houston, has represented Texas Senate District 17 since 2008. In addition to her role on the Criminal Justice committee, she chairs the Texas Senate Republican Caucus and is a member of the Finance, State Affairs, and Health and Human Services committees. Previously, Huffman worked as a prosecutor and judge.

Huie is responsible for monitoring higher education issues and making recommendations on trends and best practices. Previously, she served as director and then assistant vice chancellor for the Office of Strategic Initiatives. Huie has more than a decade of experience in higher education administration and research.

Huntsman has served in critical roles around the world, including U.S. trade ambassador and U.S. ambassador to China. He has also served two terms as the governor of Utah. Huntsman is the co-founder and honorary co-chairman of No Labels, a nonpartisan group aiming to improve how the federal government functions.

Since 2007, Ireland has led the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, an organization dedicated to promoting energy education and best practices in the Barnett Shale. Previously, he founded Energy Planning Associates and GasMark Inc. and served as president of GeoSource Inc. Ireland serves on the board of directors of the TCU Energy Institute.

Jenkins began his first term as Dallas County judge in 2011. He also serves as president of the Jenkins and Jenkins law practice, and is the co-owner of Brown Dental Health Services. Jenkins is a member of the Dallas Criminal Justice Advisory Board Executive Committee, the county’s Juvenile Board and the Dallas County Benefits Committee.

Jones assumed the presidency of Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2008. Previously, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Texas A&M International University in Laredo and as dean of University College at the University of Houston-Downtown. Jones began his teaching career as an English instructor at Casper College in Wyoming.

Kase has worked since 2002 at Texas Defender Service, which advocates on criminal justice policy reform. She has represented capital clients at trial in Texas and New York state courts and has served as learned counsel in federal court. Kase is also a faculty member of the National Criminal Defense College in Georgia.

Keffer, R-Eastland, was first elected in 1996 to represent District 60 in the Texas House. He is a member of the Natural Resources and Redistricting committees. He also serves as president of EBAA Iron Sales Inc. Keffer is a graduate of Texas Tech University.

Khator has served as University of Houston System chancellor and University of Houston president since January 2008. During her tenure, the system has experienced record-breaking research funding and enrollment. She previously served as provost and senior vice president at the University of South Florida.

King, R-Abilene, has represented House District 71 since 2006. She sits on the Appropriations, Public Health and House Administration committees. Previously, she served as co-director of surgery at St. Luke’s Episcopal, Texas Children’s Hospital and Texas Heart Institute in Houston. King co-owns and co-directs the Elm Place Ambulatory Surgical Center, where she is a practicing surgical nurse.

Kintz is head of North American public policy at Uber Technologies, a software platform that connects consumers with transportation options in more than 150 cities worldwide. Previously, he managed government affairs at Orbitz Worldwide, focusing on global legislative and regulatory matters. Kintz also held public policy and communications roles at the European-American Business Council.

Krause, R-Fort Worth, was elected in 2012 to represent District 93 in the Texas House. He serves on the Special Purpose Districts and County Affairs committees. He also serves as a constitutional attorney, college professor and the executive director of the Torch of Freedom Foundation. Previously, Krause served as litigation counsel for the Liberty Counsel.

Lane’s practice primarily consists of representing insurers in class-action litigation, reinsurance arbitration proceedings and other disputes. He is a member of the firm’s litigation practice steering committee and has conducted more than 30 jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations. He is also a member of the Texas Law Review Association.

Larsen focuses his law practice on the First Amendment and media representation, including state and federal freedom of information acts and access to court and agency proceedings and records. In 2010, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas honored him with its James Madison Award.

Leffingwell was first elected mayor of Austin in 2009. Previously, he held the Place 1 seat on the Austin City Council and served as chairman of the council’s Environmental Board. Prior to his public service, Leffingwell was a pilot with Delta Air Lines for more than 31 years.

Levinthal leads the federal politics team at the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit news organization. Previously, he reported on campaign finance and lobbying issues for Politico and co-wrote the daily Politico Influence column, and he edited OpenSecrets.org.

In 2014, Luce became the founding president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute with the mission of improving mental health services for Texans. Previously, he served as a U.S. assistant secretary of education for planning, evaluation and policy development during the George W. Bush administration. Luce is a also founding partner of Hughes & Luce LLP.

