L O N G V I E W
C H A M B E R
O F
C O M M E R C E
STR ATEGIC PL AN 2019 EDITION REDEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION
ADVOCACY
COLLABORATION
HEALTH
R.E.A.C.H. Redevelopment. Education. Advocacy. Collaboration. Health.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT To engage in and promote projects that have a positive economic impact on the Longview Trade Area. VISION STATEMENT To be recognized as an effective resource, providing relevant, innovative, and impactful programming that ensures a healthy business climate and an enhanced quality of life for Longview and Gregg County. OUR CORE IDEOLOGY AND VALUES
CORE IDEOLOGY We believe that together we can have a stronger voice and influence positive outcomes. We believe Longview is a great place to live and work. We believe that together we can develop leaders to shape Longview’s future. CORE VALUES Strengthen the local economy by researching and providing available resources to grow our local businesses. Promote the community by marketing Longview as a destination for new businesses, tourists, active older adults, and potential employees. Provide networking opportunities by organizing and hosting a myriad of seminars, events, etc. for our Chamber members. Represent the interests of business with government by building relationships with governmental agencies and effectively voicing the needs of area businesses. Build community-wide leadership by encouraging and developing a shared vision for the future of Longview and collectively influencing stakeholders to make it happen.
CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S LETTER.............................
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS...........................
5
OUR STRENGTHS & OPPORTUNITIES......
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Strengths Opportunities
OVERVIEW.............................................
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Our Big Questions
WHERE WE’RE GOING
............................ 9
Advocacy Business Attraction and Retention Improve Perceptions Enhance Value For Small Business and Entrepreneurs Member Services Skilled Workforce
PRIORITIES..........................................10 Advocacy / Legislative Affairs Redevelopment Education
SUMMARY Health Collaboration
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Chairman’s Letter
Leading Longview: R.E.A.C.H. As we usher in 2019 and the third year under the Chamber’s five-year strategic plan, R.E.A.C.H., our board, volunteers, and staff remain focused on the blueprint brought forth. We will pilot, asses, and recalibrate as needed to accomplish the major initiatives underway. Redevelopment. Education. Advocacy. Collaboration. Health. The Chamber’s Foundation Board continues to advance the priorities of our business community while working with key stakeholders. One focus areas is to aid in the transformation of underutilized areas of our community while remaining in alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. In 2018 the Foundation facilitated the opening of the East Texas Advanced Manufacturers Academy. Goals for 2019 include growing student population, securing grants and funding for additional equipment, and adding curriculum. Education initiatives will continue to strengthen as we address workforce development needs. We will continue to: ▸▸ Provide tools to help students plan for their future, ▸▸ Convene key stakeholders at the Partners In Education Conference, ▸▸ Promote the Texas Internship Challenge, ▸▸ Support TX 60 x 30 and Texas 2050, and ▸▸ Advance our Career Ready Plus campus certification program in partnership with Ware Elementary School. Representing the Voice of Business will continue to remain at the forefront of all our initiatives and areas of work. We will build on the unprecedented involvement and leadership of the advocacy team as we prepare for the East Texas Coalition Legislative Trip to Austin. Coffee Conversations at the Chamber will continue to focus on priority areas that impact YOUR bottom line: health care, tax reform, school financing, regulatory systems, and more! Building a culture of health will be no easy task! The Chamber is committed to serving as the catalytic leader by launching our collective impact work around health and wellbeing: HealthyVIEW. We revived our Association Health Plan for Small Businesses and launched HealthyVIEW of East Texas, encompassing 31 East Texas Counties. The R.E.A.C.H. strategic plan is our roadmap to the future. COLLABORATION is the key to success. Together we ARE stronger and together we WILL continue to trail blaze into the future. We believe by working together we can move Longview forward and realize a more vibrant community for the generations who follow us.
Chuck King, 2019 Chairman of the Board
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Kelly Hall, President/CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2019 Longview Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
Chuck King Chick-fil-A
Vice Chairman
Immediate Past Chairman
Chairman Elect
Richard Manley
R Manley Enterprises
Vice Chairman
Chair of Finance
Dana Parr
Kevin Hood
Advanta Insurance Partners
Texas Bank and Trust
Vice Chairman
Vice Chairman
Ron Hutchison Conterra Networks
Jim Green
David Hayes
Eastman Chemical Company, Texas Operations
Hayes RV Center
Wade Johnson
Jessica LaRue
Casey Robertson
Johnson & Pace Incorporated
Harbour, Smith, Harris & Merritt, P.C
Longview Regional Medical Center
Cheryl Jaskiewicz
Dr. Roger Johnson
Sam Neale
Rodney Overman
Mark Robinson
Pinnacle Senior Living
Texas Office Leasing
Napps Technology Corporation
Henry & Peters, P.C.
AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company
Appointed Directors
Todd Hancock
Kristen Ishihara
Natalie Lynch
Judge Bill Stoudt
Meredith Todd
CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System
Longview City Council, District 4
Longview Economic Development Corporation, Board Member
County of Gregg
R. Lacy Services, LTD
Chamber Staff Kelly R. Hall
Dave Jochum
William McWhorter
President/CEO
Director of Business and Development
Public Affairs & Relationship Specialist
Suzanne Brown
Leska Parker
Stephanie Raudales
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications
Director of Development
Special Projects and Event Coordinator
Misty Amaya
Information Services Coordinator
Bianca Adams
Education and Workforce Manager
LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS…
OUR STRENGTHS & OPPORTUNITIES The Longview area has several strengths to capitalize
#12 #6
upon and opportunities to pursue over the next few
COST OF DOING BUSINESS
years. Leveraging our strengths and preparing for these
Forbes Magazine (2016)
all who call Longview “home.”
MOST BOOMING CITY IN AREA GROWTH Forbes Magazine (2014)
TOP 50 BEST-
50
PERFORMING SMALL CITIES Milken Institute (2015)
TOP PLACES IN
40
TEXAS TO START A BUSINESS NerdWallet (2015)
#67
BEST CITIES FOR FAMILIES IN TEXAS WalletHub (2016)
#157
BEST SMALL PLACES FOR BUSINESS AND CAREERS IN THE COUNTRY US News & World Report (2016)
opportunities will create business growth and prosperity for
Strengths ▸▸ Listed by Forbes Magazine as 12th in the country for cost of doing business in their Best Small Places for Business and Careers ranking (2016) and the 6th most booming city in area growth since 2000 (2014); Milken Institute ranks Longview in the top 50 Best-Performing Small Cities (2015); NerdWallet ranks Longview in the top 40 communities in Texas to start a business (2015). 67th in WalletHub’s report on 2016’s Best Cities for Families in Texas, US News & World Report ranks LeTourneau University #27 in Regional Universities West and #157 Best Small Places for Business and Careers in the Country (2016). ▸▸ Diversified economy with comparable share of employment in education, health services, government, manufacturing, and retail. ▸▸ Wage increases have been accelerating over the last few years. ▸▸ The area’s economic base is diversified with manufacturing, professional services, oil & gas, construction, healthcare, education, and retail. ▸▸ Cost of living is on average 4% lower compared to the rest of the country. ▸▸ Proximity to Dallas, Houston, and Shreveport.
Opportunities ▸▸ Attract and retain skilled workers and degreed individuals in the area to meet the workforce needs of businesses.
Organizations looking at a variety economic factors noted the many favorable conditions that exist in Longview for businesses and families.
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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
▸▸ Job growth in construction, while relatively flat the last couple of years, should be primed for a resurgence, which creates an up-tick in new housing development and growth in the area.
R E A C H ▸▸ Leverage existing high-tech companies to create an incubator or offer technical skills training through partnerships and expertise from the local college and university. ▸▸ Growth in the area will expand the tax base which could create more government services for Longview area residents. ▸▸ Collaborations on redevelopment/revitalization initiatives to revamp the downtown district will bring new businesses to Longview and increased activity by residents.
OVERVIEW After analyzing Longview’s economic environment,
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES REDE VELOPMENT Work with other stakeholders in Longview and the City’s Comprehensive Plan to aid in the transformation of underutilized areas of our community.
EDUCATION Seek new and innovative ideas that improve access to basic and advanced educational opportunities with the cradle to career collective impact to help our citizens reach their potential and become skilled contributors to our highly educated workforce.
strengths and weaknesses, and the needs of the business community, we are proud to present our Strategic Plan for Leading Longview. R.E.A.C.H.
