Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
2025-2029 Strategic Plan
Approved: April 9, 2024
Executive Summary
BAHEP’s Strategic Plan – 2025-2029 was developed by the 49-person Strategic Planning Steering Committee, chaired by Tim Kropp. The Strategic Plan builds on previous successes and optimizes future opportunities. The planning process involved BAHEP’s committees, staff, and numerous external partners and officials, totaling approximate. 150 people.
Throughout the survey and interviewing process, four themes emerged:
1. BAHEP is an essential senior management networking forum that is regional, crossindustry, and solutions-oriented.
2. BAHEP is able to build the necessary partnerships that result in business recruitment, expansion, retention and creation.
3. BAHEP is a trusted partner where issues that affect the entire region and beyond can be addressed.
4. BAHEP has advocacy expertise that supports both members’ interests and broader community interests.
The Strategic Plan specifies BAHEP’s strategic priorities and actions as BAHEP continues to lead regional economic development initiatives, to advocate for regional interests, to serve as a trusted partner, and to expand to support state-wide economic development services.
BAHEP’s strategic plan represents a systematic, flexible, and continuous process that both defines and affirms its mission. The Plan charts a course for BAHEP’s future that supports the current business environment, considers the growth and direction of the business environment, builds organizational and member commitment, and allows for the flexibility to address strategic challenges that may lie ahead. Importantly, the Plan establishes clear strategic directions for BAHEP’s continued viability and impact.
BAHEP will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2026. This Plan carries BAHEP forward into its next half century of success.
To Be Recognized as Texas’ Premier Economic Development Organization Mission
To lead regional economic development –uniting business, academia, government, nonprofits and partners to create viable opportunities and enhance quality of life.
Core Values
Growth Collaboration Resilience Advocacy Integrity Trust
The BAHEP Value Proposition
Organizational Purposes
To lead Bay Area Houston’s economic prosperity and growth.
To be the region’s trusted, responsive, effective advocate.
BAHEP’s Value Propositions
BAHEP grows and protects the regional economy.
Members benefit from BAHEP’s advocacy, economic development activity, and member support services.
BAHEP leads and supports local, state, and national initiatives that result in regional prosperity.
BAHEP’s Commitment to the Region and to the State of Texas
BAHEP commits to:
Modeling and Developing Trust: BAHEP builds trust across all its constituencies.
Clarifying the Vision: BAHEP consistently and continuously communicates and clarifies a clear and compelling vision of the region’s future.
Enhancing Capacity: BAHEP is committed to enhancing regional capacity across industries and business through advocacy and partnerships.
Bridging Business, Governmental, Nonprofit, and Academic Interests: BAHEP’s commitment to a superb quality of life and thriving business environment is based on a clear vision of the future and mutual collaboration.
Promoting a Strong Educational Community Leading to a Strong Workforce: BAHEP advocates for the entire educational ecosystem to meet the challenges of the future.
Thinking Strategically; Acting Effectively: BAHEP employs systems thinking to understand how regional systems are linked to one another and to assist all and harm none.
Personalizing Relationships with Members and Partners: BAHEP builds trust the old-fashioned way - through strong personal relationships with its members and partners across the nation
Proactive Staff: BAHEP’s team is capable, knowledgeable, helpful, and available.
Advocating Effectively: BAHEP leverages the legislative and executive governmental processes to optimize support for regional and state-wide priorities.
Collaborating: BAHEP collaborates rather than delegates and views partnerships as the most effective way to succeed.
Operating with Integrity: BAHEP is dedicated to optimizing its resources and its opportunities as well as managing its operations with the integrity.
The BAHEP Framework for Regional Prosperity
1. Regional Economic and Quality-of-Life Ecosystem: Bring the region’s leaders together to address the issues and direction for everyone’s benefit.
2. Investment in the Economy’s Future: Promote capital and infrastructure investment to diversify and strengthen Bay Area Houston’s economy and foster prosperity.
3. Investment in People’s Futures: Prepare and retain a quality workforce. Build, support, and retain a talent base of “doers, thinkers and makers.”
4. A Place to Call Home: Ensure that Bay Area Houston residents and organizations can flourish through business-friendly governmental policies, effective local governance, responsive services, and the amenities that every citizen expects.
5. Thrive-ability: Advocate for legislation and governmental practices that promote growth for Bay Area Houston’s industries and business and for the well-being of our citizens.
6. Intentional Placemaking: Preserve and celebrate Bay Area Houston as a preeminent destination to work, play, thrive, explore, and gather safely.
7. Effective Operations: Adopt an economic development organizational structure that effectively supports the implementation of this strategic plan.
