Elizabeth A. Jones, the Texas Railroad Commissioner was at the luncheon forum at the Turquoise center in Houston. The event started with a reception, where a short birthday celebration for Ms. Jones was also held. Commissioner Jones gave a short speech about the activities and roles of the Texas Railroad Commission in regulating the energy sector in the state of Texas at every level, from conception to production to termination. She also mentioned her achievements in the office in imposing stricter rules for more environmentally friendly oil drilling. In addition, Ms. Jones talked about the current plans of the commission in promoting exploration of alternative sources of energy, particularly exploration of Uranium, which is abundant in Texas, for the production of nuclear energy.

Jones started her speech by thanking those for inviting her to the forum and celebrating her birthday with her. She expressed her regrets for not having been able to attend the wonderful Turkic Fest held on the past weekend, but nevertheless praised the event for promoting cultural diversity and wished for its continuation for the years to come. Jones mentioned Turkey as an important trade partner for Texas, with annual export of over $1.5 billion, and expressed her excitement for encouraging trade partnership of Texas with Turkey.