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Texas Legislative Intern Seminar ______

Saturday, January 19, 2013 The University of at Austin

Texas Legislative Intern Seminar is produced in partnership by:

Texas Politics Project College of Liberal Arts The University of Texas at Austin

New Politics Forum The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life The University of Texas at Austin Sponsored by the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation

Texas Legislative Intern Seminar Saturday, January 19, 2013

Agenda

10:00 am WELCOME & PROGRAM KICK-OFF

James Henson, Ph.D. Lecturer, Department of Government Director, Texas Politics Project Associate Director, College of Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services The University of Texas at Austin

10:10 am – 11:00 am OFFICE “DOS & DON’TS” / PROTOCOLS

Lisa Craven Chief of Staff State Senator Glenn Hegar

11:00 am -11:05 am BREAK

11:10 am – 12:00 pm ETHICS AND BOUNDARY MANAGEMENT WITH THE LOBBY

Jack Gullahorn President of Professional Advocacy Association of Texas

12:00 – 1:10 pm LUNCH (PROVIDED) Seating is available in the lobby, classrooms Mezes 1.118 and Mezes 1.122, and in the courtyard (weather permitting)

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Texas Legislative Intern Seminar Saturday, January 19, 2013

Agenda continued

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm UNDERSTANDING REPORTERS AND THE PRESS

Ross Ramsey Executive Editor, Texas Tribune

2:00 – 2:10 pm BREAK

2:15 pm – 3:10 pm UNDERSTANDING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

Karina Davis Senate Parliamentarian

Chris Griesel House Parliamentarian

3:15 pm – 4:00 pm LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE MODERN INTERN

Steven Polunsky Director, Committee Business & Commerce

4:10 pm CLOSING COMMENTS PROGRAM EVALUATION

4:30 pm NETWORKING EVENT

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Texas Legislative Intern Seminar Saturday, January 19, 2013

JOIN US FOR OUR NETWORKING EVENT AFTER THE CONFERENCE!

Gabriel’s Café AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center 1900 University Avenue Austin, TX 78705

Located off the hotel side lower lobby (Level LL), to the north inside the University Avenue entrance.

Walking directions from Mezes below (approximately 2 blocks). Cash bar. Light snacks provided.

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Texas Legislative Intern Seminar Saturday, January 19, 2013

Speakers (in order of appearance)

LISA CRAVEN Chief of Staff, Senator Glenn Hegar

Lisa Craven has served as Chief of Staff for Senator Glenn Hegar since January 2007. She worked in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989-2007.

Lisa has a strong background on issues relating to water, environmental regulation, rural development and agriculture. During Senator Hegar's tenure as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission, she spent significant time working on issues relating to the state's environmental agencies which were under review. She provides a historical perspective on water issues, having served as legislative staff during consideration of key water legislation, including SBs 1, 2 and 3 (1997, 1999 and 2007) and HB 1763 (2005).

Lisa has a BS in Speech from the University of Texas at Austin. When she isn't busy volunteering for a school or community organization she can be found following Longhorn sports…especially in the fall. Lisa and her husband, Eric, are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Caroline and Elizabeth.

JACK GULLAHORN President, Professional Advocacy Association of Texas (PAAT)

Since graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1973, Jack Wallace Gullahorn has been involved in some facet of public policy development for both the public and private sectors. His areas of professional activity have increasingly focused on the process of the creation and implementation of public policy initiatives and campaigns. Since 2001, Gullahorn has engaged in a consulting practice for clients interested in complicated public policy issues that benefit from a merger of the legal, political, media, third party and constituent education elements. As an outgrowth of his legal representation for registrants at the Texas Ethics Commission, Gullahorn founded the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas (PAAT) as a professional association for registered lobbyists in Texas. He serves as President and General Counsel of that

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entity and is a recognized leader on issues dealing with individual and corporate ethics, lobby and political compliance. Gullahorn's career in the policy arena actually began prior to his graduation from law school, when he accepted a position in January 1973 as a legislative aide to then State Representative Billy Clayton. In a campaign of strategy and determination, Billy Clayton became Speaker of the Texas House in 1975, and Gullahorn served as his Executive Assistant from January 1975 until November 1978. Gullahorn left that post to form the law firm of Roan and Gullahorn, P.C. and became one of the pioneers in the development of the profession of contract lobbying.

