Hill Country Economic Summit

February 26, 2026

Hill Country Youth Event Center

8:00 am - 1:30 pm

Coffee (morning) - Hot Meal (lunch) Provided

As a vibrant area business, the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce knows you have goals for your business and a desire to tell your story. We were excited to host the 9th annual Hill Country Economic Summit. The Hill Country Economic Summit brought Kerrville and the surrounding communities a current economic update and a State of the Union on important happenings within our region.

The audience heard from renowned speakers discussing important topics that not only engaged the audience but brought insightful information to this year's attendees.

Hill Country Economic Summit

Presented By

Buy Your Table OR Tickets Here

SESSION 1

Community Update

Michael Hornes

Before coming to Kerrville as Assistant City Manager, Michael Horne served as Assistant City Manager for Live Oak, just outside San Antonio, and previously as City Manager for Palestine, Texas. He also spent time in the private sector working in the oil and gas industry, bringing that real-world experience with him into public service.
Here in Kerrville, Michael oversees many of the departments that citizens interact with every day, including Planning and Development, Economic Development, Public Works, Engineering, Parks and Recreation, the City Garage, and the Airport. In short, he helps make sure the city keeps running, and services stay on track.
Michael earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Outside of work, he served as an honorary wing commander at Joint Base San Antonio. In his free time, you will likely find him outdoors with his wife, Charlie, and their two sons, playing golf or camping with friends.

Joe Herring, Jr. Mayor - City of Kerrville

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native, and a Tivy High School and University of Texas at Austin graduate.

He is married to his college sweetheart, Carolyn, and they have two grown children.

Joe is the General Manager of Herring Printing Company. He writes a weekly column for the Kerr County Lead.

Other community involvement activities include:
Mayor, City of Kerrville, 1992-94. As mayor, instrumental in projects that
1) rebuilt the downtown area;
2) helped build a riverwalk;
3) implemented a curbside recycling program; and
4) helped establish Kerrville as a Texas Main Street City.

SESSION 2

Economic Impact on Tourism

Spencer Zamora

is the Research Specialist with the Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism, and has been a part of the team for 7 years. The Travel Texas program promotes the state as a premier travel destination in domestic and international markets through an integrated advertising, public relations, and marketing program. In this role, she also supports the research program that serves as a foundation for the state’s tourism promotion and a resource for the travel industry and tourism development.

Mrs. Zamora has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration and Minor Art degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has been involved in the tourism industry since 2014, starting at Visit Austin. She is a member of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, newly serving at treasurer on the board for the TTRA CenStates Chapter, and currently working on her Tourism Executive certification with the Texas Travel Alliance. She loves running and training for marathons and serving on the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society board as Vice President in her spare time.

Nate Gieryn

Is the Tourism Deputy Director at the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office, which promotes Texas as one of the world’s premier business and travel destinations. In this role, he provides strategic leadership across Travel Texas programs, including advertising, marketing, research, and program development.

With more than 20 years of experience at Travel Texas, Gieryn has served as Tourism Deputy Director since 2021, following his tenure as manager of the research program. He directs marketing research for the “Let’s Texas” campaign and oversees industry research used by destination marketing organizations, local governments, elected officials, associations, transportation providers, accommodations, attractions, and other travel-focused businesses.

Nate Gieryn spearheaded the launch of the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program, empowering communities across the state to leverage tourism as an economic development strategy. He also oversaw the first major update to the Strategic Tourism Plan for the State of Texas since its creation in the early 2000s, increasing coordination between Travel Texas and other programs that encourage travel.

Gieryn holds an MS in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Geography with Honors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A passionate traveler within his own state, he has explored destinations in 80 Texas counties. When in Austin, you might find him with his family at a brewery with a playground.

Julie Davis

is the President & CEO of the Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Angelo State University, she returned to her hometown of Kerrville, TX where she began her career in tourism. Julie has earned a Certified Tourism Executive (CTE) through the Texas Travel Alliance’s Texas Tourism College as well as a Texas Destination Marketer (TDM) certification through the Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. With over 20 years of tourism and marketing experience, Julie has a passion for promoting Kerrville and bringing visitors to experience all this beautiful city has to offer. True to her tourism roots, Julie loves to travel with her husband John, exploring both Kerrville and destinations beyond.

