Mid-Year Update from
President/CEO Jim Johnson

We are already halfway through the 2023 year, and it has been an exciting year for the Pearland Chamber of Commerce.

I want to start by thanking all our members for your ongoing support. This is what drives us every day and allows us to be a catalyst for growth in our community.

As we did last year, this email is a snapshot of the Chamber at mid-year. If you missed it, please click here for our 2022 Annual Report.

Membership – We welcomed 95 new members in the first six months of the year including new Platinum Members PNC Bank and KelseyCare Advantage. The membership is currently made up of 47% of businesses with less than 20 employees. Overall, the Chamber’s membership is now over 700 members, and this is because of your renewals and support. Please visit our online directory for a full list of members or our membership map.

Young Professionals of Pearland – The Young Professionals of Pearland officially launched in February. The program seeks to foster and empower Young Professionals by providing networking, career development, leadership, and civic engagement opportunities. Over the first half of the year, the program has held leadership luncheons and events designed to grow their network. We are thankful to the committee members for their ongoing work to engage with this group.

Keeping you "In the Know" – We introduced two new key communications this year. The Advantage is designed to showcase events and articles that will elevate your business and give you the advantage in day-to-day operations. The Lineup provides the monthly Chamber activities, so you know “the lineup” of events taking place. These two, along with the Pearland Data Report, are all part of our “In the Know” brand which keeps you aware of everything impacting your organization in the Pearland region.

Engagement – The Chamber tracks the engagement and satisfaction of our membership. We know our members are busy, but through the first six months of the year, we have seen 41% of our members attend a program, committee, or event. You can always keep up with what’s going on by visiting our event calendar.

Drainage Solution -  We engaged City Council on the topic of drainage beginning in Fall of 2021. Over an 18-month period, we worked closely with City Council and the Bond Committee to see a drainage bond placed on the May ballot. We believed this was a comprehensive solution to drainage in Pearland. We are pleased that the bond passed with a 65% approval rate.

Work in Pearland – WorkinPearland.com went live in March of this year. This interactive job board and employer resource is becoming the main source of job openings in Pearland. The website currently has over 1,000 job seekers on the site, 56 companies and has seen over 500 jobs applied for via the site. The website is a free resource for Pearland businesses and Chamber members and we encourage you to sign up today.

New Programs – The Chamber is always looking to provide value back to our members and community. We introduced Cocktail Conversations in April. This program, along with Cereal Conversations, provides peer to peer solutions, but Cocktail Conversations is held in the evening. In partnership with the US Chamber Foundation, we held Brazoria County’s first Civic Bee. This national program teaches civic responsibility to students in 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade. Our three finalists received cash prizes and will head to Dallas in August for the state finals.

First Friday and Monthly Luncheons -These are two of our signature monthly programs. First Fridays continues to be Pearland’s premier networking event and we are thankful for our location hosts in 2023 including Watercrest at Shadow Creek,  Larkspur at Shadow Creek, Silverlake ER and UHCL at Pearland. We will continue the program in August and would love to see you at a First Friday. The Chamber has had fantastic monthly luncheons this year including the State of the City with Mayor Cole, State of Pearland ISD with Superintendent Larry Berger, State of Texas Business with the Texas Association of Business, and our Leadership Summit with Mattress Mac. We are excited about our second half speaker lineup including Entrepreneurship Panel, State of Texas Economic Development Update, State of the County, and Pearland Economic Development Corporation Update. Please visit our website for RSVP information.

Leadership Development – We believe in the next generation of business leaders. The Leadership Pearland Class of 2023 was our largest ever with seventeen individuals graduating from the program. They will take the skills they learned and have an immediate impact on our community. The next class begins in September and information can be available via the Pearland Leadership Foundation. The Chamber has also hosted two impactful training courses for businesses via our Knowledge Series. Our training on Generational Diversity and Embracing Conflict will allow our businesses to tackle the challenges impacting their organizations.

The Commerce Center – Our building is named The Commerce Center and is home to additional partners who support our businesses. We continue to be the home of the Small Business Development Center, and their comprehensive small business assistance network.  We welcomed State Senator Mayes Middleton’s district office as our newest tenant. Additionally, our lobby is an ongoing resource for visitors to learn about the amazing businesses in Pearland.

