FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pete Winstead is 2008 recipient of Envision Central Texas W. Neal Kocurek Legacy Award Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2008

(AUSTIN) - Envision Central Texas (ECT) today announced that respected civic leader Pete Winstead, a founding shareholder of Winstead, PC, will be the recipient of the W. Neal Kocurek Legacy Award at their 2008 Community Stewardship Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Austin. According to Envision Central Texas Chairman Jim Walker, "Pete Winstead has worked tirelessly on numerous development, civic and charitable initiatives that have touched every corner of the Central Texas Region. He has an engaging and selfless leadership style that exemplifies the spirit of this award."

This event will be the third time the ECT Community Stewardship Awards will be presented to recognize and honor visionary people, projects and processes that are helping to ensure the region's livability in the future. In addition to the W. Neal Kocurek Legacy Award, Envision Central Texas will announce the recipients of awards in five other categories: New Development, Redevelopment, Pioneer, Public Planning and Policy and Raising Public Awareness.

Envision Central Texas created the W. Neal Kocurek Legacy Award to honor Dr. Kocurek, the founding chairman of Envision Central Texas, and to recognize and celebrate the qualities of civic leadership that he admired most. The award seeks to make Central Texans aware of the thoughtful, selfless, and visionary acts of their citizenry and to encourage the community to do those things that will make a difference in the long term quality of life of our region rather than those things that are expedient. The first Kocurek Award was presented to Patricia Hayes in 2006; Pete Winstead's award will be the second.

Pete Winstead has displayed visionary leadership in the arenas of regional mobility and social equity. Winstead was the first chair of the Texas Turnpike Authority and his tireless leadership has culminated in the new roadways that are allowing the region to function more effectively and efficiently. Pete's care for this region goes well beyond business and transportation. He truly loves Central Texas, and has worked to facilitate the opportunity for all Central Texans to enjoy this region's unique quality of life, preserve the Colorado River, provide a home for the performing arts, and make higher education accessible to all. He has fed these passions by serving as chairman of United Way Capital Area, vice president of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, and president of the Capital Area Boy Scouts of America. He has shared his wisdom by serving as chairman of the Greater-Austin San Antonio Corridor Council and the Austin Area Research Organization and on the boards of Envision Central Texas, the Colorado River Foundation, St. Edward's University, and the advisory boards of the Heritage Society of Austin, Meals on Wheels, and Hill Country Conservancy. He has received numerous awards including The Meals on Wheels Austin Community Keepsake Award in 2003, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce's Austinite of the Year in 2004, and the ABJ Lifetime Achievement Award and the Boy Scout's Community Champion Award in 2006. Pete is married to Tomi Winstead. The couple has five children and nine grandchildren.

Keynote Speaker for the 2008 ECT Community Stewardship Awards will be John Fregonese, principal of Fregonese Associates in Portland, OR, who has been a planner for 30 years and earned the rare reputation of being able both to create an energizing vision for communities and to develop concrete, workable solutions to urban problems. John was the lead consultant for the Envision Central Texas initiative as well as for Envision Utah, Chicago Metropolis 2020, Louisiana Speaks and SCAG in Southern California.

To attend the ECT luncheon, one can register online at www.envisioncentraltexas.org or download a registration form from the website ( www.envisioncentraltexas.org) to mail or fax to ECT. For more information, call Wendy Peeples at 512.916.6012.

About Envision Central Texas:

Central Texas will add more than a million people over the next 20 to 40 years. Envision Central Texas, a regional non-profit planning organization, was created in 2001 to lead and implement the two-year public development of a regional Vision to address this rapid growth. The ECT Community Stewardship Awards Program was created in 2006 recognize those entities that exemplify or promote one or more of the 7 elements of the ECT Vision in their work.

The Key Elements of the Regional Vision are:

· An effective transportation system that improves mobility throughout the region, increases choices of how we get around - including roads, rail, trails and bikeways - and is coordinated with land use planning.

· Protection of our environment and natural resources so we will have the open space, parks and trails that people cherish, preserve our ecologically sensitive land and ensure sustainable clean water and air for future generations.

· A diverse and thriving economy with a robust base of businesses throughout the region and quality job opportunities for our citizens.

· A variety of housing choices that are affordable for everyone in the region and offer a mix of styles, such as neighborhoods with pedestrian-friendly streets or housing within walking distance of transit and stores.

· Preservation of our region's unique character by protecting and enhancing our neighborhoods, towns, rural areas, historic sites and special sense of place.

· An understanding that social equity and racial harmony are core values that strengthen us and actions that foster respect, civility, and opportunities for all.

· A region-wide understanding that our fortunes are tied together requiring planning, participation and collaboration by stakeholders throughout our region to ensure a successful and livable Central Texas in the future.

Envision Central Texas, 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165, Austin, Texas 78704
Phone: 512.916.6037, Fax: 512: 916.6001
Email: dmiller@envisioncentraltexas.org
Website: www.envisioncentraltexas.org

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