Nacogdoches Community Stakeholders Conference Call

Join the Nacogdoches Community Stakeholders Conference Call for updates and reports concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and business reopening procedures.

With a presentation by Chris J. Furlow, President & CEO, Texas Bankers Association, pictured above.

DRAFT AGENDA
10:00 a.m.       Welcome & Purpose by C. Wayne Mitchell, President & CEO, Nacogdoches County Chamber
Introduction of Featured Presenter by Raymond “Rusty” Rust, President & CEO, Commercial Bank of Texas
COVID-19 Impacts on Texas Banking by Christopher J. Furlow, President & CEO , Texas Bankers Association                                                  
Stephen F. Austin Update by Dr. Scott Gordon, President, Stephen F. Austin State University
Hospitality Industry Update by Sherry Morgan, Executive Director, Nacogdoches CVB
Office of the Governor Representative Betty Russo, Regional Representative for Governor Greg Abbott
State of Texas COVID-19 Policy Update by Senator Robert Nichols/ Representative Travis Clardy
Regional Economic Update by Nancy Windham, President & CEO, Texas Forest County Partnership
NEDCO/ City of Nacogdoches Update by Larissa Philpot, President & CEO, NEDCO
Social Services Update by Gary Lee Ashcraft, President & CEO, Nacogdoches Area United Way
NISD Update by Les Linebarger, Communications Director, NISD

About Chris Furlow
Chris Furlow is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Bankers Association. Founded in 1885, TBA is the oldest and largest state banking association in the US.  TBA advocates for its members in Austin and Washington; trains more than 8,000 community bankers annually; provides nationally-recognized banking products and services; and invests in Texas  communities through financial literacy, scholarship and charitable activities.
 
Chris’ professional career has prepared him well to meet the challenges facing Texas banks. Previously, Chris was President of Ridge Global, an international risk management consulting firm, where he helped clients in financial services & other sectors leverage resilience for competitive advantage.
 
Furlow has an extensive background in complex policy/regulatory issues in both the public and private sectors.  After the 9/11 attacks, he was named Director for State Affairs in the White House Office of Homeland Security where he served as policy liaison to governors. During the historic stand-up of the US Department of Homeland Security, he was appointed Executive Director of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) where he led operations of the department’s cross-disciplinary public and private sector committees and served as a senior advisor to Secretary Tom Ridge. 
 
Chris brings more than 25 years of experience in the legislative and political arenas to TBA’s advocacy efforts.  He has served as a US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, as an aide on Capitol Hill,  Executive Director of the Louisiana Republican Party and as National Field Director of the Republican National Committee during the historic 2000 presidential election (Bush vs Gore).  
 
Chris currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Southwest Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) at Southern Methodist University and on the Smith-Hutson Chair of Banking Advisory Board at Sam Houston State University. 
 
In 2019, Furlow was appointed to represent the private sector as a member of Texas Cybersecurity Council. He previously served on the US Chamber of Commerce National Security Task Force and Cybersecurity Leadership Council. He is a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, London).  Thought-leadership articles authored or co-authored by Furlow have been featured in Harvard Business Review, ABA Banking Journal, and International Policy Digest. 
 
Chris “married-up” in life when he wed Jan—a proud Texas Aggie—in 1997. The Furlows reside in Dripping Springs, Texas.  They have four awesome kids and two not-so-well trained bird dogs.