The Chamber’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt the Good to Great to Global (G3) report at last week’s board meeting. G3 Task Force Co-Chairs, Nancy Kudla and Kenny Wilson, along with Adam Hamilton, President of SWRI; Mark Chamberlain, Executive Director for Information Security, USAA; and Marise McDermott, President and CEO of the Witte Museum, presented the recommendations developed by the three industry sector committees: Healthcare and Biosciences, Cybersecurity, and Cultural Preservation and Celebration.
The G3 report presents the results of the efforts put forth by the Task Force, with specific near-term and strategic recommendations all aimed at leveraging San Antonio’s current strengths, shoring up competitive weaknesses, actively pursuing leadership opportunities, and raising awareness of emerging threats that could potentially undermine success. The report serves as a starting foundation for building a strategic, community-led action plan for achieving global leadership and prosperity over the next decade in each of the three target industry sectors.
Highlights from the report include the Healthcare and Biosciences Committee recommending development of a collaboratively-owned, organized research unit (ORU) to attract talent and resources to San Antonio; developing a public/private partnership to create a Bioscience Incubator; and increasing public sector support of BioMed SA to accelerate the growth of the healthcare and bioscience sector.
The Cybersecurity Committee recommended various initiatives, including development an Open Data policy in an effort to become a Smart City; pursing strategic international business partnerships with communities leading in cybersecurity; and mentorship programs to promote skills development, foster innovation, and create/fill future cybersecurity jobs.
The Cultural Preservation and Celebration Committee recommended free access to all cultural amenities for K-12, college, and university students; establishing a K-12 Arts [and Science] School in downtown San Antonio; hosting an International Food Festival to celebrate the Culinary centers of San Antonio; and developing a community-wide, intergovernmental entity that focuses on advocating for the Arts and serves as ambassadors for the global nature of San Antonio’s Culture and Preservation.
The report also included collective recommendations, including increased community efforts to improve infrastructure, such as an airport that offers more direct flights to large U.S. cities and greatly improved surface transportation such as roads and rail within the city itself.
While the G3 Task Force acknowledges the presence of many other important industries in our community, the decision was made to focus on the three areas where San Antonio has already established a foothold in global reputation. These three industries also serve as the primary economic drivers in San Antonio, thus offering great potential for achieving global prominence.
The Chamber would like to offer a special thanks to the G3 Task Force for their commitment to the initiative. As we begin development of an implementation strategy, the Chamber will be engaging partners to participate. For more information on how to participate in G3, please contact Stephanie Reyes, Vice President of Public Affairs at sreyes@sachamber.org.
You can view the final report right here.
