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Chamber takes opportunity to assess operations, make improvements
by Mella McEwen
Midland Reporter-Telegram
By Mella McEwen
Oil Editor
As the Midland Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Friday, it was an organization in flux.
Five-year President and Chief Executive Officer John Breier left to return to Austin and, in addition to seeking new leadership, the chamber is planning a change in focus as it assesses its operations and makes improvements.
"At our last retreat, we decided to renew our emphasis on value-added services to our members," said Rob Cunningham, who joined the chamber from Seguin as vice president of community development and is currently serving as interim president and CEO. Part of that emphasis will be on improved communication with members, he said. Initiatives along the lines of that emphasis will be developed in the next year, he added.
Cunningham stressed that "we're not moving away from economic development" and agreed that helping its members grow could be considered a form of economic development.
Now that the annual retreat and annual meeting have been held, said John Hood of Key Energy Services, who was installed as chairman of the board at the annual meeting, the chamber board will focus on finding a permanent president and CEO. Cunningham, he noted, has experience with chambers in other communities and can compare the services offered in Midland with services offered elsewhere to help with improvements.
Like Cunningham, Hood said he and the board realizes the chamber has "members who pay dues and we're going to take a hard look at the services we offer and really improve them."
Another goal, he said, is that the chamber has contracts with the city and the Midland Development Corp. "and we want to make sure we have happy customers, if you will, and that we have the right level of transparency between the chamber and the city and MDC about the money they spend with us. We want them to be able to say 'Yes, we're happy with how it's spent,' that it's money well spent. At the end of the day, we want to make sure the city and the hotels and motels that pay the taxes that fund SEAM (Sports and Entertainment Association of Midland) and Convention and Visitors Bureau are happy with how we're managing the money."
He praised the chamber staff and the good relationship with the city of Midland and MDC, saying bundling the funds at the chamber "provides a tremendous opportunity to work together for the betterment of the community."
Economic development, Hood said, can't be viewed only as bringing in new, big employers. It is also work force development to bring in new workers; it is helping existing businesses; it is developing downtown Midland and it is other programs like MOTRAN, education and Leadership Midland.
The community, he added, plays a major role in development, citing the recent Amateur Softball Association tournament that brought 83 teams from around the country to play. The chamber helped put together the bid package and, when it was awarded, worked with the ASA on details, he said. But it was Midland United Girls Softball, which hosted the tournament and the city's Parks Department that mowed the fields and gave the teams a near-professional park to play in; it was also the hotels and restaurants and retailers that helped host the teams. The chamber, Hood said, was just a cog in the process.
"We were providing an opportunity for those girls to build teamwork, develop sportsman ship and friendships. You can't put a price tag on that. That goes back to the mission of the chamber: To provide quality of life."
Mella McEwen can be reached at casell@mrt.com.
Oil Editor
As the Midland Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Friday, it was an organization in flux.
Five-year President and Chief Executive Officer John Breier left to return to Austin and, in addition to seeking new leadership, the chamber is planning a change in focus as it assesses its operations and makes improvements.
"At our last retreat, we decided to renew our emphasis on value-added services to our members," said Rob Cunningham, who joined the chamber from Seguin as vice president of community development and is currently serving as interim president and CEO. Part of that emphasis will be on improved communication with members, he said. Initiatives along the lines of that emphasis will be developed in the next year, he added.
Cunningham stressed that "we're not moving away from economic development" and agreed that helping its members grow could be considered a form of economic development.
Now that the annual retreat and annual meeting have been held, said John Hood of Key Energy Services, who was installed as chairman of the board at the annual meeting, the chamber board will focus on finding a permanent president and CEO. Cunningham, he noted, has experience with chambers in other communities and can compare the services offered in Midland with services offered elsewhere to help with improvements.
Like Cunningham, Hood said he and the board realizes the chamber has "members who pay dues and we're going to take a hard look at the services we offer and really improve them."
Another goal, he said, is that the chamber has contracts with the city and the Midland Development Corp. "and we want to make sure we have happy customers, if you will, and that we have the right level of transparency between the chamber and the city and MDC about the money they spend with us. We want them to be able to say 'Yes, we're happy with how it's spent,' that it's money well spent. At the end of the day, we want to make sure the city and the hotels and motels that pay the taxes that fund SEAM (Sports and Entertainment Association of Midland) and Convention and Visitors Bureau are happy with how we're managing the money."
He praised the chamber staff and the good relationship with the city of Midland and MDC, saying bundling the funds at the chamber "provides a tremendous opportunity to work together for the betterment of the community."
Economic development, Hood said, can't be viewed only as bringing in new, big employers. It is also work force development to bring in new workers; it is helping existing businesses; it is developing downtown Midland and it is other programs like MOTRAN, education and Leadership Midland.
The community, he added, plays a major role in development, citing the recent Amateur Softball Association tournament that brought 83 teams from around the country to play. The chamber helped put together the bid package and, when it was awarded, worked with the ASA on details, he said. But it was Midland United Girls Softball, which hosted the tournament and the city's Parks Department that mowed the fields and gave the teams a near-professional park to play in; it was also the hotels and restaurants and retailers that helped host the teams. The chamber, Hood said, was just a cog in the process.
"We were providing an opportunity for those girls to build teamwork, develop sportsman ship and friendships. You can't put a price tag on that. That goes back to the mission of the chamber: To provide quality of life."
Mella McEwen can be reached at casell@mrt.com.
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