The Fort Worth Chamberletter

Brianna Broussard

Brianna Broussard, director of the Chamber’s Vision Fort Worth program for young professionals, has been honored by the Fort Worth Business Press with a 40 Under 40 Award.

Brianna began as an intern at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce in 2006 as her final requirement for graduation from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, helping with member event management.  Because she quickly proved herself to be responsible, dependable, and forward thinking, she was then tasked with researching groups of young professionals throughout the nation.

Upon graduating in the summer of 2006, she was hired by at the Chamber as Business Services Coordinator.  During her first year of employment, she continued research on young professional groups and when the Chamber decided to begin a young professional group, she was promoted and became the first Manager of Vision Fort Worth, the Chamber’s new young professional program.  Brianna was tasked with building the program from scratch, implementing best practices learned through her research.

She now directs the implementation of all strategy and activities related to Vision Fort Worth, including: a 24-person advisory committee which includes five volunteer sub-committees, a mentoring program, member events, ongoing research to better market Fort Worth and engage young professionals, creating and producing marketing materials and updating visionfw.com, fulfilling sponsorship expectations, and working with Mayor Price and the City of Fort Worth’s new Steer Fort Worth program.  The Vision Fort Worth program has grown to 300+ young professionals actively involved.

Without Brianna’s steady and dedicated hand on the helm over the past seven years, the Vision Fort Worth program could not have grown and progressed to its current level of influence.  Young leaders have come to trust that Brianna has their interests at heart and will help voice them to the Fort Worth business establishment.

While there are many young professionals groups in Fort Worth, Vision Fort Worth was one of the first to attain the publicity and prominence that caught the attention of the business community.  It doesn’t exist merely to perpetuate the Chamber’s membership, but to carry out the broader mission of improving Fort Worth’s economic and competitive position in the global marketplace.

In other major communities, some young professionals programs have faltered because of a lack of ability to engage and hold the interest of the demographic.  Thanks to Brianna’s perseverance, Vision Fort Worth’s program has robust participation and momentum.  Now, with Mayor Price’s Steer Fort Worth initiative and Leading Edge (Leadership Fort Worth), Vision Fort Worth continues to lead the way in providing young professionals the opportunity to impact Fort Worth’s future. In fact, under Brianna’s coordination, a local advertising agency is working on a branding campaign and microsite specifically targeted toward relocating YPs to Fort Worth; it is scheduled for launch this spring.

As many entrepreneurs do before starting a business in the for-profit sector, Brianna conducted the research, built a network of young professional leaders in other cities, tailored the program to this market, cultivated a volunteer team and launched the Vision Fort Worth program with the support of Chamber management and investors.  Brianna uses her creativity and technical expertise in producing many of Vision’s events and marketing communications pieces herself – including invitations, brochures, and website maintenance — due to non-profit / recession-related budget constraints. A Leading Edge graduate, she leverages her relationships and continuing education to adapt best practices for Vision FW.

Brianna Broussard embodies the very spirit of 40 Under 40 with her personal work ethic, love of Fort Worth (as a transplant, not a native), leadership skills and maturity beyond her 31 years.  Her journey as an emerging leader began long ago, when she was 16 and working one or more jobs to earn money for college.  She is personally connected to the attraction and retention of young talent in Fort Worth, beyond her job responsibilities.

She understands from personal experience how important it is for a city to be able to provide opportunity for young talent to grow. Her dedication to that idea, at times in the face of intransigent tradition or uniformed criticisms, has not wavered, and Fort Worth’s young professionals are more empowered than ever because of Brianna’s foundational work.

Fort Worth’s image is headed for a new frontier – the minds and ambitions of gifted Young Professionals (YPs) who don’t know they would relish life and work here.

Vision Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s YP program, will launch a branding campaign this year to sell YPs in targeted markets on building their futures here.

Fueled with research from Texas Christian University and expertise from the Concussion High Impact Communications, the branding initiative focuses on high-stakes efforts to attract and retain YPs, said Ryan Cormier, interactive specialist with Ratio Digital and vice chairman of Vision Fort Worth.

“Both Vision and the Chamber understand that Fort Worth’s long-term success depends on its ability to attract and retain top young talent,” he said, “and to cultivate leaders to steer our city’s future. This initiative is proof of both groups’ unwavering commitment to keeping Fort Worth on the right track.”

