THE METROPOLITAN LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

Joel Kotkin is a senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute. He is also the Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University where he directs the University’s Center for Demographics and Policy. He is also executive editor of the widely read website NewGeography.com. His columns appear regularly in Spiked (U.K.), the National Post in Canada, the American Mind, UnHerd, Quillette, the Los Angeles Times, National Review, City Journal, The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator among other national publications.

Kotkin is the author of many books, including (Encounter Books, 2020); (Agate B2, 2016); and (Telos Press Publishing, 2014), which describes the changing dynamics of class in America. He is the co-editor of (American Enterprise Institute, 2022) which he co-edited with Ryan Streeter, executive director of the Civitas Institute; and (Princeton Architectural Press, 2017) which he co-edited with MIT’s Alan Berger. Kotkin attended the University of California, Berkeley.

Henry Cisneros is Chairman of American Triple I, an infrastructure investment firm based in New York. He is also a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors & Equity Owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co., L.L.C, and Principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC. a national municipal and corporate finance firm. Mr. Cisneros founded CityView in 2003 and continues to actively invest in its projects. CityView is a partner in building more than 100 communities in 13 states, building more than 7,000 homes with a total value of over $5 billion.

Mr. Cisneros’ community-building career began at the local level. After serving three terms as a City Councilmember, in 1981, Mr. Cisneros became the first Hispanic-American mayor of a major U.S. city, San Antonio, Texas. During his four terms as Mayor, he helped rebuild the city’s economic base and spurred the creation of jobs through massive infrastructure and downtown improvements.

In 1984, Mr. Cisneros was interviewed by the Democratic Presidential nominee as a possible candidate for Vice President of the United States and in 1986 was selected as the “Outstanding Mayor” in the nation by City and State Magazine. After completing four terms as Mayor, Mr. Cisneros formed Cisneros Asset Management Company, a fixed income management firm operating nationally and ranked at the time as the second fastest growing money manager in the nation.

In 1992, President Clinton appointed Mr. Cisneros to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet, Secretary Cisneros has been credited with initiating the revitalization of many of the nation’s public housing developments and with formulating policies which contributed to achieving the nation’s highest ever homeownership rate. In his role as the President’s chief representative to the nation’s cities, Mr. Cisneros personally worked in more than 200 U.S. cities in every one of the 50 states.

After leaving HUD in 1997, Mr. Cisneros was president and chief operating officer of Univision Communications, the Spanish-language broadcaster which has become the fifth-most-watched television network in the nation. Mr. Cisneros served on Univision’s Board of Directors until 2020. Mr. Cisneros has served as President of the National League of Cities, as Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and as Vice-Chairman of Habitat for Humanity International. Mr. Cisneros remains active in San Antonio’s leadership where he is former Chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and BioMed SA. He is a former member of the advisory board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Cisneros has been inducted into the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) “Builders Hall of Fame”.

Mr. Cisneros has also been author or editor of several books including: Interwoven Destinies: Cities and the Nation. His book project with former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, Opportunity and Progress: A Bipartisan Platform for National Housing Policy, was presented the Common Purpose Award for demonstrating the potential of bipartisan cooperation and Casa y Comunidad: Latino Home and Neighborhood Design was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal in the category of best business book of 2006. In 2017 he co-authored Building Equitable Cities. In 2021 he co-authored A Bottom-Up Infrastructure Strategy for American Renewal and The Texas Triangle: An Emerging Power in the Global Economy.

Mr. Cisneros holds a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University, where he has been designated a Distinguished Alumnus. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, was a graduate assistant in urban economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holds a Doctorate in Public Administration from George Washington University, and has been awarded more than 20 honorary doctorates from leading universities. Texas A&M University at San Antonio is the site of the Cisneros Center for Emerging Leaders.

As the 12th dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, JR DeShazo leads one of the nation’s premier public policy schools, ranked No. 1 in Texas and uniquely positioned within a top-tier research university in one of America’s most innovative hubs of government, commerce and technology. Founded in 1970 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to expand access to the halls of power, the LBJ School offers a range of nationally ranked degree programs that prepare students to take on society’s most pressing challenges.

Since arriving in Austin in 2021, DeShazo has bolstered the LBJ School’s reputation as a center for impactful policy education and research – mirroring the rising global profile of UT Austin. His focus on expanding academic reach, enhancing faculty research and enriching the student experience has driven growth in enrollment, research output, financial stability and academic programming.