Malewitz covers energy for The Texas Tribune. Before arriving, he spent two years covering energy and environmental issues for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C. A native of Michigan, he has an undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in Iowa and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Martin joined The Times in 2013. He previously served as senior political writer for Politico since its founding in 2007. Martin is also co-author of the New York Times best-seller The End of the Line: Romney vs. Obama: The 34 Days That Decided the Election.

Martinez was elected mayor of Corpus Christi in 2012, becoming the city’s first female Hispanic to hold the position. She currently serves as president-elect of the Texas Municipal League and president and owner of Adlen Enterprises Inc., an asset management company. Martinez also serves as a trustee for the Christus Spohn Health System Foundation.

Mauro served four terms as Texas land commissioner and ran as the Democratic nominee for governor in 1998 against Republican George W. Bush. As land commissioner, Mauro helped create the Texas Adopt-a-Beach Program to raise awareness for the Gulf Coast, and he authored the Texas Coastal Coordination Plan, enabling Texas to receive grant money for coastal restoration projects.

McCraw assumed leadership of the Texas Department of Public Safety in 2009. Previously, he served as Gov. Rick Perry’s chief of homeland security for almost five years, overseeing efforts to increase border security and curb violence caused by drug-trafficking cartels. Before that, McCraw had a 21-year career with the FBI.

McMillin has served as Texas Guaranteed’s president and CEO since 2004 and has worked in nonprofit management related to higher education for over 20 years. She also serves on several national postsecondary education councils and is a member of the board of directors for the National College Access Network.

Metzger is the founder and director of Environment Texas, a statewide organization advocating for clean air, water and open spaces. He also serves as a commissioner on the Austin Resource Management Commission. Metzger has previously served on the Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Miller joined Summit in 2008 to work on the Texas Clean Energy Project, an integrated gasification combined cycle project. Previously, she served as mayor of Dallas, where she advocated for coal gasification, carbon sequestration and energy efficiency. Miller has also served on the Dallas City Council and was an award-winning investigative journalist.

Mitchell is the eighth president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Cooper Clinic and as medical director for the Cooper Wellness Program. Mitchell was also appointed in 2002 by President George W. Bush to serve on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports.

Morris has served in the Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments since 1979 and as director of transportation since 1990. He is a member of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Previously, Morris served as assistant director of transportation and senior transportation planner for NCTCOG.

Natalicio has been the University of Texas at El Paso president since 1988. Previously, she served as the university’s vice president for academic affairs, dean of liberal arts and chairwoman of the modern languages department. Natalicio also served as chairwoman for the ACE board and as a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Nichols, R-Jacksonville, was first elected in 2006 to Senate District 3. In addition to chairing the Transportation Committee, he is the vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee and a member of the State Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Natural Resources committees. Previously, Nichols served for eight years as a transportation commissioner.

Oriano is the founding executive director for the Texas Success Center, a program sponsored by the Texas Association of Community Colleges. Previously, she served as the associate director for college relations at the Center for Community College Student Engagement. Oriano also serves as senior associate for CCCSE and as a lecturer in the Department of Educational Administration at UT-Austin.

O’Rourke, D-El Paso, is serving his first term in Congress representing Texas’ Congressional District 16. He sits on the Homeland Security and Veterans’ Affairs committees. Previously, O’Rourke served on the El Paso City Council for six years. He is also a co-founder of Stanton Street Technology.

Paredes was appointed Texas higher education commissioner in 2004. He also serves on the Education Commission of the States and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Previously, Paredes served as the vice chancellor for academic development at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Patterson has served as commissioner of the Texas General Land Office since 2003, and he was a Republican primary candidate in the 2014 race for lieutenant governor. Patterson previously represented Texas Senate District 11, where he served as chairman of the Veteran Affairs Committee and authored the state’s concealed handgun law in 1995.

Perry has served as the state’s chief executive since 2000, making him the longest-serving governor in Texas history. In 2013, he announced he would not seek re-election. During his tenure, he has made over 4,000 appointments across the broad spectrum of Texas agencies and commissions. As governor, Perry has maintained a record of strong pro-business social conservativism.

Pickett, D-El Paso, has represented Texas’ House District 79 since 1995. He previously served as chairman of the Defense and Veterans’ Affairs and Transportation committees. In addition to his current chairmanships, Pickett is a member of the Transportation and Redistricting committees.

