ABOUT THE EVENT
On June 18, 2025, YTexas is hosting the 89th Legislative Session Executive Review at Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock, Texas powered by the Round Rock Chamber.
Collaborate with government officials, public policy and research organizations, and leadership from companies in a variety of industries while participating in panel discussions and plenary keynotes covering the most impactful bills affecting Texas businesses.
Topics will include energy, water, transportation, broadband, education, workforce development, advanced manufacturing and high-growth industries, creative arts, sports, and entertainment. Policy experts will share projections on the current budget surplus, revenue estimates, and appropriations.
FEATURED PRESENTERS
Walt Maciborski
Event MC - Anchor at CBS Austin KEYE
Norman Garza
Executive Director - Texas Space Commission
Jason Kim
CEO - Firefly Aerospace
Jordan Robinson
CEO - Round Rock Chamber of Commerce
Glenn Hamer
CEO - Texas Association of Businesss
Liz Hocker
Regional Head Capital Markets - NYSE Texas
Reed Clay
President - Texas Nuclear Alliance
Arnold Castro
Assistant Dean of AI - Texas A&M
Chase Musslewhite
Co-Founder - Media For Texas
Ross Guieb
Executive Director - George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex
Mike Stanfill
Director, Storage Solutions - Supermicro
Gilbert Hughes
Vice President of Public Affairs - ERCOT
Andrew Johnson
Dean - Lone Star College
George Lane
Director Govt. Relations - Texas Attorney General
Brad Morrison
Sr. Managing Director - TerraNova Capital Partners
Kara Stetson
Deputy Chief of Staff - U.S. Army
Stacy Schmitt
Senior Vice President - Opportunity Austin
Kevin Fincher
CEO - Austin Regional Manufacturers Association
Sean Strawbridge
Managing Partner - US Desalination
Tori Villarreal
Head of Public Policy - Base Power Company
Jason Dunn-Potter
Senior Executive - Intel Corporation
Dave Porter
CEO - Williamson County Economic Development Corp.
Hondo Powell
VP of Regional Affairs - LCRA
Matt Phillips
Deputy GM - Brazos River Authority
Robert Wood
Senior Advisor - McGuire Woods
Cassie Fitzgerald
Dir. of Govt Affairs - Austin Community College
Larry Gonzales
President - Desk 138
Cindy Engelhardt
SVP Water Solutions - Halff
Richard Lee
CEO - AMD Nano
Melinda Zito O'Brien
CEO - Energy Utility Group
Jeremy Williford
VP Strategic Sales - NVIDIA
Ed Curtis
CEO - YTexas
PROGRAM AGENDA
SUMMARY
11:00am – 11:30am – Registration
- Registration
- Networking
11:35am – 12:45pm – Luncheon begins (Main ballroom)
- Opening remarks: Jordan Robinson & Ed Curtis
- “The Price of Policy: What’s in Texas’s $338 Billion Budget Blueprint?” Rahul Sreenivasan, Texas 2036
- “Behind the Scenes: An Inside Guide to the Texas Economic Development Playbook”
- Jordan Robinson, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce
- Stacy Schmitt, Opportunity Austin
- Robert Wood, McGuire Woods
- Larry Gonzales, Desk 138
12:45 – 1:00: Networking Break: Sponsored by Texas Gas
1:00pm – 1:45pm – Breakout Session I
- Room 1: Building the Talent Pipeline: From Classroom to Career
- Moderator: Zach Scott, Round Rock Chamber
- Tim Samuels, Dallas College
- Houston Community College
- Cassie Fitzgerald, Austin Community College
- Room 2: Made in Texas: Scaling Advanced Manufacturing Across the State:
- Moderator: Kevin Fincher, Austin Regional Manufacturers Association
- Dave Porter, Williamson County Economic Development Partnership
- Room 3: Smart Policy for Smart Tech: Governing AI in Texas:
- Moderator: Arnold Castro, Texas A&M Mays School of Business
- Jeremy Williford, NVIDIA
- Mike Stanfil, Supermicro
- Jason Dunn-Potter, Intel
1:45pm – 2:00pm: BREAK
2:pm – 2:45pm – Breakout Sessions II
- Room 1: The Ripple Effect: Water, Wastewater, and the Path Forward:
- Matt Phillips, Brazos River Authority
- Hondo Powell, LCRA
- Sean Strawbridge, US Desalination
- Cindy Engelhardt, Halff
- Room 2: Moving to Texas: The Great HQ Migration:
- Ed Curtis, YTexas
- Liz Hocker, NYSE Texas
- Richard Lee, AMD Nano
- Room 3: Firewalls & Frontlines: Securing Texas in a Digital Age:
- Col. Ross Guieb, Bush Combat Development Complex
- Kara Stetson, Army Futures Command
2:45pm – 3:00pm: BREAK
3:00pm – 3:45pm – Breakout Session III
- Room 1: Gridlocked or Greenlit: The Future of Texas Energy Policy:
- Moderator: Melinda Zito O’Brien, Energy Utility Group, LLC
- Gilbert Hughes, ERCOT
- Reed Clay, Texas Nuclear Alliance
- Tori Villarreal, Base Power
- Room 2: Reel Impact: Growing the Business of Film in Texas:
- Moderator: Jennifer Hutchins, All Business Entertainment
- George Lane, Texas Attorney General Office
- Chase Musslewhite, Media for Texas
- Hugh Forrest, Media Executive
3:45pm – 4:00pm: BREAK
4:00pm – 5:15pm – Legislative Session in Review (Main ballroom)
- After the Gavel: What’s Next for Texas: Legislative Session Report:
- Glenn Hamer, CEO of Texas Association for Business
- Panel discussion: One Giant Leap for Texas: The Future of Space Innovation
- Panelist: Norman Garza, Executive Director of Texas Space Commission
- Panelist: Brad Morrison, TerraNova Capital Partners
- Panelist: Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace
5:15pm – 6:30pm: Closing Reception Sponsored by Watermere
PROGRAM DETAIL
11:30am - 12:45pm: LUNCHEON BEGINS
Luncheon begins (Main ballroom)
- Opening remarks: Jordan Robinson & Ed Curtis
- “The Price of Policy: What’s in Texas’s $338 Billion Budget Blueprint?” Rahul Sreenivasan, Texas 2036
- “Behind the Scenes: An Inside Guide to the Texas Economic Development Playbook”
- Jordan Robinson, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce
- Stacy Schmitt, Opportunity Austin
- Robert Wood, McGuire Woods
- Larry Gonzales, Desk 138
1:00 - 1:45PM: BREAK-OUT SESSION I
This legislative session brought continued investment into workforce development programs. Hear from College leadership on what’s next. The CHIPS Act and new Artificial Intelligence bill will continue to put Texas technology companies out front. Break-out sessions will meet for 45 minutes, followed by 15 minute breaks for debriefing and networking. Attendees choose topics of choice.