“We want people out of the city, out of the state, to see that Fort Worth is a complex city with much to offer, said Susanna Gorski, a realtor with Williams Trew Sotheby’s International Realty and a member of Vision’s branding committee.

“I do not want us to copy a city. Fort Worth is not the next Austin or the next Portland or the next New York. We are Fort Worth. … yes, we are Cowtown, and yes we are where the West begins, but we are also home to three world class art museums, a vibrant performing arts community, and a civically engaged city,” she said.

Those were among Fort Worth’s greatest strengths noted by YPs in response to surveys, focus groups and other branding initiative research the Chamber began in 2010 with help from the Marketing Department at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business.

A series of Big Brainstorm sessions, in conjunction with Mayor Betsy Price’s Steer Fort Worth young-adult initiative and Leadership Fort Worth, sought input from residents age 20-40 on what could make Fort Worth more vigorous and appealing to YPs.

Results of those sessions and related research found opportunities for improvement in areas such as transportation and infrastructure, public education, employment and urban development.

Additional research will seek feedback from major local employers, human resources professionals and recruiters regarding recruitment strategies they employ to attract top job candidates to their companies and Fort Worth.

Secondary research explored perceptions of Fort Worth in comparable cities (Dallas, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Charlotte, N.C.) and aspirational cities (Atlanta, Austin, Denver and Portland).

Key findings included limited or no YP familiarity with Fort Worth in those cities. Denver YPs, for instance, think of Fort Worth as “hot, dry, far,” “suburb of Dallas,” “too conservative” and simply “Texas (not said nicely).”

Such are the challenges that Vision and Concussion aim to tackle.

Meanwhile, local YPs have an “overwhelmingly positive” view of Fort Worth, TCU research found. Their perceptions ranged from “large city with small town feel” to “laid back culture,” “fantastic restaurants, museum and entertainment” and “works like a city, acts like a town.”

Gorski, a Fort Worth native who has lived in Austin, Vermont and Paris, is among those who praise Fort Worth’s charm and opportunities.

“I have gotten to sit next to Van Cliburn and discuss his favorite piano concertos,” she said. “I’ve gotten to meet up-and-coming contemporary painters and sculptors and discuss their careers … I have met a session drummer from the Grateful Dead. I have helped raise money to build a garden at a charter school.

“All of this because of the unparalled access I gain from being involved in the organizations that make this city thrive … (and) provide the proximity to greatness.”

In 1882, city leaders organized the Fort Worth Board of Trade to grow the “queen city of the plains.” Local prospects for economic expansion seemed limitless. Just like today. If that pioneer Board, which became the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce in 1912, could glimpse results of its vision 130 years later, there would be celebration, considering these Chamber highlights from 2011-12.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Chamber’s Economic Development Division secured 15 projects in 2011 with estimated economic impact of $1.2 billion, according to an analysis by Austin-based Impact DataSource. The projects represent nearly 3,500 jobs, more than 3.2 million square feet of real estate and $587 million in capital investments.

GE Manufacturing Solutions announced an expansion of both its locomotive and mining equipment production to Fort Worth’s Alliance corridor.

At the forefront was GE Transportation’s selection of Fort Worth as the site for its new state-of-the-art locomotive manufacturing facility. The move will create about 500 high-tech manufacturing jobs and could add 275 more in the near future.

Bell Helicopter unveiled plans to invest around $240 million for 200,000 square feet of new offices and a 50,000-square-foot training academy at its Fort Worth headquarters; the plan will create 220 jobs. Alcon/Novartis announced an $18 million renovation and expansion to its campus, adding its Financial Service Center and 800 jobs.

FTS, International, formerly Frac Tech, bought a 558,000-square-foot building in Railhead Industrial Park for development as a state-of-the-art manufacturing, repair and testing operation, creating an estimated 800 jobs.

LinkAmerica, a regional transportation and logistics services provider, announced plans to expand to a 24,000-square-foot corporate office and training center in CentrePort Business Park. The move will create approximately 140 jobs.

