- Immediate Past Chair (Chair of the NTF): Shaun Kennedy, Juris Medicus
- Incoming Chair: Adam Hamilton, SwRI
- One Past Chairman (who has served within the last five years): Arthur Coulombe, JW Marriott
- Three Board Members in good standing: Debbie Serot, Harland Clarke; Mary DeLay, UT Health San Antonio; and Jim Guy Egbert, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
- Two non-Board Members in good standing: Randy Walker, Randy Walker & Company; and Brandy Ralston Lint, Security Service Federal Credit Union
- Ex-officio Members: Richard Perez and Dave Petersen, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Our July Board Meeting was hosted by the San Antonio Area Foundation, and Board members were welcomed by the Area Foundation’s Board Chair Theo Guidry. The Area Foundation provides a simple, powerful and highly personal approach to giving -- so gifts impact the community forever. They contribute to the community through grants and scholarships, help nonprofits further and strengthen their mission, and provide leadership for key community issues.
During his President’s Update, Chamber President and CEO Richard Perez discussed the organization’s Chair Transition. Last week, Paula Gold-Williams announced that she is stepping down as the Chamber’s Chair as a result of the lawsuit filed against the City by members of the business community. During the 86th Texas Legislative Session, the Chamber advocated for the legislature to overrule the ordinance, but that did not happen. Paula, who is a leader with integrity, found herself in the middle of a legal conflict between her Parent Organization and the business community which proved to be untenable. We thank Paula for her outstanding leadership and contributions to this Chamber during the first half of 2019. Following Paula’s resignation announcement, the Chamber’s Legal Advisor Mario Barrera, Partner with Norton Rose Fulbright, and the Chamber’s Executive Vice President Dave Petersen reviewed the Chamber’s by-laws to determine the next step, and while the by-laws did not indicate what should happen, a recommendation was made to have the Chair-elect Adam Hamilton assume the duties and responsibilities of former Chair Paula Gold-Williams on an interim basis through the remainder of the year. (Read more.) The Board unanimously approved the recommendation as well as a motion to amend the by-laws to ensure we are prepared should a Chair step down in the future.
Mario and Richard continued by providing an update on the paid sick leave ordinance lawsuit. On Wednesday, the City Attorney’s Office and a group of businesses/business organizations struck a deal to give the city time to tweak San Antonio’s paid sick leave ordinance, and as a result of the deal, the paid sick leave ordinance will not go into effect until December 1, 2019. Members of the Board inquired about the Chamber becoming a named litigant on the lawsuit, and Richard confirmed that while we are supportive and donating money toward the cause, we are not a named litigant. There was honest and open conversation among board members about whether it made sense for the Chamber to enter into the lawsuit. Ultimately, the board voted to publish our position statement on employer rights and continue to monitor the lawsuit. Richard also updated the Board on the San Antonio Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. We are expecting the changes to the original CAAP to be released within the next two weeks. Once we receive the new plan, we will study it and discuss it with the Board and our membership as soon as possible.
Chamber Executive Vice President Dave Petersen presented recommendations for the Nominating Task Force (NTF), who were approved unanimously by the Board. Those members are: