Catherine Robb, Chair

Ms. Robb is the founder and chairman of the LBJ Library Future Forum.  Catherine Robb is of counsel in the Business Litigation Practice Group in the Austin office of Haynes and Boone, LLP. Catherine represents clients in the broadcast industry. Her practice is focused on commercial and business litigation, First Amendment litigation, pre-publication review and editing, copyright and trademark litigation, general commercial litigation, open government issues and privacy concerns. She advises clients concerning media law issues for an extensive array of content providers including online and traditional newspapers, magazines, radio and broadcasters, cable television stations, production companies and music entities.

Ms. Robb is a member of the American Bar Association, Texas Bar Association,  and the Austin Bar Association. She served on the Judicial Relations Committee for the State Bar of Texas (2001-2004 and 2009) and graduated from The First Amendment Institute's First Amendment Leadership Program in 2002. After completing law school, Ms. Robb clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (Chambers of W. Royal Furgeson) before going into private practice.

She serves as a board member (and current Board President) of the Austin Film Society, KLRU (where she is Vice-Chair and serves on the Austin City Limits Committee), Humanities Texas, and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and on the Advisory Council for the University of Texas School of Undergraduate Studies and LBJ School of Public Affairs. She is a past board member of the Austin Music Foundation, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and of the American Heart Association (Capitol Area Division). Ms. Robb served on The University of Texas' Commission of 125 (and Service to Society Committee) and is an active member of Leadership Austin.

In addition to these positions, Ms. Robb volunteers for several non-profits in the community, including Reading is Fundamental of Austin, Trinity Center, and Volunteer Legal Services.
She was awarded the 2007 Austin Under 40 Award in the category of Community Service. In her free time, Catherine runs and does triathlons. Ms. Robb earned her J.D., 1998, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. She received her B.A., 1992 from The University of Virginia.

Joey Alcorta

Joey Alcorta is an associate in the Austin office of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati. He focuses on a wide variety of corporate and securities law matters for public and emerging growth companies, investment banks, venture capital firms, and private investors. Joey has transactional experience in public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) transactions, recapitalizations, and private equity and debt financings.

He also represents numerous private and start-up companies in matters ranging from incorporation and initial capitalization to venture capital financing and stockholder and board fiduciary duties. Among the investment banks he has represented in public offerings are Merrill Lynch & Co. and Banc of America Securities.

Dianne Bangle

With over 12 years of fundraising and nonprofit management experience, Dianne currently serves as the Director of Development and oversees the major gifts program at The University of Texas McCombs School of Business.  In this position, Ms. Bangle manages a staff of major gift officers, builds donor strategy alongside the Senior Director of Development, and personally assesses, cultivates, solicits and stewards prospective donors and alumni. 

Before coming to the McCombs School of Business, Ms. Bangle served as the Executive Director for Shoes for Austin, an incentive-based nonprofit organization that provides new athletic shoes to thousands of deserving children at over 20 social services agencies.  She was responsible for raising over $2 million in individual, corporate, and foundation support and over $1.5 million in in-kind donations. Ms. Bangle also managed agency operations, including budget development, grant making, internal control systems, and supervised professional staff and volunteers. 

Ms. Bangle holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. In addition, she is admitted to the State Bars in Colorado and Texas.  Outside of work, she has many noteworthy accomplishments, including her role as a Founding Board Member of the LBJ Library Future Forum (created to engage individuals in civic participation and support the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library), a graduate of Leadership Austin, Essential Class of 2003, and in her position as a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow (top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys elected).

Steve Foster

Steve Foster is a sports attorney & athletic business consultant and advisor.

Todd P. Hanna

A native of Austin, Todd graduated from Austin High School and the University of Texas at Austin. After working several years in the commercial construction and insurance industries, he served four years on active duty as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He then served as Chief of Staff & Vice President of Corporate Relations at Strategic Forecasting, Inc. (Stratfor).  Recalled to active duty military service in 2007, Todd served on a military transition team as an advisor to the Iraqi Army.  Returning to Austin in 2008, Todd became President and CEO of Explore Austin, an organization dedicated to changing the lives of underserved youth through leadership, mentoring, and adventure.  In addition to Explore Austin, Todd serves on the Board of Directors of Trinity Episcopal School, the LBJ Future Forum, and the Seton Forum.  He is a member of the Greenlights for Non-Profit Success 501 Council, is an Outward Bound instructor, and is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School.  He is also the 2012 winner of the Austin Under 40 “Youth and Education” category.

Taline Manassian

Taline Manassian is an attorney and writer. She has been a member of the LBJ Future Forum since its inception in 2002 and became a member of the board in 2008. In addition to serving on the board, she has helped organize the Future Forum's Film Cluster and Book Cluster. She enjoys the Future Forum because, at every event, she learns something and meets someone new.