Under DeShazo’s leadership, the LBJ School launched its first undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Public Affairs, in fall 2025. This landmark initiative represents the school’s inaugural foray into undergraduate education after over 50 years of exclusively graduate-level offerings. The new program builds on the school’s legacy of cultivating public service leaders by equipping students with essential skills in policy analysis, data analytics, communication and organizational leadership.

A distinguished scholar and public policy expert, DeShazo specializes in clean technology policy, environmental equity and environmental economics. His expertise has made him a sought-after advisor for prestigious international organizations, including the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as U.S. federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Before joining UT Austin, DeShazo spent two decades at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he led both the Department of Public Policy and the Luskin Center for Innovation, a research center dedicated to addressing challenges local to California through actionable research in collaboration with impacted communities and policymakers. During this time, DeShazo and the Luskin Center played a critical role in helping state and civic leaders develop new policies in a variety of areas, including energy, transportation, environmental issues and water resources. 

DeShazo’s academic career and leadership journey have been shaped by his experiences overcoming a childhood learning disability, which continues to fuel his passion for expanding educational access and opportunities. DeShazo holds a doctorate in Urban Planning from Harvard University, a Master of Development Economics from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, where he was the first-ever Rhodes Scholar for America’s second oldest university.

Steven Pedigo is the Assistant Dean for Faculty of Practice and Policy Engagement at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and the director of the LBJ Urban Lab.

As an expert in urban economic development, regional cooperation and placemaking, Pedigo has developed strategies for more than 50 cities and regions in the United States and other countries, including New York, Jerusalem, Vancouver, Dallas, Washington, DC, Brisbane, the Yukon, Tulsa, Austin, Portland, Newark, San Diego-Tijuana, Miami, Sao Paulo, Monterrey, Mexico City and many others.

Prior to joining the LBJ School, Pedigo was clinical professor at the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University.

Earlier in his career, he served as vice president for the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a national research organization founded by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter to encourage private-sector investment into U.S. distressed urban areas.

Pedigo holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin and graduate degrees from the H. John Heinz III School for Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sherri R. Greenberg is a professor of practice and fellow of the Max Sherman Chair in State and Local Government at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and she is a professor of practice at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Additionally, she is the LBJ School Assistant Dean for State and Local Government Engagement. She is a primary researcher for, and is Chairperson elect of, Good Systems, The University of Texas Grand Challenge regarding ethical AI. Greenberg is a member of the Board of the Austin Convention Center Enterprise. She also serves on the Austin Smart City Alliance Board of Directors, and the Austin Forum on Technology & Society Advisory Board. Previously, she was a member of the Central Health Board of Managers, and a member of the City of Austin Housing Investment Review Committee.

Greenberg has served as a senior advisor to Austin Mayor Steve Adler. She was a Texas state representative from 1991 to 2001, and she chaired the House Pensions and Investments Committee and the Select Committee on Teacher Health Insurance. She also served on the House Appropriations, Economic Development, Elections, and Science and Technology Committees. Previously, Greenberg was the City of Austin capital finance manager, and a public finance officer at Standard & Poor’s.

Her teaching and research interests include: technology policy, state and local government, housing, homelessness, transportation, healthcare, public finance, and campaigns and elections. Recently, she has had funding from the National Science Foundation, the City of Austin, UT Good Systems, the IBM Center for the Business of Government, the Cisco Foundation, Microsoft, MITRE, and the State of Texas.

Martin J. Luby held academic positions at the University of Illinois, DePaul University, and Ohio State University before joining The University of Texas at Austin faculty as an associate professor of public affairs. His teaching and research broadly focus on public finance, with an emphasis on public financial management. Much of his research has focused on the municipal securities market and the use of debt finance by state and local governments. He has published on innovative government financial instruments, federal financing techniques, regulation of the municipal securities market, and the role of financial intermediaries in state and local government financings.

Marty has extensive banking, consulting, and advisory experience with many state and local governments, as well as the federal government. He is also a fellow of the Lynn F. Anderson Professorship in Public Financial Management.

Ryan Streeter is executive director of the Civitas Institute. Previously, Streeter was the State Farm James Q. Wilson Scholar and director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he facilitated research in education, technology, housing, urban policy, poverty studies, workforce development, and public opinion. Before joining AEI, he was executive director of the Center for Politics and Governance at UT Austin.

