Water for Texas 2017 Conference Agenda

All conference events take place at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Schedule and speakers subject to change. The Awards Banquet, meals, and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee.

Monday, January 23, 2017

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Registration

Registration Desk, Meeting Level II

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception

Tejas Dining Room, Meeting Level II

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

7:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Registration

Registration Desk, Meeting Level II

7:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Exhibit Booths Open

Ballroom Pre-function Area and Grand Ballroom Salons D&E, Meeting Level III

7:15 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Breakfast

Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Opening General Session

Grand Ballroom, Meeting Level III
Welcome by TWDB Chairman Bech Bruun and special video message by U.S. Senator John Cornyn

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

TWDB Interactive Room Open

Conference Room 301, Meeting Level III
Explore and interact with Visual Texas, TNRIS 3D Theater, Virtual Sandbox, and more

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

The Future of Flood: What's on the Horizon Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Moderated by Chairman Bech Bruun, TWDB
Panelists: Robert Mace, Ph.D., TWDB, Don Ferguson, City of Wimberley; Mark Null, National Weather Service - West Gulf River Forecast Center; Jessica Baker, P.E., Texas Floodplain Management Association

Executing State Water Plan Projects Through the SWIFT Program Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Moderated by Jessica Zuba, TWDB
Panelists: James M. Oliver, Tarrant Regional Water District; John J. Baldwin, Coastal Water Authority

Water Loss, Use, and Conservation Data: Integration of Online Reporting Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

Presented by TWDB staff

Sponsor Demo: Groundwater Management: I Didn't Know I Can Do That! Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

Presented by Mikel Irizar, Hydromodel Host

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Morning Break Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

Meet-and-greet with TWDB Board Member Peter Lake Conference Room 301, Meeting Level III

10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

Balancing Act: Protecting Natural Resources and Ensuring Future Water Supply Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Chairman Bech Bruun, TWDB
Panelists: Jennifer Walker, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club; Luke Metzger, Environment Texas; Laura Huffman, The Nature Conservancy; Richard Hyde, P.E., Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Bonds 101: Demystifying the Bond Issuance Process Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Presented by Anne Burger Entrekin, Hilltop Securities

Flood 101: Understanding Flood Preparedness, Planning, and Response Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Presented by TWDB staff

Demonstration: Groundwater Data Viewer & Aquifer 3D Viewer Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

Presented by TWDB staff

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Address by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Grand Ballroom, Meeting Level III

1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Desalination: How Economics Affects Implementation Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Peter Lake, TWDB Board Member
Panelists: Tom Pankratz, Water Desalination Report; Richard Donat, San Antonio Water System; Judy Adams, Brownsville Public Utilities Board; Angel Bustamante, P.E., El Paso Water Utilities

Challenges, Solutions, and Successes of Rural Project Implementation Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Moderated by Kathleen Jackson, TWDB Board Member
Presenters: Lynette Frnka, New Ulm Water Supply Corporation; Darwin Archer, City of Cisco; Steve Pavlicek, City of Fayetteville

Using the Latest Technology to Predict Flooding Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Moderated by Richard Wade, TWDB
Presented by David Maidment, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin; Harry Evans, Center for Research in Water Resources at The University of Texas at Austin; TWDB staff

Upgrade Your Toolkit: Water Loss Tools, Tips, and Strategies (part 1 of 2) Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

Presented by TWDB staff

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

From Awareness to Action: Changing Behaviors to Improve Water Conservation Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Tim Loftus, Ph.D., Texas State University
Panelists: Senator Kip Averitt, Averitt and Associates; Peter Yolles, WaterSmart Software; Carole Baker, Texas Water Foundation; Mary Ann Dickinson, Alliance for Water Efficiency

Alternative Treatment Methods: Benefits of Thinking Outside the Box Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Moderated by Jessica Zuba, TWDB
Panelists: Darrel Andrews, Tarrant Regional Water District; Rajendra Bhattarai, Austin Water Utility

Demonstration: TexMesonet, TexasFlood.org, Geospatial Emergency Management Support System (GEMSS) Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Presented by TWDB staff

Upgrade Your Toolkit: Water Loss Tools, Tips, and Strategies (part 2 of 2) Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

Hosted by TWDB staff

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Afternoon Break Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

Meet-and-greet with TWDB Board Member Kathleen Jackson Conference Room 301, Meeting Level III

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

General Session, Moderated Panel

Eye on the Future: Policy Issues for the 85th Legislative Session Grand Ballroom, Meeting Level III

Moderated by Evan Smith, The Texas Tribune
Panelists: Senator Charles Perry, Representative Eddie Lucio III, Representative Lyle Larson

