NBC’s Garrett Haake to Keynote Sept. 18 FOI Foundation of Texas Conference, IRE’s Diana Fuentes to be Honored Posthumously

posted on 8.03.2026

Garrett Haake, NBC News chief White House correspondent, will keynote the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas (FOIFT) state conference on Sept. 18.

The annual event emphasizes the importance of government transparency and First Amendment rights. 
and will take place at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Haake has Texas ties and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. 

In addition to covering the White House, he has served as NBC News’ senior Capitol Hill correspondent on all the network’s platforms – broadcast, streaming and digital – and has covered multiple presidential elections.

Confirmed speakers in other conference sessions include Debbie Hiott, former general manager of KUT; Corrie MacLaggan of KUT News and The Texas Newsroom; Josh Hinkle of KXAN-TV; First Amendment and media law attorney Laura Prather of TAB Associate member law firm Haynes Boone; Arabella DiChristina of The University Star at Texas State University; Zahira Torres of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune; Sandra Sanchez and Perla Trevizo, both of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune; Brian Klosterboer of the ACLU of Texas; Ruth Soucy of the Texas Comptroller’s Office; and open government attorneys Missy Minter and Bill Aleshire. 

See the conference sessions, as well as hotel and registration information at https://foift.org/activities-programs/events/.

James Madison and Spirit of FOI Awards

FOIFT will honor the late Diana “DeeDee” Fuentes posthumously at the conference with its James Madison Award.

The award recognizes those who demonstrate their commitment to government transparency and First Amendment rights. 

Fuentes was a veteran Texas journalist and news industry leader who ardently advocated for media rights and Open Government.

She led investigative technique sessions at the two most recent TAB Southwest Broadcast Newsroom Workshops with Josh Hinkle of KXAN-TV, Shaley Kidwell, KCBD-TV, and Aparna Zalani of CBS News.

A longtime member of the FOIFT board, she was executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors Inc. (IRE) when she passed away unexpectedly in March.

Fuentes served as FOIFT board president from 2014-16 and in other officer and executive committee roles.

In addition to honoring Fuentes, FOIFT will present its Spirit of FOI Awards to outstanding news organizations during the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon. 

FOIFT was founded in 1978 and is known nationally for its work on freedom of information issues for all Texans.

Questions? Contact TAB’s Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944. 
 

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