Speaker Bios
Welcome to Austin
For three decades, Kirk Watson has been immersed in public policy, spanning local and state government in Texas. He served in the Texas Senate for over 13 years, leading on a wide range of issues and serving as a member and vice-chair of multiple standing and special committees and the Sunset Advisory Commission. His peers elected him President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 2019. Watson was appointed in 1991 by Gov. Ann Richards as Chair of the Texas Air Control Board, the agency charged with addressing air quality issues. He was Vice-Chair of the committee that oversaw creation of the agency now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Mayor Kirk Watson
He was first elected Austin mayor in 1997, where he won praise for bringing different political sides together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. In 2012, serving in the Texas Senate, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin.
Why Austin? Setting the Stage of the Live Music Capital of the World
Jeremy Martin serves as President and CEO at the Austin Chamber of Commerce. He has represented Central Texas businesses at all levels of government from the White House Business Council to local community groups with one purpose in mind: helping Austin businesses succeed. Prior to his current role, Jeremy served as Interim Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at the Chamber.
Jeremy Martin
As Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Jeremy oversaw advocacy efforts at the Chamber focusing on priorities such as economic development policy, transportation, infrastructure, education/workforce development, and regulatory climate. Whether it appeared on the ballot or a city council agenda, he knew how policy items affected Chamber members. Jeremy serves on the Boards of Directors for the Austin Economic Development Corporation, Community Advancement Network, Quality of Life Foundation of Austin, Transportation Advocates of Texas, and Visit Austin. Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematical economic analysis from Rice University and a Master of City Planning with a concentration in community and economic development from the University of Pennsylvania.
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