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T-Squared: The latest batch of confirmed speakers for TribFest is all from Texas

This group of 30 local, regional and state lawmakers and industry experts will help Texans get a better understanding of what is happening in their beloved state.

by Natalie Choate

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The 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23, is just over three months away and we’ve already announced a stellar mix of speakers from across the U.S. that promise to excite and, yes, challenge you. Those speakers include U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, “PBS NewsHour” co-anchor Amna Nawaz, former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd and Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor and co-founder of Lift Our Voices, among many others. (There are more to come — hold on to your hat.)

This week, we’re excited to welcome into our program another batch of great speakers — all of whom hail from Texas. These 30 local, regional and state lawmakers and industry experts will join us onstage at TribFest this fall to bring Texans closer to what is happening in their beloved state.

Newly announced Texas speakers include U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, along with state lawmakers like state Sen. Robert Nichols, state Sen. Carol Alvarado, state Rep. Brooks Landgraf, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and state Rep. Andrew Murr. Attendees will also hear from city leaders including Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and statewide leaders like Texas State Board of Education Chair Keven Ellis, Texas Water Development Board Chair Brooke Paup and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. See the speaker lineup announced to date.

Putting Texans and, thus, Texas at the center of programming at TribFest isn’t new. We’ve always dedicated a large portion of the program to the conversations that are bubbling up in Texas communities and spilling out of the Pink Dome. What is new is the situation Texas finds itself in — a contentious year for the Texas Legislature, a historic impeachment trial, an unpredictable financial environment, a monumental 2024 election around the corner — and so on. We’ll have the right people onstage at this year’s Fest to talk it all through.

Our CEO Sonal Shah said it best when she said that The Texas Tribune is to be a voice for Texas, for Texans, and for those who want to know more about Texas and the role our state plays across the nation and across the world. There is no better stage for these conversations to happen than TribFest. Tribune readers — you need to be there.

Buy your tickets today, and we’ll see you this September.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, 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.

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Natalie Choate’s staff photo