Adam RollinsTexas 2036, a nonpartisan public policy think tank dedicated to providing solutions to accommodate Texas’ growth, has chosen former Rice University President David Leebron as its president and CEO. Leebron will succeed former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, who held the role since 2019.
Leebron retired as president of Rice University, where he currently serves as a professor, in 2022 after 18 years of service. He will finish the spring semester before joining Texas 2036. Before accepting his role as president, Leebron was dean of Columbia Law School. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1979 and began teaching at UCLA School of Law in 1980 and at the NYU School of Law in 1983.
As president of Rice University, Leebron oversaw a period of growth and transformation, culminating with over $1.8 billion in construction and capital improvements. During his tenure, he extended the university’s research efforts and presence, enhancing the university’s local, national and international profile.
“Our state is growing rapidly, and that growth brings long-term challenges that require us to develop smart solutions,” Texas 2036 Founder Tom Luce said. “David has a proven track record of thinking long term, identifying the big challenges and planning for success, which is exactly what Texas 2036 – and Texas – needs at this point in our state’s history.”
