Dean's Distinguished Leaders Series: Speaker Joe Straus III

The LBJ School, one of the nation’s top public affairs schools, makes a difference, not only within the walls of academia, but also in the public and social dialogue of the world. Contributing viable solutions to society is the LBJ School’s legacy and its benchmark. Its effectiveness in channeling the purpose and passion of students into professional careers is evident in the success of more than 4,000 graduates who are the living legacy of President Johnson’s bold and fearless action. For more, visitlbj.utexas.edu.

The LBJ School of Public Affairs

Please join us for a talk on "A Constituency of 150: Lessons in Legislative Leadership" with former Speaker Joe Straus III.

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs - SRH 3.122

Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus has spent his career at the intersection of public policy, business, and politics. He served as Speaker of the 150-member Texas House from 2009 to 2019, making him the longest-serving Republican Speaker in state history, and earned wide acclaim for his thoughtful approach to the state’s challenges.Under the leadership of Speaker Straus, the Texas House focused on improving public schools and workforce readiness, funding the state’s water plan, directing billions of additional dollars to transportation improvements, increasing transparency in state spending and balancing the biennial Texas budget amid both prosperous and challenging economic conditions. Speaker Straus also prioritized mental health care and the protection of abused and neglected children. He consistently promoted pro-business policies and fought against discriminatory legislation that would have harmed the Texas economy and marginalized many citizens. For that reason, the Dallas Morning News named him its 2017 Texan of the Year.In June 2019, Speaker Straus launched the Texas Forever Forward political action committee. The committee, which Speaker Straus leads as Chairman, promotes principled leadership and supports candidates, emerging leaders, organizations, and causes that are focused on Texas’ future.A national leader within the Republican Party, Speaker Straus is the past Chair of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, where he forged strong relationships with legislative leaders across the country. He continues to engage with the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, serves as a member of the Honorary Board of Directors at the SMU John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies, and serves on the Texas Biomedical Research Institute Board of Trustees. He is also Co-Chairman of Early Matters San Antonio, an organization that is working to rally the local business and civic community around the importance of high-quality early childhood education for all children.Speaker Straus is a Principal with La Cima Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting business. He is also a Partner in Bennett &amp; Straus, LLC, a San Antonio-based insurance, investments and executive benefits firm.Speaker Straus is a fifth-generation Texan and a San Antonio native. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Julie, live in San Antonio and have two adult daughters.

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Dean's Distinguished Leaders Series: Speaker Joe Straus III

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Dean's Distinguished Leaders Series: Speaker Joe Straus III

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