Join Michael Regan & Julian Castro for a Groundbreaking Conversation on Leadership, Policy, and the Future of America
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear from two of today’s most influential voices in politics and environmental policy—Michael Regan, 16th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Julian Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Mayor of San Antonio, and CEO of the Latino Community Foundation.
In this engaging and thought-provoking discussion, Regan and Castro will delve into the critical issues facing our nation—from climate change and environmental justice to urban development, housing equity, and immigration reform. Both Regan and Castro bring unique perspectives from their decades of public service, offering insights on how we can create a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for all Americans.
Whether you’re interested in climate policy, the evolving political landscape, or leadership in times of change, this conversation will leave you inspired and informed. Don't miss this dynamic exchange of ideas between two of America’s most forward-thinking leaders.
Book Michael Regan and Julian Castro for your next event and bring this timely and impactful conversation to your audience.
Politician, author, and analyst Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation. From education to technology to safe and affordable housing, Castro has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative partnerships, programs, and achievements in the public sector.
His memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream, is a candid account of race and poverty in America. His views on equality, housing, and the future of America have been sought by America Votes, The National Association of Colleges and Employers, New York University, and more. In sharing lessons learned from the struggles and successes of his political journey, Castro gives audiences insight into how any group can make a significant change when it comes to America's most pressing issues.
As the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Michael S. Regan has broad expertise in Environmental Policy. While head of the EPA, Regan played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. environmental policies, including addressing pressing issues such as climate change, air and water quality, toxic chemical regulations, and environmental justice.
As EPA Administrator, Regan was the Chief Executive Officer of a federal regulatory agency with more than 16 thousand employees and an annual operating budget north of 10 billion dollars. With an additional historic funding boost from the United States Congress beyond the annual budget, Regan designed and led an investment strategy of more than 100 billion dollars in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities, while providing the private sector with regulatory certainty to ensure job growth, global economic competitiveness, and investor confidence.
Throughout his career, Regan has been guided by a belief in forming consensus, fostering an open dialogue rooted in respect for science and the law, and an understanding that environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand in hand. In his live engagements, Regan explains how these systems work together, often in surprising ways.
Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. At HUD, Castro managed 8,000 employees and a budget of more than $46 billion, and he led progress at the Department that earned it recognition as one of the most improved federal agencies. Castro also co-chaired the United States delegation to the United Nations Habitat III conference, spearheaded efforts to reduce homelessness, and created Connect Home, a public-private partnership to deliver broadband to public housing residents.
Previously, as mayor of America’s seventh largest city, Castro brought a strong focus to expanding educational achievement and making San Antonio a leader in the 21st century global economy. Under Castro’s leadership, San Antonio implemented Pre-K4SA, a high quality early childhood learning initiative that has earned praise as one of America’s strongest public pre-kindergarten programs. During his tenure, San Antonio ranked first on the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities List, received an A+ grade for doing business by Forbes, and was the only Top 10 city at the time to achieve a Triple A bond rating with each of the three major ratings agencies.
A native Texan, Castro began his public service career in 2001, becoming, at the age of 26, San Antonio’s youngest city councilman in history at the time. Castro made history again in 2012, when he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, the first Latino to do so.
Following his service in the Obama administration, Castro served as the Dean’s Distinguished Fellow and Fellow of the Davila Chair in International Trade Policy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream was published by Little Brown in 2018.
Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation.
Castro received a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Erica, have a daughter, Carina, and a son, Cristián. Castro’s twin brother, Joaquin, represents the 20th Congressional District of Texas.
Michael S. Regan was nominated by the 46th President of the United States, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 10, 2021, and sworn in as the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on March 11, 2021.
The son of public servants - his mother, a nurse for nearly 30 years, and his father, a retired Colonel with the North Carolina National Guard, Vietnam veteran, and former agricultural extension agent - Regan went on to follow in his parents' footsteps to pursue a career in public service.
Regan has been recognized by leading domestic and global organizations / governments for his outstanding contributions to environmental protection, while spurring economic growth across numerous industry sectors. His commitment to excellence has been acknowledged through several awards including Time Magazine TIME100 Next, Time Magazine TIME100 Health, the HBCU Honors Distinguished Public Service Award, Boys and Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame, Keystone Policy Center Leadership Award, and the NNPA National Legacy Award.
Regan has traveled across the country and around the world meeting face-to-face with communities hardest hit by environmental pollution and threats to public health. In his first year as Administrator, Regan established EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, the first national program office in the agency’s history dedicated to solving environmental challenges in economically distressed and frontline communities.
As EPA Administrator, Regan was the Chief Executive Officer of a federal regulatory agency with more than 16 thousand employees and an annual operating budget north of 10 billion dollars. With an additional historic funding boost from the United States Congress beyond the annual budget, Regan designed and led an investment strategy of more than 100 billion dollars in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities, while providing the private sector with regulatory certainty to ensure job growth, global economic competitiveness, and investor confidence.
Prior to his nomination as EPA Administrator, Regan served as the 17th Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ).
As Secretary, he spearheaded the development and implementation of North Carolina's seminal plan to address climate change and transition the state to a clean energy economy. Under Regan’s leadership, he secured the largest coal ash clean-up-legal settlement in United States history. He led complex negotiations regarding the clean-up of the Cape Fear River, a body of water contaminated for decades by the toxic chemicals per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In addition, Regan established North Carolina's first-of-its-kind Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board to better align social inequities, environmental protection, and community empowerment.
Prior to NCDEQ, Regan served as the Associate Vice President of U.S. Climate and Energy and Southeast Regional Director at the Environmental Defense Fund. He successfully managed complex negotiations with energy companies, corporate business leaders, environmental and industry associations and elected officials across the nation.
Regan is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, making him the first EPA Administrator to have graduated from a Historically Black University. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from The George Washington University and received an honorary doctorate from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in 2021.
He and his wife Melvina are proud parents of their son Matthew and dog Zeus.
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