Pitts, R-Waxahachie, was first elected in 1992 to serve Texas’ House District 10. The House’s chief budget writer for most of the last decade, Pitts will leave office when his current term expires. Previously, he served as president of the Waxahachie Independent School District board and spent 36 years practicing law.

Powell was first appointed Lubbock County’s district attorney by Gov. Rick Perry in 2005. He has served in the DA’s office since 1995, and he has been a prosecutor since 1993. Powell was named “Prosecutor of the Year” for 2012 by the State Bar of Texas.

Ramsey is the executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune. Before joining the Tribune, he served as editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly, the premier newsletter on government and politics in Texas. Previously, he served as associate deputy comptroller for policy and director of communications at the state comptroller’s office.

Reddy coordinates the Right On Crime campaign at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Effective Justice. He has authored several reports on criminal justice policy. Previously, Reddy worked as a research assistant at The Cato Institute and as an attorney focusing on trial and appellate litigation.

Reed serves as the founding president of South Texas College, formerly South Texas Community College. Under her leadership, South Texas College has instituted numerous dual enrollment programs, early college high schools, technical early college high schools and dropout recovery programs.

González Reynolds has served as a deputy commissioner for the Texas Education Agency since 2007. Previously, she served as a special assistant in the federal Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs. González Reynolds began her career in education policy as legislative director to the late state Sen. Teel Bivins.

Rocha joined the Texas Tribune staff as the multimedia reporter after working eight years in television and radio news. She has covered politics for stations in Florida, Kansas and, most recently, in Austin as YNN’s lead political reporter. Born and raised in Tampa, Rocha received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of Florida.

Rodríguez, D-El Paso, has represented Senate District 29, which includes more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, since 2011. He also serves as the vice chairman of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee and is a member of the Criminal Justice, Veteran Affairs & Military Installations, and Government Organization committees.

Before serving as chairman of the Texas Water Development Board, Rubinstein was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2009. Rubinstein serves as the Texas representative to the Western States Water Council and is a member of the Border Governors’ Conference Sustainable Development worktable and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Sáenz has focused his research largely on students of color in higher education. Sáenz is a Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership fellow, and he holds a faculty appointment with the UT Center for Mexican American Studies.

Sartwelle oversees the legislative, commodity and regulatory activities and the research, education and policy development divisions at the Texas Farm Bureau. Previously, he served as the livestock economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Sartwelle and his father own and operate Sartwelle Brahman Ranch in Sealy, Texas.

Schloss began her career in open records in 1990. Previously, she served as the cost rules administrator in the attorney general’s office. She received the Freedom Fighter Medal presented by the Baylor University School of Journalism in 2012.

Seliger, R-Amarillo, was first elected to represent Senate District 31 in 2004. In addition to chairing the Higher Education Committee, he is a member of the Finance, Natural Resources and Open Government committees. Before joining the Legislature, Seliger served four terms as mayor of Amarillo.

Sharp was appointed chancellor by the Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents in 2011. Previously, he was a principal with Ryan & Company, a tax consulting firm. Sharp has served in numerous public offices, including the Texas House, the state Senate, the Railroad Commission and as comptroller.

Shaw was appointed chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2009 by Gov. Rick Perry. Shaw has also served as chairman of the Texas Advisory Panel on Federal Environmental Regulations. As an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, Shaw conducts research on air pollution abatement.

Simpson, R-Longview, was first elected to represent House District 7 in 2010. He serves on the County Affairs and the Land and Resource Management committees. Previously, he served as mayor of Avinger, Texas, and as an appointed member of the Ark-Tex Regional Review Committee. Simpson also serves as president and CEO of Avinger Timber.

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

Smitherman, who was appointed to his position in 2011, has also served as chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Gas Committee. Previously, he served as chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, as a bond attorney, and as a prosecutor.

Staples was first elected commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture in 2007. Previously, he served as a member of the Texas House and Senate and as mayor pro-tempore of the Palestine City Council. Staples is also a business owner, real estate agent and former rancher.

Straus, R-San Antonio, who was elected in 2005 to represent House District 121, is serving his third term as speaker. He is joint chairman on the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Audit Committee and the Texas Legislative Council. Previously, Straus served on numerous campaigns for federal, state and local candidates.

Taylor was appointed to serve as mayor of San Antonio to fulfill Julián Castro’s unexpired term. Previously, she served as the District 2 councilwoman and as vice president of Merced Housing Texas. Taylor began her career working for the city in the Housing and Community Development Department and the Neighborhood Action Department.

Tumulty joined The Post in 2010. Previously, she worked as a national political correspondent at Time magazine, where she wrote or co-wrote more than three dozen cover stories. She served as a congressional correspondent and a White House correspondent at Time. Before that, Tumulty spent 14 years at the Los Angeles Times.

Ura covers politics and demographics, with an emphasis on the state’s surging Hispanic population, for The Texas Tribune, where she started as an intern. While obtaining her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, Ura worked as a reporter and editor at The Daily Texan.

Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, has represented District 26 in the Texas Senate since 1999. She is the 2014 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Texas. In the Senate, she chairs the Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Committee and sits on the Business & Commerce, Education, and State Affairs committees. Previously, Van de Putte served as a state representative.

Vaughan is a founder and president of the Rio Grande International Study Center, a Laredo-based environmental nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the Rio Grande and local green spaces. Vaughan is also a professor emeritus in the Department of Biology and Chemistry at Texas A&M International University.

Villalba, R-Dallas, has represented Texas House District 114 since 2013. He serves on the Business and Industry and Environmental Regulation committees as well as the special select Committee on Redistricting. Villalba founded the Freshman Delegation, a bipartisan group dedicated to building relationships through the legislative process. Villalba is a partner at Haynes and Boone, a Dallas law firm.

Villarreal, D-San Antonio, has House District 123 since 2000. In addition to chairing the Investments and Financial Services Committee, he is a member of the Public Education Committee. Villarreal has declared his candidacy for the 2015 race to be San Antonio mayor.

Watts was elected mayor of Denton in May. He serves as vice chairman for public power for the United States Conference of Mayors’ Energy Standing Committee and as board president for the Texas Municipal Power Agency. Previously, he served as a Denton city councilman and owned a real estate investment firm for more than 20 years.

Wax was first elected as mayor of Rockport in 2010. He also represents the city on the Coastal Bend Council of Governments and the Aransas County Pathways and Stormwater Advisory committees. Previously, Wax served as a task force director in the Department of Defense and in the U.S. Air Force.

Weber was named executive director of TxDOT in April. Previously, he served as vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University. Weber spent 36 years in the U.S. Marine Corps in numerous command and leadership positions, including lieutenant general.

West, D-Dallas, was first elected in 1992 to represent District 23 in the Texas Senate. He serves as chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee and sits on the Higher Education, Education, Finance and Health and Human Services committees. West was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Education Commission of the States in 2005.

White, the founder of the nonprofit Women for Life International, is the Republican nominee for Texas House District 55. She has served as the legislative director for Operation Outcry, as a member of the Central Texas Republican Women’s club and as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Willett has served as the director of the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville since 2003. He is a retired warden of the Huntsville “Walls” Unit, and he spent more than 30 years with the Texas prison system. Between 1998 and 2001, Willett oversaw 89 executions.

Williams serves as director of planning within the Texas Department of Transportation’s Planning and Projects Office, where he is responsible for directing statewide multimodal planning and environmental programs. Williams has experience in transportation planning and program efforts in both public and private sector organizations.

Williams, R-Austin, was elected to represent Congressional District 25 in 2012. Previously, he served as the secretary of state of Texas, the state’s chief liaison for Texas border and Mexican affairs, and chairman of the state’s 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Response Strike Force. Williams has also served as state finance chairman for John Cornyn’s 2002 Senate campaign.

Witt has served for three years as senior manager at Tesla Motors, where he addresses federal, state and local policy issues related to electric vehicles, infrastructure deployment and energy storage. Previously, he served as a policy aide in the U.S. Senate, where he focused on transportation issues.

Woods assumed leadership of San Antonio’s Northside ISD in 2012. Before that, he served as deputy superintendent for administration and assistant superintendent for secondary administration. He also serves on the executive and legislative committees for the Texas Association of School Administrators. Woods began his career in Northside ISD as a social studies teacher in 1992.

Young has served as deputy commissioner of coastal resources since 2010 and has worked in the General Land Office since 2000. She served as the Texas delegate to the Coastal States Organization and serves on its executive committee. Young is also a member of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.