Earlier in his career, Streeter was a senior fellow at the Legatum Institute in London and a research fellow at the Hudson Institute. He also served as special assistant for domestic policy to President George W. Bush at the White House, deputy chief of staff for policy for Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and policy adviser to Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. Streeter is the author, coauthor, and editor of many books, including  (AEI Press, 2024) which he co-edited with Scott Winship and Yuval Levin, and , (AEI Press, 2022) which he co-edited with Joel Kotkin.

In addition, his writings have appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Politico, USA Today, The Hill, City Journal, National Affairs, and National Review, among others. He has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from Emory University.

Andrew Waxman is an applied microeconomist examining the relationship between environmental outcomes, urban policies and inequality. Much of his work consists in trying to think about how household location decisions of place of work and residence have implications for levels of emissions from home electricity usage as well as from commuting using personal vehicles. The link between these sectors has important implications for the design of cities and for understanding the full effects of policies targeting housing or transportation. Dr. Waxman has also studied real-time pricing of congested freeways in Los Angeles and has worked on research exploring how public transportation capacity in cities affects the welfare of high- and low-skilled workers.

Jake Wegmann has taught and conducted research at UT Austin’s School of Architecture, in the Community and Regional Planning program, since 2014. His research primarily focuses on housing affordability and its intersections with land use regulation and real estate development.

He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to entering academia, he worked in for-profit and nonprofit affordable housing development in Denver and San Francisco.

Pamela is currently responsible for leading the Governor’s Center for Management Development – a 40-year-old program created to provide professional development for managers and leaders at all levels of the state government to improve individual and organizational effectiveness. 

Previously, Pamela served as the program director for the executive MBA program at The University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management.  She closely collaborated with faculty on curriculum and ensured AACSB accreditation requirements were achieved.  She has led and coordinated international study tours to Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Panama, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay, and Vietnam.   

Prior to this position, Pamela served as a vice president, senior business development director at Atkins, an international civil engineering firm.  She has over 25 years of business experience managing large domestic and international projects; directing strategic pursuits and winning multi-million-dollar projects; developing, instructing, and sponsoring a nationally recognized marketing and business development training program and managing a number of international toll collection system projects in Argentina, Chile, China and Panama. 

Pamela received an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee, an executive MBA and a masters of science degree in international management studies from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Sam Fiorello is the President and CEO of the Cortex Innovation Community. Home to over 400 companies and support organizations that employ more than 6,000 people, Cortex is an innovation community strategically built around the idea that working together is the only way to tackle big problems. To help address the grand problems, Cortex serves as a catalyst for innovation that brings together big-thinking problem solvers with state-of-the-art resources, facilities, and innovative programming to inspire and drive collaboration.

Mr. Fiorello’s areas of focus for Cortex includes a greater emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion, job creation, and further investments in our community. The Cortex Innovation Community has been cited by the Brookings Institution and the Global Institute of Innovation Districts as a “best practice among urban innovation districts.”

Before joining Cortex, Sam spent over two decades at the Donald Danforth Plant and Science Center, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance. His involvement in the Danforth Center started while at Monsanto when he was tasked with helping to formulate the plan that would eventually lead to the establishment of the Center. Under his leadership, the Danforth Plant Science Center grew to become the world’s largest independent research institute focused on plant science.

Since 2008 Sam also served as the President of the Bio Research & Development Growth Park (BRDG), the Danforth Center’s affiliated research park focused on ag-tech companies from start-up to growth phase to divisions of large multinationals. During this period Sam also founded the Ag Innovation Showcase, an annual ag-tech innovation conference that became an industry gold standard.

Before moving to the Danforth Center, Sam worked at Monsanto Company. While at Monsanto, Sam worked on international public-private partnerships in places like Brazil, India, Indonesia, and other parts of Southeast Asia. His success in creating public-private partnerships helped develop and hone skills that would be invaluable for his later work at the Danforth Center, BRDG Park, and now at Cortex.