Strategic Clarity: An Introduction to the Strategic Plan: 2025-2029
Strategic clarity refers to BAHEP’s ability to anticipate what’s next and to act in the best interests of its members and the region it serves. That clarity is especially important in a hyper-dynamic environment. The acronym VUCA is used to describe the current business environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Add to those terms, non-linear, shifting, and polarized.
BAHEP’s “North Star” is to promote and cultivate growth Bay Area Houston and to support BAHEP’s members. By acting on these intertwined commitments, Bay Area Houston’s quality of life will be enriched.
BAHEP’s strategic clarity is derived from its commitment to its members and to partnerships across business, government, and academia as represented by the acronym (TRIAD-C)2: Trust and Timing
Resilience and Responsiveness
Insight and Intelligence
Adaptability and Anticipation
Direction and Determination
Culture and Collaboration
In a competitive, uncertain environment, responsible growth transcends planning; it requires both sensitivity to members’ needs, trust, and measured boldness to address the many issues that arise. Such integrity, rooted in an understanding of the region BAHEP serves, guides decision-making, and solidifies BAHEP as one of Texas’ leaders in economic development.
The clarity of BAHEP’s Strategic Plan represents a combination of its mission and vision, its unique role in the region and state, its value propositions, and the recognition that economic development sands are shifting continually. Therefore, members and partners can expect BAHEP to align its decisions with its core identity and to commit resources to sustain its momentum.
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Strategic Plan – 2025 - 2029
Goal 1.0 Promote and Grow the Region’s Diversified Economy
Strategy 1.1 Stimulate job growth and reduce unemployment by attracting new businesses, supporting the retention and expansion of existing ones, and promoting the business environment, with special attention to member organizations.
Objective 1.1.1 Support the eleven employment clusters that comprise Bay Area Houston: Aerospace, Space, and Aviation; Education and Professional/Workforce Development; Government (Local, State, and Federal); Healthcare and Related Fields; Infrastructure and Transportation; Maritime and Logistics; Professional Services; Small Business; Specialty Chemicals, Petrochemical and Energy; Military, Safety and Security Services; and Tourism, Recreation, and Hospitality.
Objective 1.1.2 Foster the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Objective 1.1.3 Encourage entrepreneurialism, including through partnerships with other organizations and agencies.
Objective 1.1.4 Encourage infrastructure development, including through partnerships with other organizations and agencies.
Strategy 1.2 Promote Bay Area Houston and its members to potential businesses, investors, and residents, creating a positive image, highlighting strengths, and showcasing opportunities.
Strategy 1.3 Build and present the business case for investment in the future of the Bay Area.
Strategy 1.4 Lead and/or coordinate partnerships that enhance regional economic development.
Strategy 1.5 Assess the regional impacts of demographics, economic environment, cluster development, technological innovations, risk mitigation, and industry relevance (national and global).
Strategy 1.6 Align BAHEP committees to support regional business and community interests, advocacy, and partnerships, and networking.
Goal 2.0 Create Value for the Membership
Strategy 2.1 Recruit and retain members from all business sectors
Objective 2.1.1 Engage members through responsive programming and relevant services.
Objective 2.1.2 Develop and implement a membership growth plan based on new and existing industry employment clusters.
Objective 2.1.3 Offer a menu of relevant, responsive programs and events.
Objective 2.1.4 Offer regional roundtables to address issues of importance.
Strategy 2.1 Provide members with timely, relevant business data and intelligence, as requested or necessary.
Objective 2.1.1 Provide online, presentation, and published data regarding the region’s business activities.
Objective 2.1.2 Disseminate the “BAHEP Briefing Book,” a compendium of issues and trends to assist member awareness of topics of importance.
Objective 2.1.3 Maintain templates and regional economic data to facilitate responses for proposals.
Objective 2.1.4 Identify cohort regions that can assist in benchmarking and identification of best practices.
Objective 2.1.5 Make available regional demographic, real estate, and other business indicators.
Strategy 2.2 Strengthen member engagement through committees and support services.
Objective 2.2.1 Align each committee’s goals and activities with BAHEP’s overall mission and priorities.
Objective 2.2.2 Staff all governmental partnership activities.
Objective 2.2.3 Staff all event-oriented committees.
Objective 2.2.4 Provide on-boarding programs for new members.
Objective 2.2.5 Provide orientation materials for incoming board and executive committee members.
Objective 2.2.6 Conduct membership-relationship matrix audit to engage/reengage members.
Goal 3.0 Lead a Dynamic Regional Business Environment Through Partnerships
Strategy 3.1 Collaborate with regional agencies, municipalities, and stakeholders.
Objective 3.1.1 Collaborate with local, state and federal governmental agencies’ economic development organizations.