1:00pm – 1:45pm – Breakout Session I
- Room 1: Building the Talent Pipeline: From Classroom to Career
- Moderator: Zach Scott, Round Rock Chamber
- Tim Samuels, Dallas College
- Houston Community College
- Cassie Fitzgerald, Austin Community College
- Room 2: Made in Texas: Scaling Advanced Manufacturing Across the State:
- Moderator: Kevin Fincher, Austin Regional Manufacturers Association
- Dave Porter, Williamson County Economic Development Partnership
- Room 3: Smart Policy for Smart Tech: Governing AI in Texas:
- Moderator: Arnold Castro, Texas A&M Mays School of Business
- Jeremy Williford, NVIDIA
- Mike Stanfil, Supermicro
- Jason Dunn-Potter, Intel
2:00 - 2:45PM: BREAK-OUT SESSION II
Continued investments in Water and infrastructure paved the way in this session. Pro-business legislation continues with a new bill to accelerate more incorporations to set up HQs in the Lone Star state. The Army Futures Command and new Texas Cyber Command will put Texas at the forefront of national security and defense business operations. Break-out sessions will meet for 45 minutes, followed by 15 minute breaks for debriefing and networking. Attendees choose topics of choice.
2:pm – 2:45pm – Breakout Sessions II
- Room 1: The Ripple Effect: Water, Wastewater, and the Path Forward:
- Matt Phillips, Brazos River Authority
- Hondo Powell, LCRA
- Sean Strawbridge, US Desalination
- Cindy Engelhardt, Halff
- Room 2: Moving to Texas: The Great HQ Migration:
- Ed Curtis, YTexas
- Liz Hocker, NYSE Texas
- Richard Lee, AMD Nano
- Room 3: Firewalls & Frontlines: Securing Texas in a Digital Age:
- Col. Ross Guieb, Bush Combat Development Complex
- Kara Stetson, Army Futures Command
3:00 - 3:45PM: BREAK-OUT SESSION III
An all-in energy strategy takes shape in this session with support for more investment in grid operations – embracing new approaches to energy efficiency and the advancement of Nuclear energy plants. Texas will now rival states for movie and film production with a $300 million dollar fund to bring productions to Texas. Break-out sessions will meet for 45 minutes, followed by 15 minute breaks for debriefing and networking. Attendees choose topics of choice.
3:00pm – 3:45pm – Breakout Session III
- Room 1: Gridlocked or Greenlit: The Future of Texas Energy Policy:
- Moderator: Melinda Zito O’Brien, Energy Utility Group, LLC
- Gilbert Hughes, ERCOT
- Reed Clay, Texas Nuclear Alliance
- Tori Villarreal, Base Power
- Room 2: Reel Impact: Growing the Business of Film in Texas:
- Moderator: Jennifer Hutchins, All Business Entertainment
- George Lane, Texas Attorney General Office
- Chase Musslewhite, Media for Texas
- Hugh Forrest, Media Executive
4:00 - 5:15PM: LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN REVIEW + KEYNOTE: THE TEXAS SPACE RACE
We wrap up this exciting day of collaboration with a legislative update from TAB CEO, Glenn Hamer followed by a panel showcase on the Texas Space industry. Hear from Norman Garza, Executive Director of the Texas Space Commission, and Texas Space Commission Board member Brad Morrison on what the future holds for the industry in the Lone Star State.
4:00pm – 5:15pm – Legislative Session in Review (Main ballroom)
- After the Gavel: What’s Next for Texas: Legislative Session Report:
- Glenn Hamer, CEO of Texas Association for Business
- Panel discussion: One Giant Leap for Texas: The Future of Space Innovation
- Panelist: Norman Garza, Executive Director of Texas Space Commission
- Panelist: Brad Morrison, TerraNova Capital Partners
- Panelist: Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace
5:15: VIP RECEPTION
Join us as a VIP for our evening reception at Kalahari. Meet with Texas’s best at this exclusive gathering.
VIP Reception
- Thank you from sponsors and the Round Rock Chamber
- VIP networking, cocktails, appetizers and fun!
- 2025 YTexas Summit Review
