A Letter From DRC Chairman Best and President Oberwetter

Posted in Chamber Communications, President's Office by dallasregionalchamber on January 7, 2010

Dear Chamber Members and Strategic Partners:

A year ago we reported that the Chamber’s 100th year was going to be a very special one, both challenging and productive – and it was. From a well received centennial celebration to important successes in matters of public policy and economic development, your Chamber helped set the stage for future growth.

We don’t need to self promote, however, here are just a few accolades others have thrown our way:

Forbes named Dallas a “genuine emerging world city”and “a place of rising corporate power”
The Milken Institute placed us in the top 20 best performing cities
In September, Forbes ranked Dallas number one on the list of “best U.S. cities in which to earn a living”

These comments were made because of the people and institutions of North Texas, both public and private, who have given great thought on how we shape this place we call home. By planning for a better tomorrow, and then implementing those plans, our region’s growth has been secured – enough water for future growth, an airport to connect us globally, public policies that make doing business in the region profitable, which in turn creates a great quality of life for all citizens.

In 2009, we worked diligently on the approval of the Convention Center Hotel and assisted in launching an aggressive CEO to CEO headquarter recruitment campaign known as Bold Moves. We also succeeded with a large portion of our Texas Legislative plan most notably the Tier One Research University measures. We benchmarked the DFW area in the Chamber’s Global DFW study and found ways to improve our position in the world of global trade. We celebrated some remarkable successes but much more remains to be accomplished. It is worth noting that unless we find the methods to meet the challenges of our transportation and mobility issues, we may put at risk the ease of doing business in this region. We will also face continuing challenges with respect to improving education at all levels. In 2009, we began to address the many Federal issues which have emerged from Washington, D.C. This will continue to be a growing area of action for the Chamber in 2010.

Internally, the Chamber entered the age of social media by blogging and tweeting. We’ve also created our own YouTube channel and are staying connected through LinkedIn. New communication tools allow us to improve communication with our members in a timely fashion. In addition, we launched initial steps which will lead to a new Strategic Plan, to be completed during the calendar year of 2010, to set new directions for your Chamber in the years ahead.

We want to thank you, our members, our allies and our strategic partners, for your support of our many activities. We look forward to working with you, always moving Dallas and our entire region forward as 2010 unfolds.

Sincerely,