2015 Annual Report

2015 Annual Report Leading Longview. People. Place. Prosperity.

Strengthen.

Promote.

Provide.

Represent.

Build.

Our Mission Statement

Chairman’s Message

To engage in and promote projects that have a positive economic impact on the Longview Trade Area.

Vision Statement There is no more exciting time in the future of Longview than the present. We are blessed to live in a City in which the citizens work cooperatively alongside our public officials, businesses and various interest groups to make this a wonderful place to live, work and raise our families. With the City’s adoption of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Longview, as well as the strategic planning on the part of LEDCO and the Longview Chamber of Commerce, we are poised to take important steps toward moving Longview forward to even greater accomplishments.

The Chamber recently organized a follow-up intercity trip to Greenville, South Carolina to take a deeper dive into how

To be recognized as an effective resource, providing relevant, innovative, and impactful programming that ensures a healthy business climate and an enhanced quality of life for Longview and Gregg County.

Our Core Ideology and Values

this community of similar size is executing on their long-range planning. This trip was well attended by local public

CORE IDEOLOGY

officials, business leaders, and representatives from several school districts and charitable organizations. It is exciting

We believe that together we can have a stronger voice and influence positive outcomes.

to see what vision, long-term planning and collaboration can accomplish when focused on a comprehensive plan such as the one adopted this year by the City of Longview. To be successful, this effort should be truly collaborative and comprehensive with involvement from all stakeholders within our community, from local leaders of businesses of all sizes, local government officials, educational institutions, charities and providers of social services. Remember, it

We believe Longview is a great place to live and work.

goals through public-private partnerships. We have already accomplished much, but each of you play an integral role

We believe that together we can develop leaders to shape Longview’s future.

in setting the vision for the future and doing the hard work that it takes to reach these goals.

CORE VALUES

It has been twelve years since my wife and I made the decision to move from Fort Worth. I had spent the previous

Strengthen the local economy by researching and providing available resources to grow our local businesses.

is not about overnight transformation, but rather, the deliberate, incremental and sustained progress toward common

six years regularly “visiting” Longview on business and fell in love with the City. What a wonderful decision that has been for my family. Longview is blessed with natural beauty, as well as excellent schools, healthcare and a growing economy. We are fortunate to have City and County leaders who promote a culture of support for the local business community and do what it takes to attract new business and talent to the area. However, it is the people of Longview that make it special. It is the pride we take in our community and our spirit of collaboration and cooperation that make us “Uniquely Longview.”

Ken Cunningham

Chairman, Longview Chamber of Commerce

Promote the community by marketing Longview as a destination for new businesses, tourists, active older adults, and potential employees.

Provide networking opportunities by organizing and hosting a myriad of seminars, events, etc. for our Chamber members.

Represent the interests of business with government by building relationships with governmental agencies and effectively voicing the needs of area businesses.

Build community-wide leadership by encouraging and developing a shared vision for the future of Longview and collectively influencing stakeholders to make it happen.

LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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2015 Longview Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

Appointed Directors

Chamber Staff

Ken Cunningham

Kelly Hall

Dana Parr

Joe Bob Joyce

Kelly Hall

Chairman of the Board

President/CEO

Board Member

Longview Chamber of Commerce

Copeland Insurance Group

Longview Economic Development Corporation

President/CEO

Good Shepherd Health System

Paul Anderson Senior VP & Director of Communications

Leska Parker Wade Johnson

Jim Barron

John Ray

Chairman-Elect of the Board

Board Member

Board Member

J & J Barron Enterprises, LLC

Lively Cadillac GMC

Johnson & Pace, Inc.

Judge Becky Simpson

Director of Development

Suzanne Brown Advocacy and Communications Director

Lisa Monsivais Office Manager

Shalee Faircloth

Board Member

Councilman Richard Manley

TVaughn Builders, LLC

R. Manley Enterprises

Amy Canton

Roy Eon

Jill Bayless

Tim Vaughn

Chairman of Finance

Board Member

Texas Bank and Trust

Information Services Coordinator Leadership Longview Coordinator

Courtney Gill Brad Tidwell

Kara Bolster

Past Chairman of the Board

Board Member STEMCO

Citizens National Bank

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Brett Lindig

Pat Britton

Board Member

Board Member

SYSCO Food Services of East Texas, LLC

Eastman Chemical Company, Texas Operations

Keith Honey

David Hayes

Board Member

Board Member

AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company

Hayes RV Center

LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Why the Longview Chamber of Commerce Won’t Settle for the Status Quo. Longview and the Longview Chamber of

