MEMBERS IN MOTION

• Most residents across all regions trust the responsible facility or industry’s responsibility to manage industrial incidents.

• Residents in regions with a lower industry sentiment (East End, South Houston) were more likely to trust government authorities (Harris County, Federal or State Government).

• Flooding, roads/infrastructure and taxes were top issues across most all regions.

Mutual communication is critical to any relationship, and industry’s relationship with surrounding communities is no exception. This is why EHCMA includes communication in its mission statement and the EHCMA Communications Committee recently set out to survey neighbors in Deer Park, LaPorte, North Channel, Bay Area, Baytown, Pasadena, South Houston and East End Houston.

“The first part of communicating is listening,” said Aaron Stryk, ExxonMobil Baytown Area Manager of Public and Government Affairs and EHCMA Communications Committee Chair. “Surveys are an essential way to listen and learn about what our stakeholders think about our industry. Only once we understand this can we strengthen relationships that reinforce a safe, well-informed community.”

A third-party organization was hired to assess insights via telephone interviews and text questionnaires. The Communications Committee ensured demographics were as representative as possible of the region and questions covered insights pertaining to safety, environmental responsibility and the value of industry. Findings included:

• The economic value industry provides to the local community is widely acknowledged across all regions - a core component of EHCMA’s promise.

• Roughly 75% of Deer Park and Pasadena residents have a favorable opinion of industry, while the East End, North Channel and South Houston favored industry the least (although the majority of residents in North Channel and South Houston still have a favorable view overall).

• Across all regions, facility operators can gain resident trust by operating with a high degree of ethics and minimizing environmental impact.

• Clean energy initiatives are exceptionally important to South Houston and LaPorte residents.

• While most residents support the role of industry in essential products they use every day, exploring alternatives is a popular idea across all regions.

• There are opportunities to improve favorability with younger, female residents (especially in East End, North Channel and South Houston).

The EHCMA Communications Team has hosted two webinars on survey methodology and results and is considering offering more in 2023. Some recommendations from survey input, like championing events that enable area operators to demonstrate and illustrate impact on the local community, are already under way. In addition, improved communications is foundational for 2023, with Communications Strategy being one of three “Big Rocks,” or critical priorities.

“If you do it right, communication is a continuous activity. It must be mutual to be effective,” said MaryJane Mudd, EHCMA Executive Director. “Our survey has been a great way to develop a baseline of information from which we can determine what our neighbors care about. We have also been able to offer value to our members with the results, which is important to us.”

More information will be forthcoming throughout the year.

Shell Deer Park Chemicals

Violence Crisis Center

donation supports expansion of domestic and sexual

From a three-year-old girl traumatized by seeing things at home that would shock an adult to teens in despair and considering suicide because of trauma from domestic abuse violence, The Bridge Over Troubled Waters Inc. (The Bridge) shelter is experiencing an increasing number of children and teens in need of their services, including counseling and education programs prevention and education programs.

To help more young people break the cycles of domestic and sexual violence and rebuild their lives, The Bridge launched a $7.3 million capital campaign to build The Bridge for Kids, a new facility focused on children from birth to 18 years of age. Shell Deer Park Chemicals, a long-time sponsor and community partner with The Bridge, donated $500,000 to the campaign to build a gymnasium for the children to play and exercise with safety and security.

“Children in crisis situations need specialized care and a stable environment to thrive. They also need advocates – people who will assess their needs and ensure they get what they need to achieve a healthy, successful future,” said TBOTW Executive Director Olivia Rivers. “Thanks to the generosity of Shell and others, we will be able to strengthen our capabilities to help more people overcome crises in their lives.”

“The Bridge is the sixth-largest domestic and sexual violence crisis center in Texas and has been on a mission for 45 years to provide a safe place for people in the city of Pasadena and the Greater Houston area,” said Shell Deer Park General Manager Nathan Levin. “Shell believes in Powering Lives not just with our products and services but by supporting an inclusive community and offering a helping hand to those in need.”