Online broker TD Ameritrade announced plans for an $11.2 million remodeling and expansion of its 47,000-square-foot Alliance facility, which will create nearly 500 jobs by the end of 2015.

For the fifth time in the past eight years, Site Selection magazine named the Fort Worth Chamber as one of 2011’s Top 20 Economic Development Groups in the United States. The magazine ranked the GE Transportation locomotive manufacturing plant among the Top North American Deals of 2011.

“A Decade of Drilling,” a Chamber-commissioned economic and financial analysis of Barnett Shale impact, found that the gas play has become an im­mense and growing economic engine in the 24-county North Texas region and Texas. The analysis, conducted by The Perryman Group of Waco and released in September, estimated that 38.5 percent of the region’s economic growth since 2001 stems from Barnett Shale activity. Perryman estimated $11.1 billion in annual regional output alone.

International activity focused on exploring business and cultural opportunities in Mexico, Germany, Japan, China and Australia. Qantas Airways’ launch of non-stop service from DFW International Airport to Sydney and Brisbane opened new doors to the South Pacific region.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

The Chamber’s Distinguished Employers of Fort Worth Teens (DEFWT) program set a record for participation in 2011-12, more than doubling since launched in 2007. Some 69 employers in 288 locations are employing nearly 2,000 students in Fort Worth ISD schools.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $4.9 million education and training grant to Workforce Solutions and partners, including the Chamber, to place 385 unemployed individuals in engineering and information technology jobs in the region’s aerospace industry.

Fort Worth Chamber staff provided oversight and technical assistance for GO Centers in all 13 of the Fort Worth Independent School District’s high schools and three alternative campuses as well as schools in other area ISDs. The centers and mentors help 7,500 students annually to research career ideas, college plans and financial aid.

Job Links EXCELerator helped employers to quickly fill openings. Presented by the Chamber and AT&T, the program announces an average of 500-1,200 jobs monthly.

GOVERNMENT AND URBAN AFFAIRS

The Chamber’s legislative agenda overcame budget knives and competing interests in the 82nd Legislature to win key victories. Efforts also blocked initiatives that could have ended the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) and the Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). Legislation increased the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) from $67 million to $150 million and transferred $20 million to workforce programs. Meanwhile, the Legislature freed up another $3 billion of bonding authority for transportation projects, which voters approved in 2007 when they passed Proposition 12

Long-awaited work began on the $103 million Tower 55 Multi-Modal Project southeast of downtown Fort Worth. The project will expand rail capacity by 30 percent at one of the United States’ most congested rail intersections. Plans for the public-private initiative led by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific include building a third north-south rail line and improvements at several pedestrian crossings to make them safer.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for Chisholm Trail Parkway in December included (visible l to r): NCTCOG Director of Transportation Micheal Morris, Senator Wendy Davis, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Mayor Betsy Price, Johnson County Judge Roger Harmon, NTTA Chairman Kenneth Barr, former Mayor Mike Moncrief, and Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks.

Chisholm Trail Parkway groundbreaking ceremonies on Dec. 20 celebrated a 40-year-old dream come true. The $1.4 billion, 27.6-mile toll road from downtown Fort Worth south to Cleburne in Johnson County will end gridlock along I35 and in west Fort Worth while tapping extensive economic development potential along the way. The project is a collaboration between the North Texas Tollway Authority, Texas Department of Transportation, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Tarrant and Johnson counties, along with the cities of Fort Worth, Burleson and Cleburne, and Western Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad.

Fort Worth Chamber officials and members teamed up April 16-18 with the Dallas Regional Chamber for the bi-annual Congressional Summit with North Texas’ congressional delegation and policymakers in Washington, D.C.

MEMBER PROGRAMS

The Chamber expanded its membership benefit levelsto seven tiers to meet members’ business goals. Levels range from a base membership of $435 annually to $30,000+, depending on business size and benefits desired.

Members received more than 3,500 referrals from Chamber staff, and the online member directory was searched 42,936 times.

Archit Sanghvi, Pearl Hospitality, was a table leader at the Big Brainstorm, where Fort Worth’s young professionals shared and refined ideas for the city’s future.

