The Chamber hosted Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff for our annual State of the County event on Friday, October 28. During this afternoon luncheon Wolff celebrated many successes and addressed a variety of issues facing Bexar County.
With the sunshine-covered Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum as his stage, Judge Wolff painted an optimistic picture for the future of Bexar County. He praised San Antonio’s job growth, lower cost of living compared to other major Texas cities and our presence in the cybersecurity industry. Wolff touted the fact that San Antonio stands second only to Washington D.C. in the cybersecurity industry but stressed that it is important our city does not lose that position. Currently, 40 cybersecurity firms have their headquarters here in San Antonio. Our city’s rise in the tech sector has had a positive impact on job growth, Wolff said.
“We have more than doubled jobs in tech, from 15,000 in 2008 to 34,000 today,” the Judge said. He also said that there was a “strong entrepreneurial evolution” happening along Houston Street that is anchored by Geekdom, and he explained to the audience of more than 300 elected officials, business leaders and Chamber members that Bexar County plans on funding innovative start-ups by spending $1 million with grants made with six tech firms already.
Judge Wolff did not shy away from hot topics, speaking his mind on proposed city revenue caps, potential military base realignment and closures along with the congestion that plagues the I-35 corridor. “The I-35 corridor between our city and Austin should be our number one transportation priority,” Judge Wolff proclaimed. “We are facing a huge sustainability problem in regards to transportation. We need to turn I-35 into a double decker managed-lane super highway. Commissioner Wolff is proposing that an elevated commuter rail be built along with the new elevated highway infrastructure, and I believe this is the only feasible plan to link the I-35 corridor with rail.”
Wolff praised SA Works, which has origins in a workforce summit he hosted with Mayor Ivy Taylor. SA Works aims to help develop career pathways for students that lead to meaningful employment opportunities for San Antonio and Bexar County residents. Wolff praised how SA Works has 80 employers on board as well as significant growth in career & tech programs in schools.
All of our members who attended State of the County left with a renewed sense of optimism for Bexar County’s future. Chamber President & CEO Richard Perez closed State of the County by thanking Judge Wolff for his inspirational address.
“As usual Nelson you are a visionary, you are straightforward and honest. That’s what you’re known for,” Perez told Nelson and his wife Tracy Wolff as he and 2015 Chamber Chairman Henry Cisneros presented the Wolff family with a gift on-stage. “You’re known for getting things done, and I think the items you spoke about in your speech will allow us to get things done for our community.”
