Letter from the President The theme of this annual report is Challenges Met, Obstacles Overcome. The staff of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership met and unanimously determined that this theme perfectly represents BAHEP’s experience this year. Personally, I have found that meeting problems directly and successfully dealing with them has provided new understandings and an increased confidence in facing the inevitable next obstacle. As we all know and have experienced, even challenges with less than ideal outcomes provide valuable insights that become invaluable tools in our dealing-with-life toolbox. BAHEP’s successes since its founding in 1976 can be attributable to the many outstanding staff members who have made this organization strong, trustworthy, dependable, and the “go to” place to get things done. I have said many, many times, however, that our partnerships with business, industry, academia, and our elected officials have really been the cornerstone of BAHEP’s success and the prosperity of the entire region. We couldn’t do what we do without you. This is evident as you read through the pages of the annual report. BAHEP had amazing project wins in 2021. Through our partnerships with the Houston Airport System, the City of Houston, and San Jacinto College, the Houston Spaceport is on track to become one of the best locations in the world for aviation/aerospace research and development, manufacturing, testing operations, technician training, and more. The 87th Texas Legislature created the Gulf Coast Protection District which is authorized to receive and issue funds for the Texas Coastal Study (coastal barrier). We’ve been working towards this goal since Hurricane Ike struck in 2008. The 87th Legislature also increased the SATOP budget for the 2022–2023 biennium. The funding increase allows SATOP to provide technical assistance to small businesses through the Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and the university’s Capstone Design Program. There student teams, led by a professor of practice, provide technical solutions and design assistance to small businesses, especially startups. Although we’ve been working on the above initiatives for a long time, 2021 has been the year when we have seen many of our efforts result in very positive outcomes. Great strides have definitely been made, but the work of economic development is never static. As I enter into my final year as BAHEP president, rest assured that we at BAHEP will follow the course set forth by the newly-developed 2022-2024 Strategic Plan, meeting challenges and overcoming obstacles one day at a time for this incredible region that we call home.
President Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership 6