Members of Vision Fort Worth, the Chamber’s program for Young Professionals, played central roles in the Big Brainstorm series, a community visioning partnership with young adults in Mayor Betsy Price’s Steer Fort Worth program. Facilitated by Leadership Fort Worth and incorporating branding research assistance from TCU’s Neeley School of Business, Brainstorm sessions gave residents age 20-40 an opportunity to share their ideas for making Fort Worth more competitive in attracting and retaining young talent.

Women Influencing Business leaders Cynthia Sadler (r ) and Lynn Montgomery (l) welcomed Barbara Pierce Bush as the keynote speaker at the inaugural Best Workplaces for Women Awards in November

A joint research project led by the Chamber’s Women Influencing Business (WIB) program set out to define ideal workplaces for women. With assistance from Texas Woman University’s Small Business Institute (SBI), work was done in collaboration with the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber and Metropolitan Black Chamber. Findings established criteria for the Chamber’s inaugural “Best Workplaces for Women” award.

Mayor Betsy Price sketched city priorities and initiatives in her first State of the City address. The Feb. 23 event at Fort Worth Convention Center drew 1,400 attendees, setting record levels of attendance. Price, who introduced a new Q&A format for response to the public’s questions, covered issues ranging from the city’s budgetary challenges to transportation priorities.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley inaugurated the annual State of the Countyreport. In a Nov. 17 presentation at the Omni Fort Worth hotel, Whitley outlined the county’s operations and involvement in a wide range of challenges affecting one of the United States’ fastest-growing counties. The event, originated by the Fort Worth Chamber, was presented by Tarrant Area Chambers of Commerce.

Judge Glen Whitley (l), seen here with Chamber Vice Chair Whit Smith, spoke at the first State of the County address in November.

Federal health care reform and wellness initiatives were explored at the Chamber’s annual Health Care Summit in November. The half-day event at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary focused heavily on reforms that are part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

The Chamber’s Impact Your Business series for small business executives was repackaged to deliver breakfast and lunch meetings with tight focus on professional and business-development topics suggested by members. About 1,000 attendees benefited from 10 workshops with topics like social media strategy, web marketing, selling a business and tax preparation.

The Chamber’s 25th annual Golf Classic Sept. 19 at Ridglea Country Club drew more than 300 players. The event is one of the Chamber’s largest fundraisers.

Dubbed the Sports Series, successful high-profile luncheons included the Colonial Preview, TCU football preview with Coach Gary Patterson and a Texas Rangers Q&A with CEO and president Nolan Ryan.

NEW MEDIA

My Chamber App, a free interactive mobile application, allows smartphone users to carry the chamber member directory in their pockets.  It’s available for iPhone, Droid and Blackberry.

An iPad sales presentation was developed that allows a customized approach for each prospective member meeting.

Digital versions of the Newcomer’s and Economic Development guides are now available along with print versions. Content also is carried on Livability.com and BusinessClimate.com for additional search engine optimization.

A suite of websites for the Chamber, Economic Development and Vision Fort Worth, with fresh design and improved navigation, is in development for launch this summer.

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Tarrant County companies with exemplary practices for attracting, retaining and nurturing young professionals (YPs) will be honored today at Cendera Center with Vision Fort Worth’s 20/20 Awards.

Jon Gabriel, Vision FW Chair

The awards “recognize Fort Worth companies who have made the city a better place for young professionals to live, work and play,” said Jon Gabriel, BNSF Railway’s director of merchandise service design and chairman of Vision Fort Worth, the Chamber’s YP initiative.

“Candidates for the award have demonstrated their commitment to not only attract and retain young talent but have also invested in young professionals today with an eye on the future of Fort Worth in the years to come.”

“These awards are part of our ongoing initiative to attract and keep young talent in our workforce,” said Bill Thornton, Chamber president and CEO. “With thousands of baby boomers nearing retirement in our factories, labs, schools and offices, it’s critical that we showcase Fort Worth’s diverse employment opportunities to the Gen Y demographic.”

More than 50 local companies were nominated for the awards. Three winners will be announced at a reception after today’s community-visioning Big Brainstorm II, a forum in which young Fort Worth residents address issues of concern and recommend solutions.

This year’s 20/20 competition, the only such YP-focused competition locally, coincides with a Chamber research and branding project and increasing awareness of the need to groom YPs in the business community, which is also an aim of Mayor Betsy Price’s Steer Fort Worth program for young leaders.

