ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In
Engineering a Better Texas Since 1913
Every other spring, we hold our ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In program in Austin, concurrent with Texas Legislative Sessions. This program provides our members with an inside look at the public policy process through training sessions and coordinated outreach efforts.
At our inaugural 2017 event, 30 members visited over 50 senate and house offices, advocating for transportation, water, and water resources infrastructure as well as urging law makers to identify adequate funding. At our peak, the Drive-In in 2019 was attended by almost 60 civil engineers from around the state, followed by more than 45 attendees most recently in 2025 in-person at the Capitol.
Attend the next ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-In and join us for:
- ASCE’s Government Relations & Public Relations University training
- Briefing sessions on key legislation and ASCE’s legislative priorities
- Meetings with your State Senator and Representative, or their staff
- Discussions about engineering and infrastructure related issues within legislative districts
- An opportunity to educate legislators on ASCE’s state priorities and position on key infrastructure bills
- Tips and best practices for fostering relationships with your local elected officials
- A chance to create relationships with your ASCE peers from across the state
We are a group of civil engineers, leaders, and infrastructure experts and by attending the ASCE Texas Legislative Drive-in, you will increase the visibility of ASCE Texas Section in the legislative realm. We hope you can join us!
State Senator Charles Perry is a life-long West Texan and a practicing CPA from Lubbock. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014 after serving two terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Since 2015 Senator Perry has been focused on developing undeveloped water supplies. Strategies include the most cost-effective energy to develop and move the water supply. Specifically, he is working with Abilene Christian University and other public universities to develop a small modular reactor. The project is set to yield a 100-megawatt reactor that can be massed produced. Senator Perry currently chairs the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs and is Vice-Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He also sits on the Senate Committees for State Affairs, Finance, and Transportation and he co-chairs the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Advisory Committee and the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund (TIRF). Governor Abbott appointed him to the Southwestern States Water Commission and the Western States Water Council.
James Barragán is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and had previous stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 2023-24. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. He is based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
Kevin Longley is the Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), driving ASCE’s relationships with the media and generating public interest in the Society’s activities, including ASCE’s 
Sarah Rountree Schlessinger is the CEO of Texas Water Foundation, a statewide nonpartisan nonprofit that works in water policy, workforce and leadership initiatives, and a statewide water campaign called Texas Runs on Water. She previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation, and has experience with international nonprofits and disaster response. Sarah currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council, and as a board member for Texas Water Trade and Open ET.
Whitney Whitmire, a founding Partner of Whitmire & Munoz LLC, leads a robust public affairs firm based in Houston. Having grown up in Texas politics, Whitney brings a unique perspective to her business alongside business partner and friend Lindsay Munoz. Whitney has represented clients across many industries at every level of government. Last year was exciting for her as she worked as a trusted supporter of her father’s successful mayoral campaign.
Fivengineering, LLC (5e), was founded by Kelly Humphries, PE, PMP, and Liz Parent, PE, in 2011. 5e is a Houston-based, woman-owned consulting firm. It specializes in drainage and stormwater management planning, flood risk reduction analysis, water and wastewater planning and design, resilience planning, and sustainability planning services.
Frayre Engineering & Consulting, PLLC provides traditional civil engineering and consulting services in both the private and public sectors of the engineering design and development markets.
