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Technology Leader Pike Powers Named 2017 Texan of the Year
[December 05, 2016]

Technology Leader Pike Powers Named 2017 Texan of the Year


AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally known Texas economic development and technology leader Pike Powers has been named 2017 Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference, the annual statewide public policy forum that will mark its 51st annual meeting next March.

Nationally known Texas economic development and technology leader Pike Powers has been named 2017 Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference, the annual statewide public policy forum that will mark its 51st annual meeting next March. Powers, the long-time managing partner of the Austin office of Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP), will join an array of prominent past honorees since 1972 including his former law partner Leon Jaworski, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Texas House...

Powers, the long-time managing partner of the Austin office of Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP), will join an array of prominent past honorees since 1972 including his former law partner Leon Jaworski, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and former First Lady Laura Bush.  

The award next spring will be presented at a reception in Powers' honor the evening of March 23, 2017 to kick off the conference the next morning in the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center.  The conference is a non-partisan organization of Texas business and political leaders who have met annually for more than half a century to consider state public policy issues.  

"Pike Powers helped turn Austin from a university town into a high-tech powerhouse.  He was instrumental in attracting MCC, 3M, Sematech and Applied Materials, as well as AMD and Samsung expansions and other manufacturing and research operations to Austin" said 2017 Conference Chair Doug Miller, who has represented New Braunfels and three surrounding counties in the Texas House of Representatives.  "Simply put, Pike has played an integral role for more than 30 years in developing the Austin and Texas technology economy."



Today's announcement of the honor for Powers came during ceremonies at Samsung Austin Semiconductor and included remarks from the conference officials, Samsung Austin General Counsel Catherine Morse, and Austin Mayor Steve Adler, among others.

About Pike Powers.  Powers, a native of Beaumont, is a graduate of Lamar University and The University of Texas Law School. He served more than seven years in the Texas House of Representatives from his native Jefferson County.  In 1983, he served as chief of staff to Texas Governor Mark White.  Beginning at that time, Powers began helping advance the state's high-tech, information and entrepreneurial economy.  He has been a principal participant in mobilizing Central Texas to create a business/civic/philanthropic network.  He also advises emerging technology leaders within and beyond Texas borders on creating economic development initiatives and shaping a collaborative future.


Powers was a leader in creating the Texas technology initiatives established in 2002 to redefine and reinvigorate the collaboration between government, academia and private industry.  In response to that strategy and the need to stay globally competitive with incentive programs, the State of Texas created a $295 million Enterprise Fund in 2003 and the Emerging Technology Fund in 2005.

For the first four quadrennial occasions that the National Law Journal named its list of 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America, Powers was included, together with such other well-known attorneys as Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Treasury Secretary and Texas Governor John Connally. He was one of only 36 lawyers named to all four of the first such lists.

About the Legislative Conference.  Topics at the March 24 Texas Legislative Conference will include 'Veteran's Care for Texas," "Corporate Welfare vs. Good Jobs" with Powers as a panel participant, "Local Control," and a media panel on the new Trump Administration's impact on Texas.

The conference will be dedicated to Julian Read, a long-time member of the conference committee and former conference chairman.  Read is a long-time Texas political media advisor and public affairs leader who served as press secretary to former Texas Governor Connally.

Information about registration and tickets for both the Texan of the Year Reception on Thursday evening, March 23, 2017, and the March 24 half-day Conference program may be obtained from the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce at (830) 6082816 or at www.txlegislativeconference.com

Topics at the March 24 Texas Legislative Conference will include 'Veteran's Care for Texas," "Corporate Welfare vs. Good Jobs" with Powers as a panel participant, "Local Control," and a media panel on the new Trump Administration's impact on Texas. Information about registration and tickets for both the Texan of the Year Reception on Thursday evening, March 23, 2017, and the March 24 half-day Conference program may be obtained from the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce at (830) 6082816 or at...

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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/technology-leader-pike-powers-named-2017-texan-of-the-year-300372557.html

SOURCE Texas Legislative Conference


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