Trellis Foundation Summit

The Texas Summit on Postsecondary Access, Affordability, and Attainment will take place on March 25, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Highland Campus of Austin Community College District.

This year, the Summit will focus on the intersections of education and workforce that can lead to the future that Texas needs and that Texas students deserve. In working to achieve that future, there are implications for policy and practice across federal, state, regional, and institutional actors. To that end, we will hear from national, state, and campus perspectives identifying our greatest opportunities and challenges.

Agenda

9:00 Registration, Coffee, and Grantee Poster Exhibit
9:45 Welcome remarks from Richard Rhodes, Ph.D., Chancellor of Austin Community College District and Immediate Past Chair of the Trellis Foundation Board of Directors
10:00 Overview of the Objectives and Context from Kristin Boyer, Executive Director, Trellis Foundation
10:15 Student Voices Video
10:30 National Perspectives on the Value of Higher Ed – A Conversation

  • Mildred García, Ph.D., President, American Association of State Colleges and Universities
  • Margaret Spellings, President/CEO, Texas 2036 and former U.S. Secretary of Education

Moderated by Evan Smith, CEO/Co-Founder, Texas Tribune
11:30 Texas Perspectives on the Value of Alignment – Tri-Agency Commissioners’ Panel

  • Bryan Daniel, Chairman, Texas Workforce Commission
  • Harrison Keller, Ph.D., Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  • Mike Morath, Commissioner, Texas Education Agency

Moderated by Evan Smith, CEO/Co-Founder, Texas Tribune
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Regional Perspectives on the Value of Collaboration – Examples from Trellis Foundation grantees working to improve education and career pathways in Amarillo, Houston, and Waco

  • Peter Beard, J.D., Senior Vice President of Regional Workforce Development, Greater Houston Partnership
  • Tamara Clunis, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs, Amarillo College
  • Tiffany Gallegos Whitley, Director of Workforce Initiatives, Prosper Waco

Moderated by Suzanne Walsh, J.D., President of Bennett College and Trellis Foundation Board Member
2:15 Reflections and Close by Mark Milliron, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Executive Dean of the Teachers College for Western Governors University, and Chair of the Trellis Foundation Board of Directors
2:30 Adjourn
2:30 – 3:15 Grantee Mixer – This mixer will take place directly after the summit is adjourned and will be an opportunity for current and past grantees to gather. It is our hope that this mixer will help amplify the work that grantees are doing, providing access to potential collaborations and new and diverse perspectives.