First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson Showcase Texas At British Parliament
First Lady Cecilia Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson yesterday attended the Prime Minister's Questions at the United Kingdom House of Parliament and met with bp p.l.c (BP) executives in London. Joined by Texas Economic Development and Tourism Executive Director Adriana Cruz and Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors Vice Chairman Arun Agarwal, this is the second day of the London portion of the economic development mission led by the First Lady and Secretary Nelson.
After attending the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Parliament, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, and Vice Chairman Agarwal then joined several members of Parliament for a lunch hosted by the British American Parliamentary Group. The interparliamentary group is for members of both houses of Parliament to promote closer relations and understanding with the United States and its leading political figures. Following the lunch, the three members of the Texas delegation received a tour of Westminster Hall by the Rt. Honorable Sir Greg Knight MP and the Rt. Honorable Esther McVey MP.
Later, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, and Vice Chairman Agarwal met with executives from BP to discuss the unique parallels between Texas and the United Kingdom's robust energy industries and collaboration in developing the next generation of renewable energy. The First Lady presented BP with a proclamation and Texas flag flown over the State Capitol in Austin in recognition of the company's dedication to the growth and development of the Texas economy. With over 4,000 full-time employees and contractors, Houston, Texas is home to BP's largest employee base in the world and serves as the company's United States headquarters.
The trip is sponsored and paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for marketing and promoting Texas as a premier business location. Along with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, these two organizations make up the cornerstone of Governor Abbott’s economic development agenda to build the Texas of tomorrow.