The nine finalists are:

Small Company (1-45 employees): Open Channels Group, public relations agency specializing in multicultural communications; Integra Realty Resources DFW, commercial real estate consulting and valuation/appraisal assignments; Consuro Managed Technology, comprehensive IT services.

Mid-Size Company (46-200 employees): VLK Architects, architectural and interior design services; Hartman Leito & Bolt, accounting, tax consulting, CPA firm; Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd., construction manager and general contractor services.

Large Company (201+ employees): Whitley Penn, accounting, risk management, tax consulting firm; Catholic Charities Fort Worth, non-profit services to strengthen families; Bell Helicopter, civil and military helicopter manufacturer.

Thornton commended the companies’ commitment to the YP workforce.

“The business community has responded with support and mentoring, and the young professionals have embraced the opportunities,” he said. “We’re proud to shine a spotlight on the outstanding companies who are leading the way.”

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Vision Fort Worth

Steer Fort Worth Program

Nine Tarrant County businesses have been named finalists for Vision Fort Worth’s 20/20 Awards, which recognize companies that excel in attracting, retaining and engaging young professionals.

Vision Fort Worth is the young professionals initiative of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, launched in 2007. No other award program in Fort Worth recognizes companies for their attention to the YP workforce.

“This is the next step in a critical initiative to attract and keep young talent in our workforce,” said Bill Thornton, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber. “The business community has responded with support and mentoring, and the young professionals have embraced the opportunities. Now it’s time to shine a spotlight on the outstanding companies who are leading the way.”

The 20/20 Awards will be judged and voted upon by YPs. Companies are judged on benefits, training and empowerment, community and quality of life offerings, as well as YP recruitment and recognition. Vision Fort Worth defines YPs as being between the ages of 20 and 40.

The business owners and representatives will be honored at an Awards reception April 27^th as part of the Big Brainstorm event, a community forum that allows Fort Worth’s young residents to address issues of concern and discuss how they can make an impact in their community.

Finalists are:

Small Company

• Open Channels Group
• Integra Realty Resources DFW, LLP
• Consuro Managed Technology

Mid Size Company

• VLK Architects, Inc.
• Hartman Leito & Bolt, LLP
• Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd.

Large Company

• Whitley Penn LLP
• Catholic Charities Fort Worth
• Bell Helicopter

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More info about the Vision 20/20 Awards

The race to attract and retain best young talent in the near future is gaining momentum in Fort Worth and competitor cities where visioning efforts are defining paths to greater urban appeal.

It’s a vital contest that requires commitment to transparency and close collaboration, says Rebecca Ryan, a recognized expert in helping communities and organizations prepare for next-generation issues in the workplace and elsewhere.

Rebecca Ryan

“You must have buy-in from not only your target market but also key stakeholders,” said Ryan, author of “Live First, Work Second,” founder of Madison, Wis.-based Next Generation Consulting (NGC) and a former professional basketball player.

“Cities should be thinking of their growth efforts as a relay race, making sure you have current leaders and future leaders at the strategy and decision-making table today for easy hand-off tomorrow.”

Ryan will deliver the luncheon keynote address April 27 at The Big Brainstorm II, a Community Visioning initiative of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Vision Fort Worth program for Young Professionals (YPs).

The event at the Cendera Center follows the inaugural Brainstorm last December at the Fort Worth Convention Center, where scores of residents age 20-40 prioritized core issues related to shaping a city with maximum appeal to YPs.

In concert with Mayor Betsy Price’s Steer Fort Worth program for young leaders and facilitated by Leadership Fort Worth, participants are serving on task forces focused on the top four priorities — education, public transit, employment and urban development. The group hopes to make policy recommendations to the City Council sometime this summer.

Brainstorm II participants will polish their thinking in a workshop. They also will hear a consultant’s report on Community Visioning branding research led by Stacy Landreth Grau, associate professor of Professional Practice in Marketing at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, and her colleague, Associate Professor Susan Kleiser.

Research includes a look at around 160 YPs age 22-45 in each of eight “comparable and aspirational” cities where, as in Fort Worth, visioning initiatives are at work – Austin; Charlotte, N.C.; Denver, Colo.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Portland, Ore.; Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City.