2010 was another pivotal year for the Longview

Commerce (LCC) have been through many

Chamber of Commerce (LCC), in large part because

changes since their inception. Growth and

they managed to articulate exactly what they do so well

improvement cannot occur in a vacuum:

and why it’s a critical part of the process in growing

change, a catalyst brings them forth.

a vibrant, healthy city. With executive leadership and a committed board of directors, the LCC crafted their

2015 was a pivotal year for the LCC, as this brought

own long range plan and decided they were no longer

in a changing of the guard, as the City retrieved its

satisfied doing business “old school,” they were going

contracts for economic development and convention

to embrace an interactive role in moving Longview

and visitors bureau (CVB). The Chamber rolled up its

forward. Because being good to the community, is how

sleeves and seized this opportunity to become more

to be good to business.

laser focused on their core of four pillars:

Advocacy Solutions Education Solutions B u s i n ess S o l u t i o n s Organiz ational Solutions

In rolling up their shirt sleeves, five things they knew they could do well became priorities that guide the Chamber today as it sets many positive initiatives into action.

1. Strengthen the local economy 2. Promote the community

Restructuring the organization and creating new

3. Provide networking opportunities

funding strategies to sustain the organization through

4. Represent the interests of business with government

the abrupt change were conquered.

5. Build community-wide leadership.

Between planning retreats and input from community leaders and elected officials, a collaborative approach came together and has become the steam behind the engine moving Longview forward.

LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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One of the ways the Chamber took initiative was

The Chamber also took on the initiative of creating an

instigating Inter City Visits. This tool is used to

Urban Main Street concept that would give tools to

identify cities that have redeveloped and learn from

downtown owners encouraging rehabilitation of

their stories how they turned blight into success.

storefronts, inviting new business formats into the mix,

Elected officials, business owners, and community

and maintaining a historic image that creates unity

leaders are invited to attend a three-day visit that

in the downtown grid while allowing a new marketing

includes meetings with the host city leaders and

strategy to flourish. Through Community Block Grants

hearing “from the horse’s mouth” why they did what

and Facade Grants, business owners found help

they did, what tools they used, and how they brought

creating visual appeal to the urban area. With the

forward community interest to carry out the plan.

Texas Historical Commission granting a Texas Main

The Longview Chamber Inter City Team has been to

Street to Longview, and Longview becoming a

three cities since this program has been initiated:

Certified Local Government (CLG awarded in 2014,)

Chattanooga, TN, Ft. Collins, CO, and most recently,

the urban redevelopment plan saw renewed interest

two trips to Greenville, SC, to take a deeper dive

and revitalization.

into the failures and successes of successful transformation.

For fun, because no successful initiative that involves residents and business owners should be dull, the

Movie Night downtown showcasing The Wizard of Oz.

Chamber sponsored movie nights on Heritage Plaza.

The free events, open to everyone, fostered a fun reason to be in the downtown community. Lots of little munchkins and their families followed Downtown Longview’s red brick roads to enjoy Dorothy’s adventures on the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz. Another success story from the Longview Chamber of Commerce’s “new school of thought” was in creating a Business Solutions Center.

This complete resource for Longview business owners offers online training addressing timely business issues

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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

and tools to navigate the demands of an aggressive business community. Think of this as professional development “anytime, anywhere.”

Installing wayfinding signs, so obvious but missing from our city, helped tourists find their way at key intersections. Sponsoring this program gave the Chamber high visibility and applause for taking the leadership on creating a better way to navigate Longview.

Early leadership development programs begin with YEA!

Entrepreneur Center (free space for 60 days to launch startup businesses) and, of course, continued training with our exciting Leadership Longview training program.

It’s not enough to just reach out to the other cities, and engage our youth in the changing the community we live in, we must also be strategic about advocating for our local business on a state and national level.

The Chamber recognizes that if it’s going to carry forward the success of these new endeavors it must capture the enthusiasm and networking skills of a younger generation. Creating the successful YEA! Young Entrepreneurial Academy (9-month program to connect professionals and students in a mentoring

Professional leadership development through Leadership Longview.

capacity that allows bright minds to present business plans to potential investor panels), the Satellite LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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The role of this Chamber is committed to investigating

In making sure our members and the community

and supporting legislative initiatives that better improve

participates in the process of voting, we created

the prospects of local business. The LCC knows that

LongviewVotes.Com Visitors to this site can keep up

combining our local voice, 1100 strong, with other

with issues affecting business and submit letters

chambers across the state and nation, leads to

directly to their elected officials.

successful representation. Some key propositions that this Chamber stands behind are opposition of proposed EPA’s Greenhouse emissions, IMEX, support State transportation funding-proposition Propositions One and Seven, Market Fairness Act, Natural Gas initiatives, Support for legal sale of Beer and Wine, Support of Amending Hotel Occupancy Code, and Insurance coverage continuation for terrorist events.

