Public pension trustees and administrators will learn how to make a stronger case at the Texas Capitol during the TEXPERS 2026 Legislative Advocacy Workshop, set for Oct. 27-28 at the Hyatt Centric Congress Austin.

Featured speaker Joe Gagen will lead an interactive advocacy session from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 27. The session will continue after lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.

Gagen will explain the pressures legislators face, including limited time, competing priorities and the need to consider many issues outside their areas of expertise. Attendees will learn how relationships, personal stories and concrete examples can make complex pension issues easier to understand.

The session will also cover how to:

• Plan and structure an effective legislative visit.
• Avoid jargon and explain pension issues in plain language.
• Work strategically with legislative staff.
• Present a clear and unified message.
• Deliver effective testimony before a legislative committee.

Attendees will put those lessons to work through mock legislative visits and receive feedback on their advocacy approaches. They will also review real-world testimony and discuss the rules for appearing before legislative committees.

Gagen has conducted more than 700 legislative training and planning programs for national and state associations. He previously presented at TEXPERS Legislative Advocacy Workshops in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2025.

His public service experience includes chairing the Texas agency responsible for workers’ compensation and serving as general counsel to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee. He also taught public policy communications at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs.

The workshop will give pension systems practical tools to build relationships, explain pension issues, and make their voices heard during the 2027 legislative session.

Registration is $150 for TEXPERS Retirement System and Employee Group Members and $195 for nonmember trustees.

View event details and register for the TEXPERS 2026 Legislative Advocacy Workshop.

About the Author: Allen Jones is the director of communications and event marketing for TEXPERS, where he leads editorial strategy, member communications, conference marketing, and digital engagement initiatives for Texas public employee retirement systems. He began his journalism career in 1998 and has worked in journalism and communications for more than 25 years.