ADVOCACY
Longview needs to ensure the next wave of economic
Advocate for legislation that promotes business
progress. We recognize that our local economy will
and industry, economic development, job creation
need to rely on attracting new employers and enticing
and community quality of life at the local, state,
existing businesses to fuel growth. Businesses of
and federal levels of government.
all size will need to be bold and entrepreneurial to seize growth opportunities. The Longview Chamber is committed to being a driving force and reaching out
COLL ABOR ATION
to other partners in our region and state to develop
Seek to play an increasing role in bringing
an environment that cultivates business growth and
stakeholders to the table and continue to build a
increased economic opportunities.
network that fosters an environment where our
Leading Longview. R.E.A.C.H. The strategic plan for the Chamber was developed
agencies, government and employers work in concert to build a thriving community for future generations.
through the efforts of the Board of Directors as they embarked upon a new 5-year strategic plan. Over the past several years of planning, board members and staff
HE ALTH
(Organizational Health – Administration / Finance / Operations)
have asked themselves two “critical questions” that they
Through the power of the collective impact of
believe must be addressed in defining the roles and
our member businesses, HealthyVIEW aims to
responsibilities of the Chamber.
advocate for real, tangible solutions to create a culture of health for our community.
LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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Our Big Questions “Why does the Chamber exist?” “What is the Chamber’s role in shaping Longview’s future?” Other questions worth considering also included, “How can the Chamber’s leadership initiatives assist in achieving the community’s goals?” and “What is the Chamber’s role in attracting, supporting, and retaining young families in Longview (professional and skills-trade)?” Implementing this plan will require a long-term commitment, as building a strong entrepreneurial community will take time and patience. Success will not be easy to gauge or achieve. The plan is designed to provide a clear strategic direction for the organization. InterCity Visits are designed to generate and experience new ideas. They provide an opportunity to introduce local leaders to innovative programs and impactful projects that may be adapted and implemented in our community.
It is not meant to be static. Instead, it is made to be flexible, responding to lessons learned and emerging issues. Each year, the Chamber staff will develop a business plan with tactics to advance the strategies. There are also a number of strategic concerns that we, as a resource for community prosperity, must address to ensure accomplishment of our stated mission. These strategic concerns include: ▸▸ Developing Quality of Place (zero-in on actionable things). ▸▸ Promoting leaders that represent the community. ▸▸ Expanding leadership programs (nurture up-andcoming young leaders). ▸▸ Strengthening public/private partnerships. ▸▸ Diversifying membership – importance of diverse points of view. ▸▸ Determining the Chamber’s primary roles (nonduplicative, key areas). ▸▸ Effectively executing ongoing advocacy. ▸▸ Sharing best practices between members.
The Weekly R.E.A.C.H. Report logo was updated for 2019. The report is emailed out to keep members up-to-date on upcoming events and opportunities.
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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WHERE WE’RE GOING Leading Longview. R.E.A.C.H. is a five-year initiative to promote our assets, strengthen our existing businesses and business opportunities, and significantly improve the economic future for all who call the Longview area home.
Advocacy Represent the interests of the business community at the local, state, and federal levels by advocating for issues of importance to economic and business development.
The Chamber coordinates trips to both Austin, Texas and our nation’s capital to advocate for Longview businesses.
Business Attraction and Retention Continue to target to fill retail and commercial gaps. Work with existing businesses to ensure they continue to thrive in the Longview area and provide employment opportunities for the county’s citizens.
Improve Perceptions Collaborate with other organizations to attract and retain a skilled workforce by leveraging Longview’s assets.
Enhance Value For Small Business and Entrepreneurs
Gary Ford, Richard Manley, and Kristen Ishihara discuss the 2018 Bond Proposal during the Chamber’s Coffee Conversations focused on the pivotal ballot items that will help attract and retain businesses.
Promote innovative practices, new business formation, and opportunities for business growth.
Member Services Provide membership benefits and services that give our members an operational and financial competitive advantage.
Skilled Workforce Lead, coordinate, and support activities that produce a globally competitive, educated, and skilled labor force and that provide quality employment opportunities. The East Texas Advanced Manufacturing Academy has been established to provide high school students an opportunity to obtain training in instrumentation and electrical technology and precision machining technology.
LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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PRIORITIES
PRIORITY 1:
REDEVELOPMENT
OVERALL GOAL: Launch a campaign that will aid in the transformation of underutilized areas of our community. “The Longview Chamber of Commerce understands that a community is only as strong as its ability to support the well-being of its residents. We believe the most critical part of our mission is to help facilitate and support the growth of our local and regional economy. With economic growth comes more jobs, a growing and diverse tax base, commercial and retail development and an improving education system and quality of life for our residents.”
OBJECTIVE: ▸▸ The board will form a leadership team that will champion developing a plan which complements the work of the City and LEDCO to complete redevelopment initiatives.
