There’s some “stuff Doug’s dad said” that I’m pretty sure he never actually said, but ought to have.
One of those is:
“Son, if decisions are being made about you, you’d better find a way to get yourself in the room.”
Good advice for a kid. Better advice for a Chamber of Commerce.
On Wednesday and Thursday, staff and volunteer leaders representing your Abilene Chamber of Commerce, the Abilene Regional Growth Alliance and our Military Affairs Council joined other community stakeholders at the West Texas Legislative Summit in San Angelo.
Why?
Because being in the room matters.
The Texas Legislature will soon return to Austin, and many of the issues likely to command its attention have enormous implications for Abilene, the Big Country and West Texas.
Water. Energy and electric infrastructure. The extraordinary growth of data centers and artificial intelligence. Taxes and the regulatory burden on Texas employers. Economic development and workforce.
And, especially important to us, policies affecting military installations, military families and communities like ours that proudly support them.
These aren’t abstract policy discussions for Abilene.
They’re happening in our backyard.
Our community is experiencing an extraordinary convergence of opportunity: historic private investment, rapidly expanding AI and data infrastructure, tremendous energy demand, continued growth and future missions at Dyess Air Force Base, new jobs, new residents and new demands on housing, water, transportation and other infrastructure.
Those opportunities are exciting.
But growth doesn’t manage itself.
And public policy matters.
That’s why the Abilene Chamber — the Voice of Business in the Big Country — was there.
Our responsibility isn’t simply to react to legislation after it’s filed. It’s to listen early, understand the issues, engage policymakers and business leaders, build relationships across West Texas and make certain the perspective of Abilene employers is represented as policy begins taking shape.
As our Director of Government Affairs Norm Archibald puts it:
“Effective advocacy starts long before a vote is taken in Austin. It starts by understanding the issues, building trusted relationships and making sure policymakers understand how their decisions ultimately affect employers, employees and communities back home.”
The Summit gave our delegation an opportunity to do exactly that.
We heard directly from policymakers and subject-matter experts. We engaged with leaders who will help shape the conversations ahead. We spent time with neighboring West Texas communities, compared challenges, discussed opportunities and strengthened relationships that will be important to this region in the months and years ahead.
Chamber Board Chairman Brad Benham sees that engagement as fundamental to our responsibility to members:
“Our members expect their Chamber to be watching what’s ahead, not simply responding after decisions have been made. Showing up, listening and advocating for a strong business climate is one of the most important responsibilities we have as the Voice of Business.”
We were also reminded of something else:
Abilene doesn’t succeed in isolation.
Water doesn’t stop at the city limits.
Neither does electricity.
Neither does workforce.
Neither does transportation.
Neither does economic opportunity.
And neither should our advocacy.
There will certainly be times when West Texas communities compete. That’s healthy. But there are many more occasions when Abilene, San Angelo and communities throughout our region share interests that are considerably stronger when expressed with a collective voice.
That’s regionalism at its best — not surrendering our individual interests, but recognizing where our interests intersect.
Abilene Regional Growth Alliance Chairman Will Dugger describes it this way:
“The scale of opportunity coming to West Texas is bigger than any one city or organization. Water, power, workforce, housing and infrastructure are regional issues. Our ability to collaborate where our interests align will have a great deal to do with how successfully we capture this moment.”
And for Abilene, there is another responsibility that is deeply personal.
Dyess Air Force Base is not simply an economic asset. It is part of the fabric of this community. Decisions made in Austin can affect infrastructure, education, spouse employment, professional licensing, quality of life and other issues important to the Airmen and families who serve our nation here.
Major General John Nichols, USAF (Ret.), our Chamber Vice President for Military Affairs, reminds us why sustained engagement matters:
“Supporting the mission at Dyess means supporting the Airmen and families who make that mission possible. When state policy can improve quality of life, strengthen infrastructure or remove obstacles for military families, Abilene needs to be engaged, informed and ready to advocate. Mission readiness and community readiness go hand in hand.”
Our work in San Angelo is also part of a larger process already underway at your Chamber.
We are preparing our legislative agenda for the upcoming session — listening to our members and partners, identifying the issues most important to Abilene businesses and our region, and determining where the Voice of Business needs to be heard most clearly.
We won’t agree with every proposal.
We won’t win every issue.
And we shouldn’t expect to.
But we will show up.
We will do our homework.
We will build relationships.
We will advocate thoughtfully and respectfully.
And when decisions affecting Abilene businesses, Dyess Air Force Base and the future of this region are being discussed, we’ll do everything we can to make certain Abilene has a seat at the table.
My dad would’ve liked that.
Or at least I’m pretty sure he would have.
Onward!