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.
Join The Texas Tribune along with rural leaders and innovators from across the state and nation on 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 agenda for the symposium is as follows:
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18
2 to 5 p.m. — Check-in
3:45 to 4:45 p.m. — Lightning talks
• Cari and Sam Beauchamp, co-founders, The Ike Fund
• Suzzane Bellsnyder, publisher, Texas Rural Reporter
• Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine
• Kelty Garbee, executive director, Texas Rural funders
• Allison Kleman, teacher residency site coordinator, WTAMU
• Jean Lonie, co-director, Center for Rural Resilience
• Connie Tyne, executive director, Laura W. Bush Institute
• Jon Revett, art professor at WTAM
5 to 6 p.m. — Welcome remarks
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. — Rural Texas and 90th Legislature
A discussion about the 90th Texas Legislature with rural lawmakers.
6:15 p.m. — BBQ Dinner
THURSDAY, NOV. 19
8 a.m. — Doors open and breakfast
8:30 a.m. — Opening remarks
9 to 10 a.m. — Making Agriculture Work
A discussion with agricultural leaders about the pressures of the industry, including tariffs, workforce, water, screwworm climate and regulations.
• Russell Boening, president, Texas Farm Bureau
• Jamie Cummings, HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability
• Josh Winegarner, director of government relations, Texas Cattle Feeders Association
• Moderated by Berenice Garcia, RGV Reporter, The Texas Tribune
10 to 11 a.m. — Technology: The Good, the Bad and the AI
A discussion on how technology is changing the agriculture industry — and disrupting rural life with the encroachment of data centers.
• Cari Beauchamp, Texas farmer
• Collin Graff, owner and producer, Graff Grown
• Tillery Timmons-Sims, director of operations, SARA Conservation
• Conner Watts, co-owner and producer, DCW Farms & Livestock, Slaton
• Moderated by Giselle Rodriguez Greenwood, interim regions editor, The Texas Tribune
11 to 12 p.m. — Families First
An exploration of how rural communities are working to support families and what will keep young farmers in their hometowns.
• Cynthia Pearson, President and CEO, Day Nursery of Abilene
• 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
12 to 1 p.m. — Lunch
1 to 1:30 p.m. — Keynote Conversation
1:30 to 2:30 p.m. — From Small Towns to Planned Communities
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.
• Eugene Escobar, mayor, Princeton
• Stewart McGregor, executive director, Kaufman Economic Development Corporation
• Lori Olson, executive director, Texas Land Trust Council
• Moderated by Stephen Simpson, Houston-based regional reporter, The Texas Tribune
2:30 to 3:30 p.m. — Water and Energy
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.
• Benton Allen, Bell Professor of Engineering, West Texas A&M University
• Jordan Robison, CEO of Natural Resources
• Lara Zent, director, Rural Texas Water association
• Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Permian Basin reporter, The Texas Tribune
3:30 p.m. — Closing Comments
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.
