JAN 11, 2019

Welcome to the first edition of Executive Brief, our new communication platform designed to reach the North San Antonio Chamber Board of Directors, Executive Committee and our member business leaders at the Chairman’s Council membership level.   This new communication tool will provide details on the important work the North SA Chamber engages in, specifically in the areas of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs. I will also use Executive Brief to bring you advanced information and significant news related to North SA Chamber initiatives.   As we move into a new era for the North SA Chamber, communication with our members is one of my top priorities. With strong member engagement, together we can help drive Chamber initiatives, build solid business-to-business relationships, and provide our members a valuable return on your investment.   Next week we will debut "CEO Connect," our new digital newsletter. CEO Connect will offer a comprehensive update on all North SA Chamber legislative initiatives, leadership programs, upcoming events, as well as highlight new members and community affairs. Stay tuned! I hope you enjoy the first edition of Executive Brief. I encourage you to reach out to me at any time and look forward to your thoughts and ideas on how we can propel the San Antonio business community to even greater success. Let's stay in touch! Sincerely,

ADVOCACY

The 86th Legislature kicked off Tuesday, January 8, with abundant talk of bipartisan unity and focused goals to finally fix problems that have continuously challenged lawmakers. You can listen to Speaker Bonnen's statements on the 86th Legislative Session from the TPPF Policy Orientation feed. The session's two big issues Governor Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and newly elected House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are all on the same page: Property tax reform and school finance are the highest priorities on the Legislature’s to-do list this session. State lawmakers got mostly positive fiscal news Monday, when Comptroller Glenn Hegar informed them they will have about 8.1 percent more state funds free to budget for public programs in 2020 and 2021. Hegar also announced that the State’s savings account, known as the rainy day fund, is on track to hit a record high balance of $15 billion. How will the state fund these priorities? When asked about specific ways to pay for property tax and school finance reform, Governor Abbott has stressed the need for lawmakers to find consensus. The Governor has suggested however, diverting the oil and gas tax revenue flowing into the rainy day fund to “build a sustainable education fund.” Abbott compared it to when the State decided in 2014 to reroute some of that money to go toward transportation funding. NSAC Legislative Priorities The North San Antonio Chamber will continue its leadership role advocating for member businesses in San Antonio, and collaborating with other organizations throughout the region when necessary to project a strong, united voice on legislative issues. You can read our top legislative priorities for the 86th Legislative Session here. Although these priorities will be our main focus, we’ll continue to track all business, workforce and economic development issues relevant to San Antonio.

CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

City of San Antonio new City Manager update. READ MORE​ The city of San Antonio along with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation announce Victory Capital to relocate headquarters to San Antonio. READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

On January 8, the North SA Chamber proudly celebrated the grand opening of the new BMW of San Antonio dealership, part of the Principle Auto Group, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and plaque presentation at their new showroom. We welcome BMW as new North SA Chamber Members and look forward to working with the BMW team.

Pictured from L to R: Leticia Peña Martinez, North SA Chamber; Rhonda Calvert, Comerica; Robby Brown, Documation; Tony Coleman, Computer Solutions; George Kampmann, CFO, BMW; Manny Pelaez, City Councilman, District 8; Cristina Aldrete, President/CEO North SA Chamber; Johnny Wright, Marketing Director, BMW; Nick Vanderpool, General Manager, BMW; Larry Anthis, Capital One; Cathi Mitchell-Beecroft, Deacon Recruiting; Timothy Hodge, Assisted Living Locators, and Rich Weimert, San Antonio Missions Baseball. Congratulations to BMW of San Antonio, now the largest BMW dealership of its kind in North America.

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