By Debbie Lindsey-Opel
Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman

Debbie Lindsey-Opel

Let us re-cap what your Chamber of Commerce is and what we have accomplished for our community. We are an organization that is focused on encouraging the growth of our local economy and building relationships among businesses in Corpus Christi.

The Chamber is the catalyst to make it happen. The Chamber has been involved in every major project of growth in our city. Beginning with the creation of the Port of Corpus Christi to the John F. Kennedy Causeway, to the creation of the seawall to the more current issues of the bond election in November and the Packery Channel project reaffirmation in April. Over the last few months the Chamber has been working on a regional transportation plan for Corpus Christi that will promote funding for improving intermodal transportation. We are involved in the creation of a business incubator to help foster small business development. We work with our local hospitals and educational institutions on dealing with the national nursing shortage and to better prepare Corpus Christi for this challenge. We are in our schools encouraging our students to set goals for the future by promoting the Texas Scholars program and to consider the opportunities that exist with industry in the trades and vocational area. We are creating a one-stop guide on services to small businesses. We monitor local government and the legislature in Austin looking out for the interests of Corpus Christi businesses.

The first quarter of 2001 emphasized the importance of growing our membership base and planning the strategy for a successful membership drive (the Board brought in the most members during the drive). In February, we featured Henry Cisneros as our keynote speaker for a sold out audience of leaders at the Chamber’s annual banquet. We’ve helped to support other organizations in our community and worked hand in hand with other associations and chambers to see Corpus Christi prosper. The Chamber established a quarterly newsletter, our weekly TV show (every Monday at 7 p.m. on Channel 10 on Time Warner Cable) and our weekly e-newsletter to enhance communication. We will be calling you to see how we can better do the job of the Chamber of Commerce and make sure you are prospering.

But we can’t do this without you. If you have already sent your dues investment in, we thank you and look forward to working with you this year. If you haven’t, please do it today. Your investment in your Chamber of Commerce and community only begins when you send us your commitment. Then the Chamber can do its job to make Corpus Christi a better place for us all.