Sam was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and is a first-generation Italian American. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in public administration from the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Laura Huffman is a sought-after public sector leader and strategist who co-founded CivicSol to help communities move from vision to execution. As CEO, she guides the firm’s work with cities, foundations, and civic institutions—drawing on over 25 years of executive experience. Laura has led transformative efforts across infrastructure, economic development, and urban revitalization, and is known for her ability to broker complex negotiations and forge impactful public-private partnerships. She brings clarity, calm, and focus to high-stakes environments—ensuring CivicSol clients move forward with actionable strategies and confidence.

She serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way for Greater Austin and the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO). Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Jack has over 25 years of experience in the structuring and issuance of debt obligations for political entities in Texas and the U.S. While serving as financial advisor or underwriter, Mr. Jack has managed or supported the bond issuance process for over $35 billion in debt obligations.

Prior to Estrada Hinojosa, Mr. Jack worked for J.P. Morgan, Public Financial Management and Citigroup. His public finance experience includes a wide spectrum of public projects including general city infrastructure, water and sewer systems, convention centers, stadiums and arenas, public utility systems, school districts, universities, airports, hospitals, and economic development projects. He also serves as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, teaching Public Financial Management.

Clients have depended on Mr. Jack’s expertise for a wide range of services, such as developing complex analytical spreadsheets for financial modeling, structuring of derivative products, cash flow analyses, project finance debt/revenue models and new money, as well as refunding bond issue sizings. He also served on Transaction Review Committees, which provide guidance and quality control review on all aspects of the structuring of tax-exempt and taxable municipal bond issues and derivative products for clients. In addition, Mr. Jack managed the execution of the bond issuance process, including work with the Texas Bond Review Board, Texas Municipal Advisory Council, Issuer Bond Counsels, Tax Counsels, Underwriters’ Counsels, Financial Advisors, and Trustees.

Cesiah Kessler is a workforce strategy consultant with CivicSol, where she partners with public and private sector clients to align economic development, education, and workforce systems. She brings deep expertise in talent development, workforce partnerships, and organizational effectiveness—built through a career spanning both operational and leadership roles in global workforce solutions firms.

Cesiah is also the founder and CEO of the Kezzler Group, a talent development consultancy focused on helping individuals and organizations unlock untapped potential. Through this work, she delivers people-centered strategies that drive measurable outcomes and long-term success. Known for her clarity of vision and systems-level thinking, she brings a cross-sector perspective and a deep commitment to building inclusive, effective pathways to economic opportunity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and management from Alverno College.

As CEO and President, Monica is responsible for leading the growth of the organization while overseeing all aspects of operations and strategy.  She plays a key role in expanding the organizations nearly $500M portfolio and advancing its mission to preserve affordable housing.  With 20 years of banking experience, Monica has held senior leadership positions in Business Banking, Government and Institutional Banking and Commercial Banking at institutions ranging from $5B to $1.8T in assets. 

Before stepping into her current role, she served as Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Leader for Broadway Bank, where she grew the loan and deposit portfolio by 430% in less than two years.  Monica has successfully developed national business strategies and managed several hundred-million-dollar portfolios.  A dedicated servant leader, she has served on the Mission Capital Board, chaired the Board of H.A.N.D. (now part of Meals on Wheels), and is a Leadership Austin graduate. Her extensive business and community relationships, along with her financial acumen, uniquely equip her to fulfill the organization’s mission of preserving 15,000 units of affordable housing by 2030. 

David Morgan has served as city manager for the City of Georgetown since his appointment in May 2015. Prior to Georgetown, David worked for the City of Richardson, where he served for 17 years in many positions, including the deputy city manager/chief operating officer for about three years.

As the chief executive officer for the City of Georgetown, David is responsible for the management of the City’s affairs and day-to-day operations, including the preparation and administration of the City’s annual operating and capital budgets, delivery of responsive public safety and utility services, development and upkeep of critical infrastructure, enhancement and maintenance of parks and community amenities, promotion and development of a vibrant downtown, and commercial development growth bringing quality jobs and retail to the community. With an annual budget of more than $ 868 million and a team of over 985 City employees, he works closely with the City Council to implement their goals and to meet the demands of a growing population and service expectations of residents, businesses, and visitors.

David received a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech University.  Currently, David serves on the Texas City Management Association Board of Directors. 

