Our February Board of Directors meeting was hosted on Wednesday February 26 by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) at their main campus on San Antonio’s northwest side. Chamber Chair and President and CEO of SwRI Adam Hamilton greeted board members and gave a brief overview of the amazing work that is happening at the institute. Adam explained that their team of scientists and engineers work on projects spanning deep sea to deep space, and everything in between, including automotive, transportation, biomedical, health, chemistry, materials, defense, security, electronics, automation, energy, environment, manufacturing, and construction.
Our featured speaker for our Board meeting was San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez. On the heels of a very successful State of SAISD event hosted by the Chamber and co-hosted by our Sister Chamber, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Independent School District Foundation, Superintendent Martinez provided an update on SAISD, highlighting the academic progress the district has made over the last three years. SAISD’s 5-year goals include increasing on-time graduation to 90%, increasing students attending high-quality schools (with an A or B rating), increasing the percent of high school students earning college credit, injecting academic rigor throughout the education continuum, graduating more seniors with industry certifications, and focusing on college, career, and military readiness.
He also shared the challenges with his efforts to create future-ready schools and therefore future-ready students, namely the urgent need to upgrade crumbling school facilities at the elementary, middle and high school levels with modernized HVAC, lighting and electrical systems as well as the need to upgrade technology to the tools we use on a daily basis as businesses. To that end, Superintendent Martinez briefly discussed the potential for a proposed 2020, $1.25 billion General Obligation bond, which may be placed on the November 2020 ballot. The SAISD Board has appointed a citizen panel that is reviewing the District’s needs and will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees within the next 60 days, with an overarching goal of putting every SAISD school on the pathway to capital and technology renovation by 2030.
During his President’s Report, Chamber President and CEO Richard Perez asked SA to DC Chair and VP at Pape-Dawson Engineers Taylor Dawson to recap our recent SA to DC trip. Taylor shared that we had a record-breaking 203 attendees, 20% of whom were first time participants, who attended more than 150 meetings to advocate for 59 issues vital to San Antonio’s success and continued growth.
Richard provided an update on the Chamber’s recent Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) testimony. He testified at the TCEQ Public Hearing for the proposed 179B Demonstration State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision. The purpose of this SIP Revision is to demonstrate that Bexar County would attain the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone by the required attainment date if it were not for emissions emanating from outside the United States. Chamber Vice President of Public Policy Stephanie Reyes presented information about the INFRA Grant, which would provide federal money for the San Antonio I-35 Expansion and Community Access Improvement Project in Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties. TxDOT has applied for the grant and the Chamber wrote a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Stephanie also gave an update on the SAWS Rate Advisory Committee and a recent recommendation regarding the cost of service for recycled water users. Currently, the rate for recycled water does not cover the cost of service, leading to a recommendation that the rate increase by 70%. Members of the business community who use recycled water raised concern that the rate increase was too much for one year. Richard attended the last meeting and shared the Chamber’s concern, and the Rate Advisory Committee changed their recommendation to an increase of 15% in the first year and 10% each year for four years.
Richard concluded the President’s report with a brief airport update. New Aviation Director Jesus Saenz, who most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Houston Airport System, has hit the ground running in his new role. He is looking at what we can do to invest in the airport and is ready to take the airport to the next level.
Richard also shared that he believes the City has a robust plan that will allow for the redirection of the 1/8-cent sales tax that currently pays for aquifer protection to public transportation, while still protecting the aquifer for a long time to come.
RSM US Partner and Operating Council Chair Santos Fraga presented the end of year (2019) financials, highlighting the Chamber’s healthy financial position. He also mentioned that the Chamber has hired two new Membership Consultants and implemented a new sales program to enable us to better meet the needs of our members and prospective members.
Finally, Chamber VP of Military Affairs and Leadership Development Lori Stinson gave an update on the Chamber’s military affairs efforts. Lori shared that Brig Gen Laura Lenderman, 502d Air Base Wing and JBSA Commander, will change command in June and become the AETC Director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements. Her replacement is Brig Gen Caroline Miller, who is currently serving in the Pentagon as the Director of Manpower, Organization and Resources, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services for the Air Force. Lori also discussed the shift of administration and management of military medical treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). From meetings at the Pentagon and with the DHA, we have no concern of changes to care for our military service members, family members, and veterans in San Antonio, and Brooke Army Medical Center continues to be the “gem” in military medicine across the Department of Defense. Additionally, the DHA is currently studying the scope of their needs for space-related to relocation of certain administrative functions. There is already a large DHA presence in San Antonio, and we continue to advocate for efforts to bring headquarters functions here. Finally, we are still awaiting a decision on the permanent basing decision of the F-16 Formal Training Unit, which we are advocating to move to Lackland with the 149th Fighter Wing. The decision, which was originally scheduled for December has been delayed.
