Rural communities are rich with natural resources and human know-how. However, many small Texas towns grapple with affording basic services and struggle to keep young people. Agricultural economics continue to strain. The future increasingly feels digital and urban. This doesn’t have to be the case.Â
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Join The Texas Tribune along with policymakers, community leaders and local innovators Nov. 18 and 19 at Abilene Christian University to discuss how rural communities can thrive economically, deliver essential services, and build a future worth staying for.
The two-day Texas Tribune symposium will take place Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Thursday, Nov. 19 at Abilene Christian University. Â
AGENDA: Full symposium agenda below, with speakers to be announced soon.
MEALS: Attendees are invited to an opening-night barbecue hosted by Abilene Christian University on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided on Thursday, Nov. 19.Â
 TRAVEL NOTE: We recommend arrival by early afternoon, Wednesday, Nov. 18 to ensure you don't miss special events, including an opening night barbecue and the symposium's opening keynote.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:Â List of recommended hotels to be shared soon.
DIRECTIONS/PARKING: To be shared with attendees closer to event.Â
HOST A WATCH PARTY: Unable to attend in person and interested in hosting a watch party in your community?  Watch parties allow Texans in communities across the state to come together to watch a Tribune event and host discussions at a time and place convenient for them. Watch Party Toolkits will be released closer to the event.Â
sday, Nov. 14 at the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown campus (ensuring easier travel for attendees from around the state).  A discussion with ag leaders about the pressures of the industry, including tariffs, workforce, water, screwworm climate and regulations.
• Russell Boening, president, Texas Farm Bureau
• Josh Winegarner, director of government relations, Texas Cattle Feeders Association
• Moderated by Berenice Garcia, RGV Reporter, The Texas Tribune
An exploration of how rural communities are working to support families and what will keep young families in their hometowns.
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• Maximiliano Rombado, director of early learning policy, Texans Care for Children
• Connie Tyne, executive director, Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health
• Moderated by Jess Huff, East Texas reporter, The Texas Tribune
More panelists will be announced soon.Â
Texas is home to many of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. We discuss how rural cities on the outskirts of Dallas and Houston are being transformed, and how their leaders are trying to keep up.
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• Stewart McGregor, executive director, Kaufman Economic Development Corporation
• Eugene Escobar, mayor, Princeton
• Lori Olson, executive director, Texas Land Trust Council
• Moderated by Stephen Simpson, Houston-based regional reporter, The Texas Tribune
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More panelists will be announced soon.Â
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Everything is bigger in Texas. But is there enough water and power to sustain the Texas Miracle? We discuss the latest forecasts on the state’s most precious resources and what, if anything, is being done to conserve them.
• Luke Metzger, executive director, Environment Texas
• Moderated by Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Permian Basin reporter, The Texas TribuneÂ
More panelists will be announced soon.Â
Email us at events@texastribune.org
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Saucedo-Herrera is the president and CEO of greater:SATX, a regional economic partnership charged with growing and diversifying the eight-county San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA. During her seven-year tenure at the helm of San Antonio’s economic development team, greater:SATX has secured over 23,000 jobs for the region through recruitment and expansion projects that include work with Ernst & Young, Victory Capital, Navistar and Aisin.
Kamerlander is president and CEO of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. He formerly served as director of Lockhart Economic Development, where he developed the city’s first economic development strategic plan to promote Lockhart as a destination for job creation and investment. The successful program saw the development of a LEDC-owned 75 acre-acre industrial park housing Lockhart’s most recent announcement, The Ziegenfelder Company, a frozen treat manufacturer. The project included a $46 million investment and is creating 100 new jobs.
Latson is the CEO of Opportunity Austin. Previously, he founded and served as executive director for ARMA, the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association, a business group focused on strengthening the advanced manufacturing community through advocacy, workforce development and networking. Latson is also a member of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Semiconductor Taskforce.
Packer is president and CEO of the New Braunfels Chamber, a membership organization representing more than 1,600 businesses. The chamber advocates for sound public policy, serves as the destination marketing organization for New Braunfels and manages Confluence, a public-private economic development initiative.
Cisneros is chair of the infrastructure investment firm American Triple I. He is also vice chair of the board of directors and equity owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co. LLC and principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co. LLC. He was mayor of San Antonio from 1981-89 and secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1993-97.