Special Presentations

SESSION 3

Long-Term Recovery Update

MBA, Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University, 2005

Management of Technology, Bachelor of Science, Vanderbilt University, 1998

Chris Hughes is Owner of Broken Arrow Ranch, an artisanal purveyor of wild game meats to restaurants and individuals nationwide. He grew up in Ingram and returned in 2005 with his wife to raise their three children in this incredible place. He is a former President of Habitat for Humanity Kerr County and former Board Member of Friends and Faculty of ITM. He is a current President of Kerr County Emergency Services District #1, Board Member of West Kerr Chamber of Commerce, and Chair of Kerr Together Business Recovery Group.

John Dunn

Board President of the Hunt Preservation Society (HPS) and Chair of the Kerr County Long Term Recovery Group (K-LTRG), has been actively involved in the Hunt, West Kerr, and Kerr County flood recovery efforts. John has been a member of the HPS board since 2023 and owned The Hunt Store from 2011 to 2024. He has been a staunch proponent of preserving and protecting the legacy of the Hunt community since he began investing in the area in 2007. Before investing in the West Kerr area, Mr. Dunn developed a portfolio of real estate investment assets in Harris, Grimes, and Montgomery County. In addition to his real estate investment focus, John had a very successful sales and business development career in computing technology. He married his college sweetheart in 1989, lived and traveled all over the world, and loves spending time with his 3 grown children, who are his pride and joy.

Todd Bock

Is a lifelong Kerr County resident and Tivy High School graduate who proudly serves as Executive Director of the Kerr Economic Development Corporation (KerrEDC). Prior to this role, Todd served the organization as both a Director and Chairman, helping guide long-term economic growth and strategic initiatives across the region.
Todd has a deep history of community involvement, having served on numerous nonprofit boards as well as multiple city-appointed boards and commissions. His dedication to public service led to his election to the Kerrville City Council, where he represented the citizens of Kerrville before later being elected Mayor.
Following the July 4th flooding event in Kerr County, Todd serves on the Board of Directors for the Kerr Together Long-Term Recovery Group, where he supports community recovery efforts and helps advance long-term resilience planning.
Outside of his civic and professional commitments, Todd and his wife, Tara, have raised their three children—Ashli, Demi, and Hilton—in Kerrville. Before joining KerrEDC full-time, Todd spent more than 30 years as General Manager of Ronnie Bock’s Kerrville RV, contributing to the sustained success of the family business.

Tara Bushnoe

General Manager of the Upper Guadalupe River Authority and leads a team dedicated to the sustainability of the Upper Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Tara serves on the boards of Riverside Nature Center and Kerr Together and is a member of the Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Group and the Plateau Regional Water Planning Group. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resources from Cornell University and has over 20 years of experience in aquatic science and water resources management.

Bill Blackburn, Ph.D.

Grew up in San Angelo and graduated from Baylor, Southwestern Seminary, Southern Seminary, and did postdoctoral study at Oxford.

In Kerrville since 1984, he was pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, president of Partners in Ministry, taught and led projects at Schreiner University, and served two terms as mayor of Kerrville (2018-2022).

He and his wife Deana, have two children and eight grandchildren.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

AI and Our Future: What’s Ahead Now That AI Is in the Forefront

Glen Guyton

Glen Guyton equips organizations with future-focused talent strategies that close skills gaps and anticipate workforce disruptions. A Certified Speaking Professional with more than 20 years of leadership experience, Glen is known for turning complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. From his early years as a U.S. Air Force officer to his work leading national nonprofit organizations and guiding Fortune 500 companies, Glen has always been about one thing: helping people thrive. He has delivered 400+ hours of training and countless keynotes that leave leaders with tools they can use right away—whether that means boosting employee retention, navigating cultural change, or preparing teams for the future of work. Audiences connect with Glen because he brings both sharp foresight, humor, and genuine warmth. His Texas roots, military discipline, and global perspective inform his practical and relatable style. Leaders describe his sessions as a mix of trusted mentorship and future-ready strategy—equal parts engaging stories and data-driven insights. Today, as the founder of GuyStar Enterprises, Glen partners with executives, HR leaders, and associations to help them align people strategy with organizational vision. Whether he’s speaking about trust, technology, or transformation, Glen’s focus is simple: equip leaders to build resilient, engaged, and future-ready workplaces.