Taline's involvement with the Future Forum has led her to more active involvement in the local community. She is a member of the board of the Austin Bat Cave, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the writing skills of students ages six to eighteen. She also is a member of the Writers' League of Texas and Capital City Toastmasters because she loves stories and tries, as often as possible, to surround herself with storytellers who challenge and inspire her. In her spare time, Taline enjoys watching movies and participating in triathlons, marathons, and other athletic events. When Taline is at home, she enjoys the rambunctious but beloved company of her two cats, Bread and Butter.

Carsi Mitzner

Carsi Mitzner is an attorney working at the governmental relations firm of Adams and Zottarelli, LLC. Previously, she worked for the law firm of Nix, Patterson, and Roach and in both houses of the Texas Legislature. In the House of Representatives, she was General Counsel for a state representative, and prior to that position, she worked in the Senate Office of Engrossing and Enrolling. Before gaining experience in the Texas Legislature, Carsi worked for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to indigent clients.
Carsi was licensed in November 2008 after graduating from the University of Houston Law Center, where she held the position of Service Chair for the Public Interest Law Organization and was trained as a mediator through the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center. Carsi also attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a degree in Communication Studies with high honors.
Carsi joined the LBJ Future Forum in 2008 and became a board member in 2010. Outside of the Future Forum, Carsi volunteers with Volunteer Legal Services and is involved with the Austin Young Lawyers Association and the Association for Women in Energy. Originally from Katy, Texas, Carsi enjoys her adopted town of Austin by frequenting farmers markets, biking to work on occasion, seeing live music, and attempting to get better at yoga and golf.

Michael Navarre

Michael L. Navarre is a trial attorney at the Ratliff Law Firm, P.L.L.C. in Austin. Previously, he worked at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P. and was a partner in the litigation section at McGinnis Lochridge & Kilgore, L.L.P. in Austin. Mr. Navarre's practice focuses primarily on complex commercial litigation involving energy, intellectual property, and securities matters, including antitrust claims and class actions, on behalf of Fortune 500 and other corporations. He has also handled cases involving construction, contractual, and partnership disputes. Mr. Navarre received his B.S. in Engineering in 1988 from Purdue University and his J.D. in 1995 from the University of Houston.

He also received his M.B.A. from the University of Texas in 2002. Mr. Navarre has been an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and the University of Texas law schools. Mr. Navarre has successfully represented clients in both federal and state courts in Texas and other states. He has tried cases resulting in eight figure jury awards for his clients and has successfully defended other clients against multi-million dollar claims. Mr. Navarre has been named a Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine.

James Parsons

James Parsons currently serves as the staff attorney to the Honorable Gisela D. Triana, Judge of the 200th District Court in Travis County. Prior to working for the Court, James served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Taxation Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office for over 10 years. James was licensed in November 1994, after graduating from the UT's School of Law in May 1994, and graduated summa cum laude from UT's College of Liberal Arts in 1991. James was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board while at UT Austin.

James is a founding member of the LBJ Future Forum and has been active in the Austin community for much of the last 15 years, having also grown up in Austin. James is married to Heather Summers Parsons, who is a Past-President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Austin Chapter, and a Past-President of the Young Women's Alliance.

Rico Reyes

Rico Reyes joined the LBJ Future Forum’s board of directors in 2010, and currently leads the Public Policy Cluster.

Mr. Reyes is an Austin attorney with a practice focused on commercial and general business litigation.  He has represented regional, national and international clients in multi-million dollar cases. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Reyes served as a Travis County Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting felony offenses. 

Mr. Reyes served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps on active duty from 2002 to 2005.  He is currently a Major in the Marine Corps Reserve, where he serves as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Marine Forces in Africa.  This work has taken him to Ghana, South Africa, and Senegal, where he participated in training and humanitarian operations.

Mr. Reyes is a Director of the Texas Lyceum and a graduate of Leadership Austin. He was selected as a regional finalist for the White House Fellowship in 2010.  He is a member of Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and the Harvard Club of Austin. 
Mr. Reyes earned his B.A. in government from Harvard University, and his J.D. and M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.

He enjoys adventure, working out, reading the classics, pencil drawing, 80’s music, working with his mastiff, raising his daughters Marissa and Victoria to be thoughtful and engaged citizens of the world, and sharing it all with his wife Natalie.

Mark Updegrove

Mark Updegrove serves as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library's fourth Director in its thirty-eight year history. Updegrove is an award-winning author with over two decades of leadership experience within top media and communications organizations including Time, Newsweek, and Yahoo.

Updegrove is the author of two books relating to American presidents. Baptism By Fire: Eight Presidents Who Took Office in Times of Crisis examines eight Presidents who took office in times of unprecedented crisis, how they dealt the burdens they inherited, the role of character in leadership, and the lessons they provide for President Obama. Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House looks at the post-Presidential lives of our modern Presidents.

Updegrove has been Director of Business Development at Rawle Murdy, a private communications firm. He has also served as Vice President and Head of Sales and Operations at Yahoo! Canada; Vice President and Publisher of Nickelodeon Magazine and MTV Magazine; U. S. Publisher of Newsweek; and spent eleven years in several leadership roles at Time, Inc. including Los Angeles Manager of Time and President of Time Canada, Time's Canadian edition and operation.

Updegrove graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.