Preliminary results point to a marketing opportunity, Grau said. They indicate that Fort Worth is not well-known among those YPs. The research is the foundation for a branding strategy designed to attract and retain young professionals in the Fort Worth area.

Ryan is familiar with such a challenge and how the visioning process can impact it.

“Cities that can be considered talent magnets, or what Next Generation Consulting calls ‘Next Cities,’ are places with the assets and amenities that attract and keep a young, educated workforce,” she said. “Think bustling city centers, walkable neighborhoods, diverse career opportunities and a vibrant art and music scene.”

“Attaining those and other quality-of-life advantages that will attract and retain talented YPs are priorities on the community visioning agenda,” said Brianna Broussard, the Chamber’s Vision FW manager.

There’s urgency nationwide in taking such steps, she said, as 23 million Baby Boomers retire this year while only 10 million Gen Xs (those born between 1963-78) and Gen Ys (those born after 1978) enter the workforce.

Fort Worth’s visioning efforts are timely and vital, she said.

“The payoff for cities who take on some kind of visioning process is in the implementation and collaborative efforts of achieving the vision,” Ryan said.

“Look to cities like Columbus, Ohio,” where in 2006 NGC partnered with the city’s public and private sectors and YPs to develop strategies for attracting and retaining YPs, or, as Mayor Michael Coleman referred to them, “the young and restless.”

Among positive results on several fronts, NGC reports, was the Columbus region’s gain of 2,700 YPs age 20-39 between 2006 and 2008.

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Next Generation Consulting website.

Vision Fort Worth.

Steer Fort Worth Program.

Mayor Betsy Price

Mayor Betsy Price will sketch her priorities and initiatives for Fort Worth when she delivers her first State of the City address Feb. 23 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Presented by Southwest Bank, the State of the City is the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s largest annual event.

Price will bring a new approach – a candid Q&A format with attendees. She shared some advance thoughts with the Chamberletter. Here are excerpts:

1. What’s ahead for Fort Worth in 2012?

I think 2012 will be a good year – maybe a little bit of a slower year, but hopefully as strong as 2011. The City won’t have a robust budget. We have to get our spending and expenses in line, and that’ll be a challenge, but I think it’ll be a great opportunity for significant recruiting of business. We’ve got to get our emphasis back on building our tax base and working on our businesses. We have to start with that.

We have a task force that’s going to start thinking about a focus on international business. We hope to be working with the Chamber and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. When I was in China in early December, China told us they’d have $17 trillion to invest although their economy is slowing somewhat, too, but they know they have $70 billion to invest in the next five years, and they’re very interested in what Texas does and what we do — not only the energy piece, but they said they need engineers, architects; they want to come and look at how our economic development works. We’re much more efficient on heating and cooling of buildings than they are.

China is a big piece of our international trade outlook. Right now they’re very interested in our energy industry. They have three big shale plays discovered there, and they are talking to us because Fort Worth is at the heart of the U.S. shale play. There are bigger shale plays than here, but we’re the first in that (because of the Barnett Shale), and China is very positive about what our energy companies do here, and they want to know what the city has done and what the Chamber has done to help promote that.

We’re going to develop an outreach for international business. There are so many opportunities out there to promote Fort Worth. We’re going to talk about that in the State of the City report.

2. What’s at the heart of your State of the City report?

The basic messages: The City is committed to getting back into living within its means, getting spending to match expenses, promoting Fort Worth, growing jobs, bringing more industry here, and that we are committed as a city to helping our businesses get back to basic city functions and also that Fort Worth has got to focus on education. We have to help our partners in education. The community is going to have to talk about education at every level, but especially at the public level. And we can help our partners at the Fort Worth ISD and the other schools. We must get our focus back, get our private partnerships and our private industry involved in education. We’ve got to make it a priority. We’ll never have an educated workforce if we don’t. And we are not the school board and we will never be and don’t want to be, but we certainly need to be the tool to help raise community awareness.

3. What progress can be made this year in addressing City pension plan issues?

The pension plan (work) is a process. We didn’t get here overnight. We won’t get (solutions) all at once overnight. We’ve had our first round of negotiating with police – how talks will proceed. We’re committed to holding the line as to where the city contribution is now. It’s too high, but that’s where it is. I’m optimistic that the political will to find solutions is there. It has to be, but it won’t be solved overnight, and we need the community to be supportive of our moving forward on this.