The 2015 East Texas Coalition visited Austin, Texas to carry out the advocacy needs of our members.

We have and will continue to send task forces to Austin and Washington to carry out the advocacy needs of our members.

By including a tourism component to the LCC, we fulfilled a fun and much needed role in the community of spurring forward hospitality events which in turn created an economic development momentum all its own.

Discover Longview, and its all aboard Tour, began transitioning from a tourism tool to an employee attraction and retention tool for human resource

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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

departments of major companies to understand the

As part of our new muscle in promoting Longview, the

unique qualities of Longview and why knowing the

Chamber reached out to meeting planners for small

features of the city helps retain potential employees

and large events, the Texas Film Commission, creating

and fun-loving tourists to relocate to Longview.

new festival guides, and sponsoring new interstate billboards promoting Longview.

The Longview Visitor Center, a hallmark of the 2012 renovation to Chamber offices, provided a one-stop shop for all things Longview. With tourism questions

With an eye to fostering local networking opportunities, the LCC promotes goodwill and recognizes achievements of local leaders. It’s hard to say if any other city

coming from a variety of avenues it’s easy to see why

organization does as much to bring folks together over

the LCC has been key in facilitating the prospects of

a meal and an accolade, but the Chamber is honored

Longview to the many guests that pass through our

to sponsor so many events that recognize the

city. With the CVB contract transfer, the Visitor Center

accomplishments of others:

became the Business Solutions Center where member

Salute to Healthcare Luncheons, which honors the

companies showcase their company literature and

Healthcare Professional of the Year, Volunteer of the Year,

passively make connections with other members and

and the Dr. Sam Mack Lifetime Achievement Award.

visitors interested in learning more about the chamber.

State of the City, the annual Mayor’s address to give credit to the city’s accomplishments and it’s future goals.

Emerging Leaders Awards, professionals under the age of 40 are recognized for their contributions to the growth of Longview.

Quarterly Membership Luncheons, weeknight mixers, and golf tournaments too.

Total Resource Campaign, an eight-week extravaganza designed to recruit new and retain current members to the Chamber. This enthusiastic event has change the business model for the Chamber and funded specific

Creation of the new Business Center showcasing Chamber members.

programs and services that local businesses members find useful.

LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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These mixed with our strong social media presence

Uniquely Longview magazine, the award-winning

and the ongoing efforts to keep our branding campaign

Longview Progress Report, Chamber Buzz e-blasts for

in the conversation of regional awareness.

all departments at the chamber, our website, and that

Because being Longview’s Chamber is more than just a typical organization, it’s a collaborative effort

ultimate in business information and networking, The Business Solutions Conference.

for promoting local business, the Chamber has

Our executive leadership whole-heartedly believes

35 members in an Ambassador Program that stimulate

that to be the best chamber in the region requires

communication and patronage of new businesses and

unparalleled support for every project going forward in

local members. They attend ribbon cuttings, Business

our city. We are at the forefront of almost every good

After Hours, Business Solutions Conference, work

thing moving forward, offering support, access to staff,

the Boat and RV show, and generally represent the

communications, and networking with our membership

Chamber to the community. One of our best assets,

to find the just right folks to carry off the critical

hands down.

missions going forward in Longview. The LCC is more than a chamber; it’s one of the engines powering Longview forward to the fast track.

Moving forward through organizational restructuring, the chamber continues creating new ways to enhance the business community. New programs to enhance business and new training channels are in place.

Enhanced employee and leadership programs are underway to roll out in the near future. New tools for advocacy are being incorporated into the chamber toolkit, creating that synergistic voice to elected officials

STEMCO’s new headquarters is a modern, technologically enabled, open, collaborative office environment that is fostering connection, collaboration and innovation.

The Chamber takes pride in their print materials like the award-winning Uniquely Longview magazine as well as their digital communications materials including Chamber Buzz e-blasts.

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LONGVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

and greater presence in the legislative arena.

Your chamber has emerged from the firestorm with a bright, focused and energized team of professionals on

With many means to communicate to chamber

a strategic path to safeguard the interests of business,

members and the community, the chamber takes pride

thereby creating that idyllic community where people

in their print materials like the award-winning

want to live, work and play: Longview!

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

410 North Center Street Longview, TX 75601 903.237.4000 Fax 903.237.4049 www.longviewchamber.com