Chamber of the Year Finalist -  We announced in June that the Pearland Chamber is a finalist for Chamber of the Year via the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). This is the most prestigious and competitive recognition in the Chamber industry. The entire team thanks our members for their support of our strategic direction and we will provide an update on the results of the competition on August 2.

Please do not hesitate to contact me personally or another member of our team if you need anything and hopefully, we will see you soon.

Best,

Jim Johnson, CCE, IOM
President/CEO
Pearland Chamber of Commerce
281-485-3634

Mid-Year Update from
President/CEO Jim Johnson

We have reached mid-year at the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. 

I want to start this message by thanking you for your investment in our organization. The Chamber has always been a membership organization and your support is appreciated.

This email is a snapshot of the Chamber at mid-year. If you missed it, please click here for our 2021 Annual Report.

Membership – 100 new members joined us in the first six months of the year including new Platinum Members Crain Group, On the Way AC Plumbing and Electrical and WeBuildTX LLC. This new member growth is providing businesses the opportunity to gain exposure to our membership while benefiting from our services in the community. We also had members Frontier Waste Solutions and Community Health Network step-up their membership to Platinum this year. Overall, the Chamber’s membership is approaching 700 members, and this is because of your renewals and support. Please visit our online directory for a full list of members or our new membership map.

Engagement – The Chamber tracks engagement of members. We know our members are busy but through the first six months of the year, we have seen 46% of our members attend a program, committee, or event. You can always keep up with what’s going on by visiting our event calendar.

Drainage -  Your voice was heard on the proposed Stormwater Fee earlier this year. The efforts of the Chamber to discuss this topic with City Council led to the Stormwater Fee being taken off the table and a bond committee was developed. We will always be the Voice of Business and your input on surveys and meetings allowed us to speak collectively. As an update, a report was given this past Monday at City Council which outlined a bond package of $90,000,000 that could be on the May 2023 ballot.

Infrastructure – Our organization continues to advocate for improvements in our community’s infrastructure. We have sent messages to TxDOT this year to ensure the FM 518 expansion engages businesses and to support the construction of Grand Parkway Segment B. You can review both letters in our document library.

New Programs – Businesses have different needs from the Chamber with our programs. Cereal Conversations was introduced in April and provides peer to peer discussions on pressing challenges and solutions and action items to enhance your business now. We also are partnering with the Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber later this month for a HUB Training. This certificate will provide additional opportunities for businesses in the procurement process. The rest of the year will see us introducing Speed Networking and more educational training. We also working the PEDC on introducing a Young Professionals program later this year. 

First Friday and Monthly Luncheons -These are two of our signature monthly programs. First Friday’s continues to be Pearland’s Premier Networking Event and we are thankful for our location hosts in 2022 including Keating Toyota, Bakfish Brewing Company, Bayway Chevrolet, Larkspur at Shadow Creek and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. We will continue the program in August and would love to see you at a First Friday. The Chamber has had fantastic monthly luncheons this year and are excited about our 2^nd half speaker lineup including Entrepreneurship Panel, update on travel post pandemic, State of the County, PEDC Update and a Legislative Preview. Please visit our website for RSVP information.

Empower Community – We have focused on initiatives that will empower and benefit the community. This includes a new partnership with City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Department to provide businesses opportunities at Community Festivals to display and sell their products to consumers. The Chamber is also working with Keep Pearland Beautiful to support their mission and ensure businesses are recognized for their efforts in beautification of our community.

The Commerce Center – Our building is named The Commerce Center and is home to additional partners who support our businesses. We welcomed the Pearland Innovation Hub as a new tenant and are excited about what they are doing for innovation, entrepreneurs, and small business growth.  State Senator Larry Taylor continues to have his district office in our building, and the Small Business Development Center, under the leadership of Business Advisor Robert Johnson, is an original tenant of our building and is a comprehensive small business assistance network.  

Again, our entire organization is here to support you. Our mission isn’t just words on the wall….we really are here to Support Business. Promote Growth. Empower Community.

Please do not hesitate to contact me personally or another member of our team if you need anything and hopefully we will see you soon.