Kimberly Olivares has a nearly 20-year tenure in local government, currently serving as deputy chief financial officer for the city of Austin, Texas, where she oversees the treasury, strategic facility delivery, economic development financing, and real estate functions. Austin is home to nearly 1,000,000 people and has an operating budget of approximately $4.5 billion. Previously, she was the chief performance officer leading development of the city's first organization-wide strategic plan in well over a decade, performance measurement program, and process improvement consulting. She has also worked for the city of Southlake, Texas, and the city of Tampa, Florida.

Olivares received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, and Master of Business Administration from St. Edward's University. She serves on the board of directors for both the Blodgett Fellows in Urban Management nonprofit and the Austin Convention Enterprises Corporation; was recognized as a distinguished alumna of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs by the American Society for Public Administration — Centex Chapter in 2014; and was a Terrell Blodgett Endowment Fellow for Graduate Study in Urban Management and Finance at the LBJ School (2003–04). Kimberly is very active with the Government Finance Officers Association, having served as member and chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning and now on the Executive Nominating Committee.

Gina Nash was appointed as the City Manager of Sachse in June 2015. Ms. Nash’s career has been centered on public service for more than 25 years. Prior to her time with Sachse, Ms. Nash served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Forney where she oversaw economic development, engineering, public works, community development, planning and zoning, and parks and recreation. Ms. Nash has also served the cities of Arlington, Chicago, and North Richland Hills in a variety of roles. In addition to her service in the public sector, Ms. Nash also has experience in the private sector working as a management consultant in the government and non-profit division at Arthur Andersen. 

Ms. Nash earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Administration degree, with an emphasis in local government management, from the University of North Texas. 

Ms. Nash is an active member in the International City/County Management Association, the Texas City/County Management Association, and the North Texas City/County Management Association. Ms. Nash is a member of the Texas City Management Association’s Ethics Committee, where she develops and presents ethics training for the statewide association. Additionally, Ms. Nash was recently appointed to serve as the President of the North Texas City Management Association. 

Carlton Schwab has been President/CEO of the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) since February 1st, 1999. During that time, the 1,000-member TEDC has developed into a recognized leader in the professional development of its members and a powerful voice for economic development policy in the state of Texas.

In his role as President/CEO of the TEDC, Mr. Schwab has served on numerous boards and commissions. In 2012, he was named by Governor Perry to the Select Committee on Economic Development – a committee created by the 83rd Texas Legislature to review economic development policy for the state of Texas. In 2015 and 2016 he was the Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Texas Legislative Conference.

In 2017, Mr. Schwab was named an Honorary Life Member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and in November 2022 received the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) Lifetime Achievement Award.

Prior to his tenure at the TEDC, Mr. Schwab was Director of Development at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin (1996-1999). From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Schwab was a Director with Deloitte Consulting where he specialized in corporate site location analysis and economic development strategic planning. Mr. Schwab also spent time working in economic development at the local level, having served as Vice President of the Lubbock Board of City Development from 1986 to 1989.

Mr. Schwab raises registered Texas Longhorn cattle and is a Texas Certified Master Naturalist, affiliated with the Balcones Canyonlands Chapter in Austin, Texas.

David H. Steinwedell is a 35+ year veteran of the commercial real estate industry and has worked in a variety of disciplines including public and private investment management, acquisitions, debt, capital markets, investment banking and asset management. David is Founder and Chairman of Affordable Central Texas, the sponsor and investment manager of the $400 million, Austin Housing Conservancy Fund in Austin, TX. Over his career, David has completed over $15 billion in transactions across all property types and as part of private equity funds, REITs and other investment vehicles. A graduate of Hamilton College, David currently serves as past chair of the Austin Economic Development Corporation board and has served on the boards of National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers (NAREIM), ULI Austin and Atlanta, The Trust for Public Land and the Tritt Elementary School Foundation.

Joshua D. Rhodes, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist at The University of Texas at Austin, a non-Resident Fellow at Columbia University, and a Founding partner of IdeaSmiths LLC. His current work is in the area of smart grid and the bulk electricity system, including spatial system-level applications and impacts of energy efficiency, resource planning, distributed generation, and storage. He is also interested in policy and the impacts that good policy can have on the efficiency of the micro and macro economy. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes and is an AXIOS Expert Voice. He also sits on the boards of Catalyst Cooperative. He holds a double bachelors in Mathematics and Economics from Stephen F. Austin State University, a masters in Computational Mathematics from Texas A&M University, a masters in Architectural Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, and a good cup of coffee.