Objective 3.1.2 Engage with governmental agencies and regional non-profits to promote an exceptional quality of life and business environment.
Strategy 3.2 Coordinate an industry-based marketing strategy.
Objective 3.2.1 Market regional business opportunities at relevant trade and business shows.
Objective 3.2.2 Collaborate with site selection agencies and corporate leadership to promote the region.
Objective 3.2.3 Promote responsible commercial development opportunities in collaboration with regional leaders.
Objective 3.3.4 Participate on advisory committees and with regional business organizations.
Strategy 3.3 Ensure a skilled, adaptable workforce through collaboration with educational institutions and training programs to align skills with industry needs.
Objective 3.3.1 Identify and support the education and training pathways that align with the regional workforce needs.
Objective 3.3.2 Expand business-education collaboration across industries and school districts, colleges, and universities.
Strategy 3.4 Deepen partnerships across the region.
Objective 3.4.1 Exceed expectations of contract partners through definition and tracking of metrics.
Objective 3.4.2 Expand partnerships with regional chambers, governmental economic development offices, and economic development organizations.
Objective 3.4.3 Expand partnerships with professional organizations aligned with BAHEP member interests.
Goal 4.0 Advocate for Regional Prosperity and Quality of Life
Strategy 4.1 Advocate for policies, legislation, and executive agency actions that support responsible economic development.
Objective 4.1.1 Coordinate advocacy trips to Austin, Washington, D.C. or other destinations to advocate for regional interests.
Objective 4.1.2 Support initiatives that promote the regional business environment and quality of life.
Objective 4.1.3 Advocate for improved and enhanced regional infrastructure, such as transportation, utilities, and technology.
Objective 4.1.4 Distribute timely information to members about governmental actions that could affect them.
Objective 4.1.5 Distribute white papers, letters of support or concern, and other documentation as it affects the region to the appropriate offices.
Strategy 4.2 Support legislation and advocate for governmental practices that advance long-term economic viability and that attract businesses and residents, with emphasis on the region’s primary employment clusters and members’ interests.
Objective 4.2.1 Respond to regional industry requests to enhance or protect regional jobs, capital investment, and corporate viability.
Objective 4.2.2 Respond to regional member requests to support funding and to advocate for/against regulatory legislation that would impact their organizations.
Objective 4.2.3 Communicate effectively on behalf of members about the important issues affecting them and the region.
Strategy 4.3 Advocate for regional prosperity, resilience, and an exceptional quality of life.
Objective 4.3.1 Support regional infrastructure projects for the coastal barrier, transportation, utilities, and public safety for those projects whose benefits exceed their costs.
Objective 4.3.2 Support legislation that enhances a strong business environment, governmental services, education, and the region’s quality of life.
Objective 4.3.3 Support initiatives that strengthen the regions’ safety, security, and military services.
Objective 4.3.4 Strengthen collaboration and communication with and among elected officials at the local, state and federal levels
Objective 4.3.5 Partner with government agencies, universities/schools and businesses to support regional initiatives that benefit the economy.
Objective 4.3.6 Refine process to create and disseminate BAHEP’s legislative priorities.
Strategy 4.4 Identify and address local, state and federal issues of regional significance.
Objective 4.4.1 Update annually the political advocacy agenda and messaging in coordination with regional partners while remaining non-partisan.
Objective 4.4.2 Monitor progress of key state and federal legislation affecting members.
Objective 4.4.3 Assist municipalities with economic development
Goal 5.0 Operate with Integrity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness
Strategy 5.1 Assure operational integrity.
Objective 5.1.1 Maintain fiscal solvency, transparency, and accountability.
Objective 5.1.2 Sustain effective, responsive communications with all constituencies.
Objective 5.1.3 Report key organizational metrics and economic development indicators to relevant constituencies.
Objective 5.1.4 Refine the ‘dashboard’ or similar method for reporting key indicators.
Objective 5.1.5 Conduct timely audits.
Strategy 5.2 Expand BAHEP’s technological footprint and capacity.
Objective 5.2.1 Increase social media presence and refresh website regularly.
Objective 5.2.2 Expand data management and data analysis capability .
Objective 5.2.3 Incorporate AI and other enhanced technologies to office functions, as appropriate.
Strategy 5.3 Prepare long-term operational plans and procedures.
Objective 5.3.1 Prepare multi-year operational strategies, including a growth and staffing, staff development, budget, risk assessment, technology, marketing, and facilities.
Objective 5.3.2 Maintain succession plan for the board of directors, committees, and staff to provide for BAHEP’s continuity.
Objective 5.3.3 Update BAHEP service region maps annually.
Objective 5.3.4 Maintain database of existing and anticipated partnerships.