Until leaving his own firm to join Akin Gump in 1986, Gullahorn enjoyed a public affairs and administrative legal practice, specializing in legislative advocacy. Gullahorn earned a B.A. in Political Science from Trinity University; serves on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for the Seton Healthcare Network in Austin; is Chair of VinCare Services of Austin, a not for profit that runs St. Louise house, a transitional housing community for homeless mothers with children; and has served as President, and later Vice President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Austin Parish since 2001. He has been certified in dispute resolution, is licensed to practice law in Texas and Colorado, is the father of four children ages 22-32, has four very cute grandchildren, and has been married to Patti Hogan Gullahorn since 1971. He is a state licensed pyrotechnician, served as chairman of the Fireworks Advisory Council for the State Department of Insurance, and was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the 2001-2002 State Privacy Task Force. He is an ISTJ and likes good coffee.

ROSS RAMSEY Executive Editor, The Texas Tribune

Ross Ramsey is executive editor of The Texas Tribune and continues as editor of Texas Weekly, the premier newsletter on government and politics in the Lone Star State, a role he's had since September 1998. Before joining Texas Weekly, Ramsey was associate deputy comptroller for policy with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, also working as the agency's director of communications. Prior to that 28-month stint in government, Ramsey spent 17 years in journalism, reporting for the Chronicle, the Times Herald, as a freelancer, and for radio stations in Denton and Dallas.

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KARINA DAVIS Texas State Senate Parliamentarian

Karina Davis has held the office of Senate Parliamentarian since April 2004. The Senate Parliamentarian advises the Texas Senate and the Lt. Governor on general parliamentary procedure and the rules of the Texas Senate.

Karina has over 20 years of experience in Texas government, including having served as the Legislative Director for the Lt. Governor's office, Executive Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, chief of staff to a former senator, and the director of the Senate's Business & Commerce Committee. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and resides in the Lake Travis community with her husband Doug and their three children.

CHRIS GRIESEL Texas House of Representatives Parliamentarian

Griesel was named House Parliamentarian in 2011 and served as Assistant Parliamentarian prior to this appointment. He previously served as the Supreme Court’s rules attorney where he advised jurists on legal and practical matters, including analyses of how new laws affect the civil justice system.

He also served as counsel for the Texas Legislative Council from February 1992 until September 2000, drafting legislation and counseling members of the Texas Legislature and their staffs on legal matters.

Griesel, a 1985 graduate of Texas A&M University and a 1988 cum laude graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law, was in private practice from August 1989 until February 1992, but began his legal career as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Tom Phillips in August 1988.

Griesel, a Dallas native, is married and the father of two children.

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STEVEN POLUNSKY Director, Texas Senate Committee on Business & Commerce

San Angelo, Texas native Steven Polunsky began his state legislative career as Administrative Aide to Representative Richard J. Burnett in the 67th Legislature (1981). After receiving a Master's Degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs on a Robert S. Strauss Merit Fellowship, he served as Chief Clerk of the House Committee on Transportation and later in the Legislative Affairs Office at TxDOT. Senator John Carona was appointed Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security in 2006 and Steven became the Committee Director, staying with Chairman Carona in 2010 to do the same at the Committee on Business and Commerce. This committee is responsible for legislation and policy relating to business and industries regulated by the State of Texas, including all sectors from utilities to banking to construction.

Steven chairs the Public Relations Committee of the American Radio Relay League, performs with the World Gone Mad Drum & Bugle Corps, and speaks on public sector technology use, including a 2012 SXSW presentation. He spearheaded the project that won a 2012 Special Award for Government Transparency and Citizen Engagement from the Center for Digital Government, shares his photography under a Creative Commons license, rides with the Patriot Guard, is participating in the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a UNITAR Mentor, and provided radio communications support for the World Naked Bike Ride.

Stay current with the Texas Senate Committee on Business & Commerce here: http://BandC.posterous.com/

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The Texas Politics Project http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu/

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life www.annettestrauss.org

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