Preston Hollow neighbor Tom Luce is leading a movement to ensure Texas is still the “best place to live and do business” in 2036, when the state celebrates its 200th birthday.
Luce, an SMU alum, is the founder and chairman of Texas 2036, a nonprofit organization created in 2016 that is in the beginning stages of interpreting state data and creating a strategic plan that will hopefully lead to new state policies ensuring future success.
The organization has listed six areas of focus for its strategic plan on its website: education and workforce; government performance; health and human services; infrastructure; natural resources; and safety and justice.
“My life experiences tell me that you can really deal with things if you take the longterm view,” Luce said in an introduction video on Texas 2036’s website. “If you’ll act before you have a crisis.”
Texas’ population is forecast to increase by 40 percent by 2036, which equals about 41 million new residents. For the state to keep its current employment rate, Texas 2036 estimates, the state would have to add between 4.5 and 7.8 million new jobs in that same time frame.
To achieve that, Luce said, Texas must work to make health care more efficient and effective, build essential infrastructure to support the population growth, increase the quality of the state’s education and workforce development and make sure people feel safe.
“We the people of Texas need to present a united front that we want these issues dealt with in a constructive way, in a longterm way, in a real way,” Luce said.
Stay up to date on the organization’s efforts by signing up on its website for email alerts.
