Whether you’re preparing for client engagement, political activity, or rulemaking developments, the PAAT Institute will ensure you’re informed and ready for the year ahead. In addition to expert-led sessions, the program offers valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues, exchange insights, and expand your professional network among leading advocates, attorneys, and government affairs professionals in Texas. It’s a full day of learning, discussion, and connection designed to strengthen both your knowledge and your relationships across the Capitol community.
10AM — Welcome & TEC UPDATE
Stay current on the latest developments from the Texas Ethics Commission. This session will provide a comprehensive update on recent Commission actions — along with a first look at the Commission’s new website functionality and filing tools. Executive Director James Tinley will also share insights on the ongoing Lobby Law Rule Review process, including key areas under consideration and opportunities for stakeholder input. David Guilianelli, Director of Disclosure Filings, will offer a practical overview of disclosure filing issues, common reporting errors, and tips for navigating the new electronic filing system.
Panelists:
Texas Ethics Commission Executive Director James Tinley, Director of Disclosure Filings, David Guilianelli
10:30AM - INTERIM/ELECTION COMPLIANCE & AVOIDING COMPLAINTS
As Texas moves through the interim and into a high-stakes election year, compliance obligations for lobbyists, attorneys, and government affairs professionals grow increasingly complex. This session will cover the key reporting, registration, and campaign-season rules that apply during this critical period — including communication restrictions, expenditure disclosures, political activity limitations, and emerging enforcement trends from the Texas Ethics Commission.
Send compliance questions.
Panelists: Ethics experts
Andy Cates,
Elizabeth Hadley,
J.R. Johnson
(Executive Director James Tinley will also participate)
12:15PM — KEYNOTE : ETHICAL LEADERSHIP IN A HIGH STAKES, HIGH SCRUTINY ERA
A candid conversation with Dan Bartlett, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Walmart and former Counselor to President George W. Bush, focused on ethical leadership, crisis decision-making, and navigating public pressure in today’s regulatory and political landscape. Bartlett will share insights on corporate engagement with policymakers, shifting stakeholder expectations, and how emerging technologies—including AI—shape strategy, reputation, and advocacy. Attendees will gain a strategic perspective on advocacy trends from someone who has operated on both sides of the policymaking arena—at the highest levels of business and government. Moderated by PAAT Founding Board Member and longtime government affairs advocate, Mignon McGarry.
1:15PM — CAPITOL Perspectives: INSIDE AND OUT
Few understand the rhythms of the Texas Legislature better than those who have worked on both sides of the process. In this candid conversation—moderated by
Mark Bell—Margo Cardwell,
Robert Howden, and
Gardner Pate draw on their experience inside the Capitol, working with key legislative leaders and as advocates navigating that same environment, to offer insight into what truly drives decision-making in Austin. From managing relationships and timing advocacy efforts to understanding how internal dynamics shape outcomes, this session explores the practical realities behind policy, politics, and persuasion in Texas. Attendees can expect clear, frank guidance rooted in real-world experience across multiple administrations and legislative cycles—practical insight you can apply immediately to your own advocacy work.
Moderator: Mark Bell, President & CEO, Association of Electric Companies of Texas, previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker
Panelists:
Margo Cardwell, former policy and legal advisor in the Office of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan,
Robert Howden, Senior Advisor and Director of Legislative Affairs, Office of Governor Greg Abbott, and
Gardner Pate, former chief of staff, Office of Governor Greg Abbott
2:15PM — On the Record: The Texas Political Press Weighs In
Texas’s leading political observers share their perspectives on the state’s most critical storylines: what’s really happening during the interim, the key policy and political issues emerging ahead of the 90th Legislature, and how the 2026 election season could impact the dynamics of the Texas House, Senate, and statewide leadership. From early campaign dynamics to legislative positioning and shifting coalitions, this conversation will offer a candid, journalist’s-eye view of what to watch in Texas politics over the year ahead.
Moderator:
Jim Henson,
Texas Politics Project
Panelists:
Gromer Jeffers (Dallas Morning News),
Brad Johnson (The Texan),
Harvey Kronberg (Quorum Report),
PAAT President Tom Forbes will provide closing remarks. The Otis rooftop bar will be open for some post-event Holiday Cheer!
