Kirk Watson is State Senator for District 14. He is a lawyer and former Austin Mayor. In addition, he is

former Chair of both the Texas Advisory Board for Environmental Defense and the Greater Austin

Chamber of Commerce.

Senator Watson has been recognized repeatedly for his legislative work. In 2011 and 2013, Texas

Monthly magazine recognized him as honorable mention in its coverage of the state's best legislators. In

2009, he was on the magazine’s "10 Best" list, and was named its legislative “Rookie of the Year” in

2007.

He also has earned numerous other endorsements, awards and recognitions, including "Austinite of the

Year" by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Family Magazine's "Favorite Local Hero,"

the "Best of Austin – Best Citizen" Reader's Choice Award from the Austin Chronicle, and the " Pro

Texana – Medal of Service" from Baylor University.

Senator Watson served as chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus beginning in 2011 and

continued in that position through the 2015 legislative session. He serves on the Senate committees

overseeing Finance, Health and Human Services, Higher Education and Nominations. He is also a

member of the Sunset Advisory Commission and the Select Committee on Government Facilities.

Senator Watson is a past chair of CAMPO, the primary transportation planning agency for Central

Texas.

In 2011, Senator Watson laid out 10 Goals in 10 Years to transform the health and economy of Austin

and Travis County. Substantial progress has been made on each of the goals, including the creation of

the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas and a new modern teaching and safety-net hospital,

Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. Building on those successes, Watson is leading a

community-based effort to develop a center for world-class brain health treatment, research and

education. The American Medical Association recognized Sen. Watson's contribution to healthcare with

the prestigious Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service in 2017.

In 1991, Senator Watson was appointed by Governor Ann Richards to Chair the Texas Air Control

Board. He was Vice-Chair of the committee that oversaw the consolidation of the Texas Air Control

Board with the Texas Water Commission and creation of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation

Commission, now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Senator Watson graduated first in his law school class at Baylor University Law School in 1981. He

served as Editor-In- Chief of the Baylor Law Review and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the

Fifth Circuit. He was elected President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and was named

Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas in 1994. He was named Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year in 1996

and has been selected by his peers to be listed in the publication Best Lawyers in America since 1997.

He currently is a partner with the law firm Husch Blackwell, LLP.

Senator Watson served on the original Board of Directors for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and is a

former member of the Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society, local chapter. He and his

family have been active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He has served on several

boards, including KLRU, Ballet Austin, El Buen Samaritano health clinic and the Community

Partnership for the Homeless.

He is married to Liz McDaniel Watson. Kirk and Liz have two adult boys – Preston, who is married and

lives in Austin, and Cooper, who is a student at Baylor University.

Mini Kahlon enables innovation across the Dell Medical School enterprise to build a new model for

academic medicine as a driver of health transformation. Working across the organization, her office

identifies opportunities to catalyze change; introduce, align and kick off new initiatives; drive new

models of dissemination and commercialization; advance health product innovation; and enable

technology-driven transformation. More broadly, Mini works with public, private and academic partners

to build a vital inclusive health ecosystem. She is a founding Co-Chair for the Austin Healthcare Council

and was also selected by the Austin Chamber of Commerce to serve on the Executive Committee of their

Board of Directors as the Vice-Chair of Health Innovation. She also serves on the board of directors of

the University Federal Credit Union.

Prior to joining the medical school, Mini was Executive Director and Chief Information Officer for the

Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

With cumulative funding of more than $200 million, CTSI at UCSF is one of the largest awardees of the

Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The institute

functioned as an innovation arm of UCSF, addressing opportunities and challenges in all aspects of

research from early translational product-focused research to health care delivery redesign. At CTSI, she

led national initiatives focused on health information technology; statewide initiatives to accelerate

research and aggregate data from across the University of California system; and multi-partner grants

funded by the NIH, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

Institute (PCORI) that used data and technology to improve research and health.

Mini also brings management experience from Silicon Valley startups working on award-winning

software and technologies, as well as the philanthropic social change sector where she worked to

improve education. She is a City of San Francisco honoree for her volunteer efforts and has received

awards for technology innovation in health in addition to having her work highlighted in the San

Francisco Chronicle and Businessweek. Mini is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and received her PhD in

Neuroscience from UCSF.

I built The Novy Company based on my philosophy of honesty, hard work, service, and relationship communication. I believe living these viewpoints in all aspects of my life and on a daily bases assembles a commitment of authenticity for a win-win understanding—with an end result being a rewarding life well lived.

Growing up in Austin and actively in the medical/professional commercial real estate industry for over 33 years gives me an edge that I am able to share with my clients. I have vast product knowledge, experience, creativity, and negotiation skills that have resulted in an excellent track record within the marketplace, and a wonderful reputation from within Central Texas’ gracious communities. All of this has enabled me to differentiate my company and services in this highly competitive industry.

Your success as a business professional and healthcare representative is important to me. I understand how imperative it is for professionals like yourself to acquire an experienced broker that stays ahead of the market and is able to meet your commercial real estate needs throughout your business development. The Novy Company is well versed in medical/professional real estate property developments within Central Texas.

I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you about your current commercial real estate conditions and projected requirements for your practice or professional office. I negotiate medical real estate property in all areas of Central Texas including Travis County, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop.

Chuck Lipscomb is a Vice President at JE Dunn Construction, one of the largest commercial construction firms in the United States. Chuck’s responsibilities include business development, client advocacy and community relations for JE Dunn’s Central Texas operations. Since joining the firm in 2008, he has helped JE Dunn increase market share in numerous strategic markets including healthcare, multi-family, higher education, commercial office, cultural and government. Chuck successfully led JE Dunn’s business development efforts to secure the contract to build the new Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, a 520,000 SF academic medical center that anchors Austin’s emerging Health District.

Prior to joining JE Dunn, Chuck held various marketing and management roles in both the public and private sectors. Chuck has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication from Auburn University.

Chuck is active with local civic and philanthropic initiatives including serving as Chair of Opportunity Austin’s Economic Development Council and Chair of The Fifty, a volunteer committee the supports Dell Seton Medical Center at UT and its role in transforming healthcare in Central Texas.