– Brad Tidwell, Citizens National Bank
PRIORITY 2:
Redevelopment Education
EDUCATION
OVERALL GOAL: Continue to focus on executing a cradle to career collective impact that supports helping individuals reach their potential and become skilled contributors to our highly educated workforce. “The Chamber believes we must prepare for the demands of tomorrow’s skilled and competitive workforce environment. Businesses have an important role in leading and advocating for Career Readiness; a business-led approach for implementing cradle to career education systems. Our leadership is committed to being proactive to ensure our academic standards are raised so students are successful in making progress toward important transitions to either college or careers.”
OBJECTIVES:
– Chuck King, Chick-fil-A
▸▸ Leverage community resources, align strategies, and improve policies.
PRIORITY 3:
▸▸ Lead the management of the newly formed Education Collective Impact. ▸▸ Develop a regional action plan in partnership with key stakeholders. ▸▸ Convene stakeholders to sign a covenant that communicates shared vision and key principles that focuses on solutions to increase attainment levels and employment. ▸▸ Develop partnership opportunities with ISDs and secondary education organizations that support the development of a skilled workforce for Longview.
ADVOCACY / LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
OVERALL GOAL: Advocate for legislation that has a positive impact on business and industry, economic development, job creation and community quality of life at the local, state, and federal levels of government. “Advocating the business perspective on key issues is a basic and vital function of the Longview Chamber of Commerce. The voice of business is much louder when amplified through the combined voices of over 1,100 members and 45,000 employees. With the new LBPAC in place, we are moving to an even higher and more focused and concentrated level of advocacy on behalf of our members.” – Meredith Todd, R. Lacy Services, LTD
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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OBJECTIVES: ▸▸ Promote and protect the interests of our Longview area businesses. ▸▸ Advocate support for the City of Longview’s Comprehensive Plan. ▸▸ Influence public policy on specific local and state issues through the LBPAC. ▸▸ Influence public policy at all levels of government.
Collaboration
PRIORITY 4:
COLLABORATION
OVERALL GOAL: Continue to build a network that fosters an environment where our agencies and employers work in concert to build a thriving community for future generations. “Longview is a desirable, regional destination. It provides a great business environment to conduct business. By virtue of being one of the largest cities in the East Texas region, our economy thrives. But being one of the largest isn’t good enough: Longview must be the best by offering a dynamic urban setting and quality of life that is viewed as the finest East Texas has to offer. This will only occur when key stakeholders across the area work in concert with one another to make the right things happen.”
OBJECTIVES:
– Ron Hutchison, Conterra Networks
▸▸ Continue to provide exceptional Leadership Training.
PRIORITY 5:
HEALTH
▸▸ Create a stronger, more sustainable and prosperous local economy. ▸▸ Remain the lead in convening key stakeholders to drive Longview’s future. ▸▸ Continue to practice economic inclusion by encouraging participation from Longview’s diverse business community. ▸▸ Remain a key partner for entrepreneurial activity by utilizing the Business Solutions Conference to celebrate entrepreneurism.
Organizational Health: Administration / Finance / Operations
OVERALL GOAL: Through the power of the collective impact of our member businesses, HealthyVIEW aims to advocate for real, tangible solutions to create a culture of health for our community. “The Longview Chamber of Commerce has made organizational sustainability a top priority in its Strategic Plan. We are working in the present, using evaluation and innovation, to be certain that the Chamber’s future is strong, allowing us to be the solution leader for Longview area businesses for years to come.” – Dana Parr, Advanta Insurance Partners
OBJECTIVES: ▸▸ Position the organization and the staff for long-term success. ▸▸ Provide cutting-edge technology to achieve increased productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. ▸▸ Protect and improve the Chamber facilities to create a safe and efficient work environment, and provide a warm and welcoming environment for visitors. ▸▸ Attract and retain executive-level Chamber professionals and support team members. ▸▸ Remain the number one choice as THE SOLUTION LEADER for access and resources for Longview area businesses.
SUMMARY
R E A C H
To be successful, we need leadership as well as involvement from a broad base of community leaders. The Longview Chamber of Commerce will provide the staffing and overall management of this plan, but the execution of these priority goals and the opportunity to succeed rests with leaders who serve as the ambassadors of Longview. This plan is distinguished by its aggressiveness, transparency and commitment to evaluating its progress by established benchmarks. The plan will be achieved through strong leadership, dedication, and broad collaboration. We will know which goals we are achieving and which need more attention, but we need your leadership to make Leading Longview. R.E.A.C.H. happen. Join our efforts to Lead Longview.
LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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410 North Center Street Longview, TX 75601 903.237.4000 Fax 903.237.4049 www.longviewchamber.com