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Community Betterment | Convention & Visitors Bureau | Economic Development

Economic Indicators | Membership Services & Outreach | Public Policy

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“If you want to succeed, you’d better look as if you mean business.”

Jeanne Holm, from Bits and Pieces on Leadership, March 2011

HIGHER ED GROUP BEGINS WORK
The Mayor’s Higher Education Task Force met for their inaugural meeting last Tuesday in Honors Hall. Twenty-three of the twenty-five appointed members of the task force were in attendance to hear a presentation by Dr. Kathy Swanson, President and CEO of the CLARUS Corporation. Swanson reviewed over 200 slides from their higher education update performed late last year in Guadalupe and Comal Counties. Comal County United Way Director Terri Robinson serves as the Chair of the task force. The group divided into three focus teams including the adult market, employer market, and high school market. A fourth team will be organized at a later date to study facility needs. A twelve-week timeline was set on completion of the teams of the task force work. A report will be issued in late May.

TOURISM WORKS FOR TEXAS
Despite a 7 to 1 return on investment, a budget submitted to the Legislature by the Governor’s Office would cut the state’s tourism and marketing funds by over 80%. In 2009, 186 million visitors traveled to destinations across the state. Direct travel spending in Texas was $51.8 billion and supported 526,000 jobs. Over 60% of non-Texan leisure visitors come to the state in their automobiles and an estimated 7.3 million international travelers visited Texas.

JOB FAIRS THIS WEEK
The SCOOTER Store and the Golden Corral are planning job fairs this week. The SCOOTER Store will hold an onsite job fair at 1672 Independence Drive Wednesday from noon to 7:00 pm. Part-time and full-time seasonal employment opportunities will be available immediately. The job fair for Golden Corral will be today and tomorrow from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Workforce Solutions Alamo Career Center located at 183 IH-35 South. The Golden Corral is looking for 150 full-time and part-time jobs.

CITY SEEKING HELP ON DRAINAGE
The City of New Braunfels is accepting applications for a Watershed Advisory Committee. Help guide the City Council with drainage, capital improvements projects and priorities. The committee will be composed of nine members including an engineer, a developer, a landscape planner/architect or arborist, a business person, a biologist/environmentalist, an agricultural/watershed landowner, a citizen at large, and two citizens representing homeowners associations. Members will be appointed by the Mayor and City Council and will serve three-year rotating terms. The application is available at www.nbtexas.org or from the City Secretary’s Office. The deadline for receiving the completed application is March 16.

NOMINATE NEXT SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Nominations are now being accepted for the Chamber’s Small Business Person of the Year Award. This award is made in recognition of the outstanding contributions of small business people to the economy and overall progress of the New Braunfels trade area. Click here to download the form. Nominations will be accepted through March 18. The Chamber has recognized our small businesses and selected a Small Business Person of the Year since 1990. Small Business Week will be observed May 15 – 21. Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union is the Small Business Person of the Year reception sponsor. To find out more about Small Business Week visit www.nbcham.org/sbw .

COUNCIL CONVENES TONIGHT
The New Braunfels City Council will convene beginning at 6:00 pm this evening at 424 S. Castell Avenue. The meeting can also be viewed on Time Warner Cable Channel 21. Following two presentations, a twelve-item consent agenda will be considered that includes approval of recommendations of the New Braunfels Industrial Development Corporation (4B Board) regarding a downtown parking study, the FM 306 improvements project and funds for the Brauntex Performing Arts Theater. Five individual action items will be considered that include the imposition of water and wastewater impact fees and a resolution creating a Watershed Advisory Committee. Council will also convene in closed session on four items.

THE CHAMBER WORKS TO . . . TAKE POLITICAL ACTION
One of the Chamber’s four major divisions is Public Policy. The Public Policy Division includes the Government Affairs Committee, Natural Resources Committee and Transportation Committee. The Texas Legislative Conference will be celebrating its 45th event next month and now has the reputation as being the best in the State of Texas each year. The Chamber is your voice at local, state and federal government levels and provides access to state and national decision makers. Your Chamber is a member of the Texas Association of Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Your Chamber works to . . . take political action!

KEY STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION CEO’S ADDRESS CHAMBER COMMITTEE
CEOs of the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) and Texas Travel Industry Association (TTIA) addressed your Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee last Thursday morning in Honors Hall. Six of the Chamber’s legislative priorities in the 82nd State Legislative Session match priorities of the statewide organizations in economic development and tourism. TEDC President Carlton Schwab and TTIA President David Teel spoke about the current legislative session in Austin and potential impacts on our community. As the state struggles to provide a balanced budget for the next biennium, key organizations such as the TEDC and TTIA are helping to educate elected officials on the importance of job creation and tourism.

CVB SNAGS MAJOR CONVENTION
Your Chamber’s Convention and Visitors Bureau has snagged another key association to hold their annual conference in New Braunfels. The Texas Outdoor Writers Association recently convened in Port Aransas and chose New Braunfels for their annual conference in February of 2012. The conference will create over 400 room nights during the off season and will expose these key writers to local amenities for future articles. This action follows recent features of our community in statewide publications regarding rainbow trout fishing in the Guadalupe River from Canyon Dam to New Braunfels.

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The Week Ahead:
Monday:
2:30 pm – Golf Fest Meeting
6:00 pm – City Council
Tuesday:
4:30 pm – Ribbon Cutting at The Vineyard At Gruene
Wednesday:
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm - "Inside the Chamber" Radio Show
4:30 pm – LNB Alumni Fundraising Committee
4:30 pm – Ribbon Cutting at the Longhorn Cafe
Thursday:
11:00 am – TCE
11:30 am – Ribbon Cutting at First Call Restoration (Honors Hall)
4:00 pm – YLNB Steering Committee
Saturday:
8:00 – 9:00 am – KGNB 1420 AM “Comment Show”
Texas Legislative Conference
Sunday:
9:00 – 10:00 am – KNBT 92.1 FM “Comment Show”
Texas Legislative Conference

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