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<br />Page18A THE CITIZEN, Wednesday, Oct~~: ,2004
<br />
<br />Summit principals work
<br />to help area's economy
<br />
<br />The many facets that drive the
<br />Bay Area Houston economy
<br />came together when Harris
<br />County Commissioner hosted the
<br />second annual Precinct 1\vo
<br />Economic Summit on the San
<br />Jacinto College Central Campus
<br />in Pasadena.
<br />As Garcia sees it, smart eco-
<br />nomic growth needs continued
<br />collaboration by representatives
<br />of the various engines that drive
<br />an economy.
<br />"In the next 90 days," she said,
<br />"I watlt our newly appointed
<br />Comprehensive Economic
<br />Development Strategy
<br />Committee to take the informa-
<br />tion from this Summit and sub- .
<br />mit a strategic plan and legisla-
<br />tive agenda.
<br />"We have a clear under-
<br />standing of where we are. We
<br />have the relevant research and
<br />analysis of the demographics and
<br />economic data.
<br />
<br />"We now need to use this in- _ Dr. S. Jeffrey Ackerman
<br />. formation to pave our plan for who reported that healthcare
<br />smart growth and to make our would require much more col-
<br />action plan. We must turn our laboration in the future than ever
<br />potential into' reality," she con- before.
<br />tinued. _ East Harris County Manu-
<br />Garcia encouraged the eco- facturer's Assodfltion Ch!ljrm!l.n
<br />nomic development organiza- John Rocco, who reported that
<br />tions to continue working to- the petrochemical industry Was
<br />gether. "We have all of the eco- experiencing an unprecedented
<br />nomic engines in place. globally competitive climate,
<br />Remember, partnerships produce Rocco said the recent creation of
<br />results," she added. a., Industry Task Porce could
<br />Principals in the sumtnit in- help preserve and stabilize
<br />cluded:- Precinct 1\vo's' petrochemical
<br />- United. Space Alliance Di- industry and plan for its futuie.
<br />rector of Communications & _ CDC Houston Vice Presi-
<br />Public Relations Jeffrey Carr, dent Robert Taylor who reported
<br />who said it was vital that public that the retail industry was alive
<br />and private entities work together and well in Precinct 1\vo and that
<br />to establish the relevance of aero- all components needed for
<br />space in education, industrial healthy retail expansions were in
<br />growth and development, home- place. Those components in-
<br />land security and small businesscluded, wealth. in the'area, land
<br />d~eloprneJlt.' ,.{" ". . th d' .
<br />:.'.;.C.'.....arr'~..;:,a..........J. .1. .'.I'h...... grow ,an out oor.envlronment,
<br />( 1."'1f1t support of mUnicipaIW~!l . and
<br />HoustOlf"'~c:;otlO ethnic, ,diversity. .' . ":. '.
<br />had"created""fu' e s" for. grass-
<br />ro... Gts.' e.'fti...o.rt. S ....th.. at yielded. leg' _., -Greater Houston, C,bnven~
<br />tiOn '. and Visitors Bureau: Pr~si-
<br />islatiVe/ agen<Iils fon.;JSCand dent and CEO Jordy ~oI1e~ 're-
<br />~ni1ltt~~jIMwith 'both the, ported that the tourismi':hl:'ttustry
<br />9iti.~etts fo.t.Space E~p.!oratjon,could benefit from leve~g:ifig're-
<br />an..w. the.... ...Ell.lOgton FIeld... Task...... '. .....'. ........~. '.' . 'al'. '.'b... ..'..,..!I.:'..!J....!........ ,':.'J.f
<br />FI' ';". .~: .l:; ..' .... ., .s?l.Jrces; 10~ regIOn; :~af~~ng \0 -
<br />!Of~t. .' ,1t;., .' ". ,~9~~d;)Inpr()x~~i;p~~1.q.r'trans-
<br />; .. ~B Vice Presld~nt for'ortati6Jr'~ V""i1,'. <?+'; ,
<br />Cont. mu. riity Outreach l)rij\;. 1'.':.",.. Ben. p. ' . ...........'...... ..,,~. ,,:.. .;, ... .;: C:".,"'" . '.,
<br />. ' . -: ~.~ ;. "". fIe ' iSalW'the ;
<br />~~:e;o;e~:::e~i~:~t~n~';is:; is.f.I....ath....ti..Ve.;.....~;ta. gt etidahi!lb..~.....;. .';'.". '. ".;.".'.;."'.'.'. .....d. I
<br />() . . ..e~jl e pro I I~On;!~~,~~P.-
<br />were research and development '. .... ''''.i\\'rti'' d' .';'.....t.}i... '..'h
<br />and closing the gap in knowl- Ulg;.a.~'ie SlOg.. ;~'f.Wbt;e
<br />ed b t h d "'. state, Tollett s. qa,cy; Wl;IS
<br />ke~e R~:::~~~s~~ kna:WI~~;rieed~t6encoura~8.~~st#*e to
<br />gap could be closed by collabo" .n?J~r.~~~ f;lo~~l'~~uplU,1cy,~ax
<br />. .th.' '. ra~:\and,;,to,!;f"1i . . ht
<br />rating WI commumty partners, .. ...>.:<..':...,.<.:....,,:.,. ';C'. . :.:::S
<br />to help. researchers effectively,\re'S?~~S't? Y~P.~;ii'\~i.L, t.~.; .. ~n
<br />communicate with venture cap_\.JaclOt~ Monum~~tli" ... .
<br />italists. . . . !exas Southern UmversIty
<br />_ San Jacinto College Dis- Ass~clate Professor Dr, Carol
<br />trict Chancellor Dr. William LewI~, who reporte.d. that a. cost
<br />Lindemann, who reported that effective ~nd effiCIent regIOnal
<br />60 percent of the population did transportatlonsy.~~e~.~~~,l1eed-
<br />not have a college education or ed for bo~h p~()pl~;~~~~qt)~~..
<br />entry level skills to get into ma- She saldtQel~gI~~~IV~jll~nda
<br />jor industries. He felt competi- for transportatIOn I~al"ded .a
<br />tion was not in surrounding sales tax cap, ensu~IDg\Harr~s
<br />communities or surrounding County would. rece~v~:.'tS,i'~~JF
<br />states but in India China and share of:ttlitisportatI~m lfl.ol1~!'
<br />other ~ountries that ~ere benefit- assistance. with local initia1;iyes
<br />ing fr~m the global economy. and a regional task force for tnick
<br />safety and traffic flow.
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