Yesterday, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce held its first ever virtual Board of Directors Meeting, which focused on significant updates and information about what the Chamber has been working on over the last two months. The meeting kicked-off with a welcome from our Chair of the Board and President and CEO of Southwest Research Institute Adam Hamilton followed by an
inspirational and relevant blessing from Sister Kathleen Coughlin. Then, Randy Walker, Managing Partner of Randy Walker & Company, P.C., presented the 2019 audit report. He told the Board that it was a clean audit, which was unanimously approved.
The Chamber’s President and CEO Richard Perez presented the President’s Report focused on Chamber Member Engagement. Richard discussed the Federal Aid Packages the Chamber has been tracking and advocating for, which include:
- Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided $8 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak ($4 billion of which was used for research and testing) and included $20 million for the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which included $104 billion for paid sick leave, insurance coverage of testing, nutrition assistance, and unemployment benefits.
- Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which included $2 trillion for immediate cash relief for individual citizens, business support with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and an additional $60 billion for SBA EIDL, as well as support for hospitals and other medical providers, rent and mortgage relief and an additional $600 per week payment on top of what states already provide in unemployment benefits
- Phase 3.5, which is expected to be signed by the President today and includes $484 billion in new funding for hospitals, testing, and SBA EIDL and an additional $310 billion for the PPP.
Richard also provided an update on recent Webinars the Chamber has been conducting to inform and assist our members during the coronavirus crisis. To date, the Chamber has hosted four webinars: Understanding the Ins and Outs of the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Virtual Town Hall With Senator Ted Cruz, Balancing Working and Schooling from Home, and Security and Privacy During COVID-19. Recordings of these webinars and more can be found
here.
Julie Ring, VP of Image and Communications, provided an update on recent Chamber communications and shared that since May 13, the Chamber has sent 15 coronavirus-related email blasts to more than 110,000 people. She also mentioned that we are seeing an uptick in requests for our Relocation Guide from people looking for information on our community.
Here is a link to that guide. Please note, the next Guide will be produced in early 2021. Finally, Julie reviewed the Chamber’s newly launched Coronavirus Microsite
www.sachamberrapidresponse.org. Please email Julie at
jring@sachamber.org if you have good news stories for our Kudos page or any information you would like for us to share on the Connecting for Good(s) page.
Stephanie Reyes, VP of Public Policy, provided an overview of several letters the Chamber has sent in support of financial relief in the CARES Act for both the aerospace manufacturing industry and public transit agencies. Due to COVID-19, the severe decrease in travel has diminished the need for new planes, replacement parts and other essential functions that keep small and medium size suppliers working. Funding for transit agencies helps cover the costs associated with COVID-19, including wages to sustain staff, supplies and equipment and to recover revenue losses due to plummeting sales collections. The CARES Act did allocate funding for both industries, $500B for a new loan program for the aerospace industry and $32B of financial assistance for aviation employees, as well as $20B in transit funding, including up to $93.3 million for the San Antonio area. In addition, the Metro 8 Chambers of Commerce signed-on to a letter from the Texas Manufacturing Association to Mexico’s Secretary of Health Dr. Jorge Valera urging them to adopt critical infrastructure industries guidelines that align with the US Department of Homeland Security guidelines as well as those adopted by the Canadian Federal Government.
Lori Stinson, VP of Military Affairs and Leadership Development, shared that Texas Military Preparedness Commission has awarded $5 million from the state’s Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) program to the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG). Grant funds will be utilized to improve power distribution to JBSA. In addition, CPS Energy, which provides electrical infrastructure and power to JBSA installations, will provide $3.4 million in matching funds and $600,000 for in-kind contributions for electrical infrastructure improvements and security at JBSA.
The Chamber’s Executive Vice President Dave Petersen reviewed the Chamber’s March finances and presented a financial forecast and contingencies through the rest of the year.
Lisa Marie Gomez, VP of Education and Workforce Development provided an update on the statewide
#TeachersCan initiative that aims to elevate the teaching profession and inspire the next generation of students to pursue a teaching career. The campaign officially launched last week with the debut of a
30 second commercial and the unveiling of a new website
www.TeachersCan.org. The site will serve several purposes, including being a centralized hub for teacher appreciation content, a resource for recruiting the support of the community, and the location for hallmark Texas brands to show their support for the dedicated professionals working in education. From now through May 3 #TeachersCan calls on Texans to
Thank-A-Teacher by nominating educators for exclusive prizes that will be announced during National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8, 2020. Visit
www.TeachersCan.org to nominate the teachers who have impacted your life of the lives of those around you the most. Be sure to Like #TeachersCan on
Facebook and
Instagram both @TxTeachersCan. (
Read more in this week's Chamber Today.)
Finally, Richard mentioned that the Pre-K for SA election will be moved to November and that there is a telethon being held next Wednesday and Thursday to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank. The Chamber will be sending an email blast next week with additional information, but in the meantime, please visit
http://www.feedingsa.org/ for more information.
To wrap up the meeting, Adam Hamilton asked board members to share thoughts or ask questions. As a way to reinvigorate our local tourism and hospitality industry, Steve Atkins, President and CEO of the Atkins Group, encouraged people to plan a staycation during the summer months. The Chamber will share additional information as it becomes available. In addition, Board members asked if the Mayor’s Economic Transition Team included anyone from the restaurant industry, and we confirmed that Pete Cortez, COO of La Familia Cortez, and Jody Bailey Newman, Entrepreneur, the Friendly Spot Ice House, are on the team. More information and a list of Mayor Nirenberg and Judge Wolff’s COVID-19 Economic Transition Team can be found
here. Finally, Mary Delay shared that UT Health San Antonio is beginning to start up with elective surgeries. They are doing approximately 400 telehealth visits a day and are still discussing when to return all students and employees back to campus. Their doctors Ruth Berggren and Barbara Taylor are leading the county and city's health return to work efforts.
