Speakers & Visiting Dignitaries
Boys State welcomes a number of keynote speakers throughout the week’s general assemblies. These speakers include state elected officials and respected leaders in business, education, and national service. The keynote speakers for 2011 Boys State are:
- Sunday, June 5, 6 p.m. – Lewis Timberlake, lecturer and management consultant, Timberlake & Associates
- Monday, June 6, 7 p.m. – Texas American Legion Family Night
- Wednesday, June 8, 7 p.m. – James Olson, former CIA officer and senior lecturer in the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University
- Friday, June 10, 11 a.m., at the closing session in the Capitol – Commissioner Jerry Patterson, Texas General Land Office
In addition, Texas Boys State conducts a visiting dignitary program, where several leaders in Texas government visit for more intimate speaking engagements with smaller groups of Staters. These dignitaries have included officials and top aides from the Texas legislature, Railroad Commission, Board of Education, and the U.S. armed forces. The visiting dignitaries scheduled for 2011 Boys State are:
Monday, June 6
- Former Rep. Scott Campbell, Texas District 72
- Rep. Sarah Davis, Texas District 134
- Jeff Fleece, former Republican nominee for Texas House District 50 and and U.S. Army veteran
- Sen. Mario Gallegos, Jr., Texas District 6
- Rep. Larry Gonzales, Texas District 52
- Rep. Lance Gooden, Texas District 4
- Sheriff Greg Hamilton, Travis County
- Rep. Bryan Hughes, Texas District 5
- Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., Texas District 36
- Rep. Mark Strama, Texas District 50
- Michael Quinn Sullivan, president and CEO of Empower Texans
- Ken Wallingford, prisoner of war during the Vietnam War
- Rep. Randy Weber, Texas District 29
- Rep. Paul Workman, Texas District 47
Tuesday, June 7
- Rep. Rodney Anderson, Texas District 106
- Trace Finley, Director of Governmental Relations, Texas General Land Office
- Councilman Mitch Fuller, Cedar Park city council and Iraq War veteran
- Rep. Charlie Howard, Texas District 26
- Martin Hubert, Deputy Comptroller, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Chad Hyde, staff counsel for the Texas Municipal Police Association and U.S. Marine
- Judge Michael Keasler, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Rep. John Kuempel, Texas District 44
- James LeGrand, Chief Administrative Officer, Texas General Land Office
- Mark Loeffler, Communications Director, Texas General Land Office
- Commissioner Richard McLeon, Texas Veterans Commission
- Rich McMonagle, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Director of Infrastructure, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Mike McNamara, businessman and former Republican nominee for Travis County Judge
- Rep. Kenneth Sheets, Texas District 107 and U.S. Marine
- Clarke Straughan, former Director of International Protocol for the State of Texas, author, and U.S. Marine
- Terry Tottenham, president of the State Bar of Texas
- Rep. James White, Texas District 12 and U.S. Army veteran
Wednesday, June 8
- Andy Brown, Travis County Democratic Party Chair
- Harold Cook, Democratic political consultant
- Rosemary Edwards, Travis County Republican Party Chair
- Joseph Esparza, public affairs coordinator for Veteran Outdoors and Iraq War veteran
- Rep. Joe Farias, Texas District 118
- Justice Melissa Goodwin, Texas 3rd Court of Appeals
- Rep. Charlie Howard, Texas District 26
- Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, Austin Fire Department
- Larry Laine, Chief Clerk, Texas General Land Office
- Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., Texas District 27
- Justice David Medina, Supreme Court of Texas
- Mindy Montford, attorney and former candidate for District Court Judge
- Jason Nicholas, congressional staffer for U.S. Rep. John Carter, Texas District 31
- Ted Pataki, political speech writer and Iraq War veteran
- Sen. Jeff Wentworth, Texas District 25
- Justice Don Willett, Supreme Court of Texas