5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Pre-Banquet Reception Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Awards Banquet, Keynote Address by Roy Spence, GSD&M & the Purpose Institute Grand Ballroom, Meeting Level III

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Registration Registration Desk, Meeting Level II

7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Exhibit Booths Open Ballroom Pre-function Area and Grand Ballroom Salons D&E, Meeting Level III

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

General Session

Keynote Address by Commander Leroy Chiao, Ph.D. Grand Ballroom, Meeting Level III

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

TWDB Interactive Room Open Conference Room 301, Meeting Level III
Explore and interact with Visual Texas, TNRIS 3D Theater, Virtual Sandbox, and more

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Morning Break Ballroom Pre-function Area, Meeting Level III

Meet-and-greet with TWDB Board Chairman Bech Bruun Conference Room 301, Meeting Level III

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

Direct Potable Reuse: Understanding Its Potential in Texas Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Peter Lake, TWDB Board Member
Panelists: Ellen McDonald, Ph.D., Alan Plummer Associates, Inc.; Jeff Mosher, Water Environment and Reuse Foundation; Caroline Russell, Ph.D., Carollo Engineers; Marlo Wanielista Berg, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Show Me the Money! Nuts, Bolts, and Lessons Learned of the TWDB Application Process Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

(1 hour CLE credit available)
Moderated by TWDB staff
Panelists: Rodolfo Segura, McCall, Parkhurst & Horton LLP; Keith P. Kindle, P.E., Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc.; Erick Macha, FirstSouthwest, a Division of Hilltop Securities, Inc.

Surface Water Modeling: Is This a New Drought of Record? Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Moderated by TWDB Staff
Presenters: Bob Brandes, Ph.D., Robert J. Brandes Consulting; Jon Albright, Freese and Nichols, Inc.; Russell Schreiber, P.E., City of Wichita Falls

11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

The Future of Groundwater Law: How Should Groundwater Be Managed? Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

(1 hour CLE credit available; 1 hour TFMA CEC credit available)
Moderated by Robert Mace, Ph.D., TWDB
Panelists: Gregory Ellis, GM Ellis Law Firm P.C.; Gabriel Collins, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Billy Howe, Texas Farm Bureau; Mike Powell, Locke Lord LLP

Alternative Project Delivery: What's the Best Option? Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Moderated by Executive Administrator Jeff Walker, TWDB
Presenters: Jace A. Houston, San Jacinto River Authority; David Townsend, City of Fort Worth

Worth the Investment: Financial Assistance Turns Plans into Projects Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

Presented by TWDB staff

What's Old is New Again: Rainwater Harvesting Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

Presented by TWDB staff

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Address by Lieutenant Governor Dan PatrickGrand Ballroom, Meeting Level III

1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Deepwater Horizon Funding: Restoring the Gulf Coast Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Andrew Sansom, Ph.D., The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Presenters: Toby Baker, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; Tanner Johnson, Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Justin Ehrenwerth, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Texas Rain Catcher Award: Achieving Rainwater Harvesting Excellence Classroom 203, Meeting Level II

Moderated by TWDB staff
Presenters: Chris Maxwell-Gaines, P.E., Innovative Water Solutions; Billy Kniffen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Weston Neiman, Native American Seed,

Partnership Based Project Delivery Approaches: Risks and Rewards (part 1 of 2)Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Presented by Jeff Hughes, Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina; Iain Tester, KPMG; Samuel Franco, Center for Alternative Finance and Procurement

Groundwater 101: Understanding the Water Beneath Your Feet (part 1 of 2)Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Presented by TWDB staff

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Aquifer Storage and Recovery: When, Where, and How?Amphitheater 204, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Robert Mace, Ph.D., TWDB
Panelists: Fred M. Blumberg, Arcadis-U.S.; David Pyne, ASR Systems LLC; Roberto Macias, San Antonio Water System; Scott Reinert, El Paso Water Utilities

Agricultural Water Conservation: Success Stories from the FieldClassroom 203, Meeting Level II

Moderated by Kathleen Jackson, TWDB Board Member
Panelists: Representative Tracy O. King; Steve Walthour, P.G., North Plains Groundwater Conservation District; Rick Kellison, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation; Tom McLemore, Harlingen Irrigation District; Jesus Reyes, El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1

Partnership Based Project Delivery Approaches: Risks and Rewards (part 2 of 2)Classroom 105, Meeting Level I

Presented by Jeff Hughes, Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina; Iain Tester, KPMG; Samuel Franco, Center for Alternative Finance and Procurement

Groundwater 101: Understanding the Water Beneath Your Feet (part 2 of 2)Classroom 103, Meeting Level I

(1 hour TFMA CEC credit available) Presented by TWDB staff