4. To what extent can the city meet infrastructure needs this year?

We charged Doug Wiersig, our public works director, with an 18-month plan to deliver projects included in the recent bond programs going back to 2004. Those are streets and infrastructure all over the city. Get the current bond projects delivered and hopefully our citizens are going to see the City is serious about getting our infrastructure better. And at some point we may need to issue some additional debt to finish this process, but public works has got to get a business mindset about them and get the projects delivered. And then we’ll go to our citizens and ask how we can deliver the rest of what they want.

5. What’s on tap this year for your young leaders initiative, Steer Fort Worth?

Our young leaders are on fire. It’s really interesting because we asked some of them recently why are you so excited about this? They said no one has ever asked us specifically to get engaged with the city, asked us what we see when the city grows up and when we grow up. They really are fired up about it. They’ve picked four main topics – education, public transit, employment and urban development — and they’ll be working on them and reporting to the council as they go along on the development of their projects and then hopefully this summer they’ll be delivering some hard work they’ve done with some great ideas and maybe some solutions. They came out of the Brainstorm and the first meeting at Joe T’s. The group that’s helping facilitate it — Leadership Fort Worth — is excited. I’m pleased as can be. The key is to get these folks engaged at every level and keep the momentum rolling. And this group is very diverse.

6. What would you most like to be known for?

For getting the city open for business, user-friendly with a focus on education. I’d like to be known most for getting the city back into a business mindset. The city is a business, and we have to get back to delivering that basic business service within our means. We can’t ask people to go on funding us indefinitely (with operations) that they don’t all see are worthwhile.

7. You set a wonderful example of how to connect with people: you bike with them, you’re at events with them. What does that say about Betsy Price?

I hope it says that I’m engaged and interested and that we’re a healthy community that gets out and gets involved. (Mayor) Mike (Moncrief) always said: “The Fort Worth Way.” I find myself saying more and more: “This is your Fort Worth.” We’re the 16^th largest city in the nation. We have to figure out how to govern like the citizens of this city want us to. And that’ll be one of the State of the City messages: This is your Fort Worth. Get engaged. Tell us what you need.

A more vigorous, appealing Fort Worth waits to be found, and local leadership believes younger residents can chart the course.

That’s among the aims of The Big Brainstorm Dec. 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Scores of residents age 20-40 will join with The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Vision Fort Worth program for Young Professionals (YPs), Mayor Betsy Price’s young adult initiative, Steer Fort Worth, and Leadership Fort Worth (LFW) to explore and prioritize core city issues related to tapping the city’s potential.

“It’s not often you find a community like Fort Worth that so greatly values the voice of its young citizens,” said Brianna Broussard, Vision Fort Worth manager. “We welcome an opportunity to be part of an initiative that empowers this demographic to build a community that is of their own design.”

Price said hers is an open-door initiative as explained on its website, www.fortworthtexas.gov/steerfw/. “You don’t have to have a college degree or fancy title to be a part of this group. It’s about finding those young adults in our community who have something to say but aren’t necessarily engaged otherwise.”

Chiefly, “this session will lay the foundation for emerging leaders in our community to gain more insight about these issues and develop a plan to take action in 2012,” said LFW Program Director Jan Titsworth, who will co-facilitate the event with LFW Executive Director Harriet Harral, LFW Leading Edge alums and Vision Fort Worth members.

Participants “will have the opportunity to become more engaged in task forces and in other ways to begin making a difference,” she said.

The mayor’s office sent a list of 12 key issues to prospective Brainstorm participants, said Jason Lamers, manager of Media and Public Affairs, “to see what they want to talk about. We’ll ask them to vote (on which are the most pressing issues), then we’ll pick the top four and we’ll talk about those and have breakout groups for each topic.”

Leadership Fort Worth will set up task forces on each issue for participants to develop further action.

