The Center for Politics and Governance (CPG) at the LBJ School of Public Affairs will host a day-long conference of elected officials and political observers to analyze the implications of the 2008 election results, “Who’s Right? Who’s Left? What’s Next? Texas Politics and Policy Beyond 2008,” Nov. 6 at the ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
Keynote speeches will be delivered by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Houston Mayor Bill White. Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly, will moderate a panel discussion of legislators recognized by the magazine as among the best in Texas, including Sen. John Carona, Rep. Scott Hochberg, Rep. Jerry Madden, Sen. Florence Shapiro, Rep. Sylvester Turner and Sen. Kirk Watson.
Dr. Paul Stekler, the center’s director of research studies, will moderate an afternoon panel of political observers and consultants who will forecast the 2010 elections. Panelists include James Aldrete, Message Audience and Presentation; Paul Burka, Texas Monthly; Bryan Eppstein, The Eppstein Group; Kelly Fero, Fero Hewitt Global; Christy Hoppe, The Dallas Morning News; and Dr. Sean Theriault, associate professor of government, The University of Texas at Austin.
At the event, the center will introduce the newest CPG Fellow, Sherri Greenberg. Greenberg, who served for more than 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives, will lead the center’s state politics and policy initiatives, including coursework related to the state legislature and the center’s internship program.
“We are delighted to a have a Fellow so well versed in the inner workings of state government,” said Veronica Vargas Stidvent, the center’s director. “Professor Greenberg’s experiences both on the campaign trail and in the Texas Legislature will be a tremendous asset to the center.”
Greenberg completed her final term in the Texas House of Representatives in January 2001. In 1999, she was appointed by the Speaker of the House to chair the House Pensions and Investments Committee and to chair the Select Committee on Teacher Health Insurance. She served two terms on the House Appropriations Committee, and served on the Appropriations Committee’s Education and Major Information Systems Subcommittees. Other committee assignments included the House Economic Development Committee, Elections Committee, and Science and Technology Committee.
Greenberg’s professional background is in public finance. She was the manager of capital finance for the City of Austin from 1985 to 1989, overseeing the city’s debt management, capital budgeting and capital improvement programs. Prior to that she worked as a public finance officer for Standard and Poor’s Corporation in New York, where she analyzed and assigned bond ratings to public projects across the country.
Greenberg has a bachelor’s degree in government from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in public administration and policy from the London School of Economics. Her teaching and research interests include public finance and budgeting, Texas state government, local government, education, housing, technology, and campaigns and elections. Her recent publications include “State E-Government Strategies: Identifying Best Practices and Applications” and “Beyond the Bid: An Evaluation of State and Local Government Procurement Practices.”
Learn more at the Center for Politics and Governance online.
