Justin Yancy

What we talked about

A shared voice beyond individual industries

Justin Yancy describes the Texas Business Leadership Council as a place where CEOs and senior executives can work on the conditions that affect business across the state. In this Making Names conversation with Aidan Evans, the council's president and CEO distinguishes that role from an industry association's work. Individual companies and sectors have their own priorities. The TBLC looks for issues that cut across them: education and workforce, water supply, immigration and trade. Its purpose is not to represent one industry's immediate request, but to help Texas remain competitive over the long term.

Focus makes executive time useful

Yancy is deliberate about what the council takes on. He prefers durable issues over a long list of topics that may appear for a single legislative session. Members already have demanding jobs, so meetings, committees and task forces need to make good use of the time they can give. Convening also has value beyond policy. Executives get a chance to compare experiences with peers they might otherwise rarely see. Yancy recognizes the same benefit in his own relationships with leaders of similar organizations in other states: shared problems become easier to navigate when there is someone to call.

Trade and immigration through a workforce lens

Yancy explains that the council's federal-policy engagement grew out of concerns about North American trade. He describes the value of nearby trading partners through supply-chain resilience and the ability to produce essential goods closer to home. Immigration enters the discussion as a workforce issue. He argues for secure borders while also supporting pathways for people who want to work and contribute. These are his policy positions, not a claim that every business has identical needs. The common thread is a question about the people and resources required to sustain a competitive economy.

Competitiveness is something to maintain

Looking back at Texas's economic development, Yancy discusses the expansion beyond agriculture and energy into technology and other industries. He connects that diversification with universities, entrepreneurship and a business-friendly policy environment. Yet he cautions against treating a strong reputation as permanent. Other states and countries keep improving, and Texas must respond. Water, education and workforce are not problems a successful state gets to stop considering. In his account, maintaining momentum requires adaptation rather than assuming yesterday's advantages will continue to deliver tomorrow's results.

The strength behind the policy work

Yancy also reflects on his earlier government work and the importance of respectful relationships across political differences. He worries about a climate in which people view the other party as an enemy rather than as people with different ideas. That concern sits alongside his explanation of the council's credibility. When he appears at a hearing or meets with lawmakers, he sees the membership behind him as the source of its strength. He describes members who want to improve the state for their families, communities and future generations. The work depends on those people choosing to contribute their time, not on one individual speaking alone.