Issues on the mayor’s list were Education (e.g., public schools, private schools, universities), Employment opportunities in a wide range of fields, Safety (e.g., crime rate, street lights), Environmentally friendly (e.g., air quality, recycling), Public transportation (e.g., access, availability), Social diversity (e.g., ethnic, socio-economic), Developed Downtown Core, Nightlife (e.g., restaurants, clubs, live music), Cultural Amenities (e.g., museums, symphony, ballet), Parks and Recreation, and Cost of Living.

The mayor is looking for participants to recommend policy direction to the City Council, said Lamers.

Mayor Price also envisions “a think tank of 20- to 40-year-old residents who have a vision for what Cowtown can become,” according to the City’s Young Leaders Initiative website.

“As mayor, one of my top priorities is to foster an ongoing positive relationship with you, tomorrow’s leaders, and encourage the kind of civic involvement that will shape the future of our community.”

Vision Fort Worth Manager Brianna Broussard said the mayor’s initiatives and the Brainstorm dovetail seamlessly with the Chamber’s Community Visioning project.

The effort seeks to nurture YPs’ civic involvement and thinking on what the city will need by 2035 to attract and retain young professionals at a time when cities everywhere will be competing for a limited pool of workers.

“With a growing number of baby boomers set to leave the workforce over the next several years, the Gen X and Gen Y demographic is becoming an increasingly sought-after group with many choices in where to live and work,” Broussard said.

“Engaging them now gives Fort Worth the competitive advantage it will need later when cities across the county will be competing for young talent.”

Mayor Betsy Price’s Steer Fort Worth website for young leaders.

Vision Fort Worth website.

Leadership Fort Worth website.

In just a few short weeks Vision FW will once again offer mentoring opportunities for young professionals. Beginning in October, a select group of Vision FW members will be paired with one local business leader to meet for one on one mentoring sessions.  In addition, the group of mentees will meet once monthly at the office of one mentor for an open Q and A. Each mentee will have the opportunity to meet at least 6 business and community leaders throughout the program. The program will run through April 2012.

During the last two years, Vision FW has successfully facilitated more than 30 mentoring relationships between area young professionals and local business leaders.  The Vision FW mentoring program provides YPs the opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enhancing their awareness of issues and trends having impact on the city, and encourages them to actively participate in the future success of the Fort Worth. The ultimate goal is to empower young professionals to achieve and sustain leadership roles in this community.

Vision FW has had great response in the amount of applications and interest from YPs; however, Mentors are needed and can apply online here or contact Vision FW Manager, Brianna Broussard.

Research shows that 75 percent of executives point to mentoring as playing a key role in their careers, and 44 percent of CEOs list mentoring programs as one of the three most effective strategies to enhance women’s advancement into senior management.

Fort Worth Chamber President and CEO, Bill Thornton can certainly attest to that, stating that mentoring has been an important part of his life and career.

“I was blessed to have four people in different phases of my life that had a significant impact on me. Without any one of them, I would not be where I am today,” he said.

To learn more about the Vision FW mentoring program, visit http://www.visionfw.com/mentoring.html

Where do you see Fort Worth ranked among other progressive U.S. cities? And, what community assets will shape a livable Fort Worth in the next 25 to 30 years?

Vision FW, the chamber’s young professional organization for ages 20-40, offers you the opportunity to provide feedback on a Fort Worth of the future that is of your own design. Join us by taking this anonymous, 15-minute online survey.

Go to: www.visionfw.com

People from all disciplines, socio-economic backgrounds, neighborhoods and interests are encouraged to participate to reveal a comprehensive impression of Fort Worth’s present and future potential.

So how did this develop?

Last year Vision FW, partnered with TCU’s Neely School of Business MBA students in a community branding initiative. Focus groups identified what the 20-40 age demographic thinks about the community currently, how Fort Worth compares to other top US cities and how they envision Fort Worth in the next 25 to 30 years.

Based upon the initial research, TCU Neeley School Marketing professors, Drs. Stacy Grau and Susan Kleiser, then developed a survey as part of a broader research effort. The survey asks for your evaluation of the Fort Worth area and other metropolitan areas and covers a range of topics important to you: comparable cities, workforce, education, transportation, nightlife, culture, etc.

The responses will be revealed at a half-day event dubbed “The Big Brainstorm” in early December, and will form the foundation for future planning and involvement of young professionals in long-term community visioning initiatives.