The North Texas Commission will host its third annual North Texas Infrastructure Summit on Wednesday (Aug. 9) at the Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Drive.
The event will feature a variety of speakers and panel discussions highlighting critical infrastructure and how it impacts the economic development in North Texas. More information is available on the NTC website.
Here is the program schedule:
- 8:30 am – Summit Begins
- 9:00 am – Breakfast Keynote
- Growth Demands a Mobility System of Choice
- This panel discussion will explore how current and future transportation infrastructure and emerging technologies, aiming to identify strategies that shape a forward-thinking and efficient mobility ecosystem. Panelists from the public and private sectors will share insights on the importance of offering diverse transportation options that cater to the evolving needs of residents, businesses, and visitors.
- Moderator:
- Betsy Price, Former Mayor of Fort Worth
- Panelists:
- Michael Morris, NCTCOG
- Alberto Gonzalez, Cintra US President
- Russell Laughlin, Hillwood
- Growth Demands a Mobility System of Choice
- 10:00 am – Opening Panel – Legislator Discussion on Texas Energy
- The opening panel will discuss the importance of safe and reliable energy supply infrastructure to the state’s economic growth. They will dive into the public policy priorities that have taken center stage in the last three years to promote growth and efficiency while maintaining reliability and capacity.
- Moderator:
- Marc Rodriguez, The Office of Marc A. Rodriguez
- Panelists:
- State Senator Kelly Hancock
- State Senator Nathan Johnson
- 11:00 am – Breakout Sessions
- The Rising Cost of Water Resources
- This session focuses specifically on the challenges and opportunities related to water resources in North Texas. Experts from government agencies, water utilities, and the private sector share their expertise and experiences in addressing these challenges and maximizing the potential benefits of water resources for economic development.
- Moderator:
- Thomas Haster, Freese & Nichols
- Panelists:
- R.J. Muraski, North Texas Municipal Water District
- James Hill, Tarrant Regional Water
- Brooke Paup, Texas Water Development Board
- Building the Next Generation – Infrastructure Workforce
- This session highlights the importance of the workforce needs in the infrastructure sector to continue to promote economic growth in North Texas. Speakers from academic institutions, professional organizations, and the private sector share their perspectives on the current state of the engineering workforce and how to address the industry’s challenges.
- Moderator:
- Justin Reeves, Lockwood, Andrews, and Newnam
- Panelists:
- Stephen Pape, School of Manufacturing & Industrial Technology, Dallas College
- Stephen Mattingly, University of Texas at Arlington
- Brian O’Neill, Westwood Professional Services
- The Rising Cost of Water Resources
- 12:00 pm – Lunch Keynote
- Adriana Cruz, Office of Governor Greg Abbott, State Economic Development Office
- 1:00 pm – Afternoon Panel
- Advanced Air Mobility
- This session introduces the emerging field of advanced air mobility and explores its potential impact on the North Texas region. Speakers from the aerospace industry and government agencies share their perspectives on how this new technology can contribute to economic growth and infrastructure development.
- Moderator:
- State Representative David Cook
- Speaker:
- Ben Ivers, Director, Autonomous Systems Regulatory Affairs, Boeing
- Dan Dalton, Vice President, Global Partnerships, Wisk
- Advanced Air Mobility
- 1:45 pm – Breakout Sessions
- Charging the Future of Transportation
- With a flood of money and incentives from the federal government, paired with new consumer demands, this panel will discuss the emergence and impacts of electric vehicles on economic development.
- Presenters:
- Jose Correa, Kimley Horn
- Jennifer Deaton, Oncor
- Buzz Smith, The EV-angelist
- Rising Cost of Going Vertical
- This session focuses on the factors driving rising construction costs in North Texas and explores potential solutions to address this challenge. Speakers from the construction industry and government agencies share their insights on reducing costs and promoting sustainable infrastructure development.
- Moderator:
- Gary Aanenson, CORE Construction
- Panelists:
- Steven Normand, CORE Construction
- Pending*
- Charging the Future of Transportation
- 2:30 pm – Afternoon Keynote – They are big, and they picked Texas, Why?
- Moderator:
- Mayor Rick Stopher, City of Irving
- Panelists:
- Beth Bowman, Irving Las-Colinas Chamber of Commerce
- Robert Allen, Fort Worth Economic Development
- Pending*, City of Dallas
- 3:30 pm – End of Summit
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