About The Economic Development Council

The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Council supports the growth and success of San Antonio's six major industries: Aerospace, Information Technology, Health Care/Bioscience, Manufacturing, Military, and Hospitality/Tourism.  The support The Chamber provides includes: 

• Coordinating with industry leaders to provide economic impact studies, which chart the growth of each sector. 
• Building support for legislative actions at the local, state, and federal levels that benefit San Antonio's targeted industries.
• Working with local resources and services to improve business retention and expansion in each sector. 
• Coordinating with universities, training programs and other services to ensure a skilled workforce to accommodate San Antonio's employer needs for the future. 
• Interfacing with the business community and the military to strengthen relationships and to ensure the military organizations in our area have the resources they need to accomplish their respective missions.

The Economic Development Council, chaired by Trish DeBerry-Mejia is responsible for issues affecting the major industries of San Antonio (Aerospace, Health Care/Bioscience, Information Technology, Military, and Tourism) and oversees the other Economic Development committees and recommends action to The Chamber's Executive Committee. 

The Economic Development Council also has a Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) sub-committee, which will focus on researching and implementing best practices in BRE from around the country.

Through the advice and leadership of the following industry committees, the EDC will work with local economic entities to bring new companies to San Antonio, and to retain and grow existing companies.

Aerospace Committee - Jim Perschbach (Bracewell Giuliani LLP): Responsible for issues and activities pertaining to the local aerospace industry located primarily at Port San Antonio, San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport. The committee also supports efforts to grow the local aerospace industry, and advocate for the expansion and retention of commercial, Department of Defense-related aircraft maintenance and repair and manufacturing work in San Antonio.  A large component of their activities also involves planning of a regional Aerospace Industry Summit in September 2010 and support for the Alamo Area Aerospace Academy – a two year high school program for study. 

Health Care and Biosciences Committee – Dr. Brian Herman (The University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio): Responsible for bringing together all components of the Health Care and Bioscience industry, and for advocating the needs of the industry as a whole. The committee has responsibility for funding and producing the annual Health Care/Bioscience Economic Impact Study.  The committee also partners with local health care and bioscience organizations to advocate for efforts that promote economic development, address education and workforce needs, and create opportunities to highlight San Antonio’s unique assets and capabilities in this industry.

Information Technology Committee - Steve Lutz (AT&T): Responsible for leading the implementation of San Antonio Area Cyber Action Plan to further establish and promote cyber education, workforce development, cyber research and development, and collaborations among local cyber government, business and academic entities.  The committee also works to improve the local IT industry by working to find additional funding from the state and federal government for programs at local colleges and universities, and works to inform the community of the growth and vitality of the local IT industry. 

Military Affairs Committee - David Spencer (Texas Intrepid Ventures, Inc.):  Responsible for maintaining a strong relationship with local military representatives and working to ensure the military receives the support it needs from the local business community. The committee will continue to partner with the Military Transformation Task Force (MTTF) and support the military’s base realignment and closure actions and help ensure that all recommendations are successfully completed by September 15, 2011.  This goal is accomplished through several task forces and adjunct committees including: the Military Affairs Special Events Committee, the Celebrate America's Military Committee, and the Military Liaison Task Force.

Economic Analysis Panel - Travis Tullos (Texas Perspectives, Inc.):  Members of this panel represent various components of the San Antonio economy such as real estate, housing, the airport, employment, etc.  The panel prepares a quarterly business forecast that charts the growth and predicts the direction of the region’s economy. A media conference is scheduled at the end of each quarter to report on the overall health of the local economy.

2010 Chairman of the Economic Development Steering Committee, Trish DeBerry-Mejia (Guerra DeBerry Coody)

For information on getting involved in one of the industry committees, contact the staff at (210) 229-2163 or email Will Garrett here.

View The Chamber's Economic Reports here.

Find out more about CAM here.

View the Deptartment of Defense Economic Impact Study here.