12月4日, Partnership convened the 成员s of each of the nine Public 政策委员会 at the 2019 Policy Summit to share and celebrate their collective accomplishments from this year and plan for the year ahead. 2018年合伙人董事会主席 马克·瓦茨 began the meeting by engaging committee 成员s with the Partnership’s new strategic plan called 休斯顿下.

Although the Policy Summit marked the first significant broad-based engagement of Partnership 成员s on 休斯顿下, 成员s’ efforts in committees have already begun to move the needle on achieving the plan’s strategic goals. 的 work of each committee this year is summarized 在这里.

休斯顿下一步战略, first unveiled at the Partnership’s annual meeting in January, focuses on how to advance Houston as a great global city and the role the Partnership should play in shaping it. 经过多次讨论, Partnership concluded that the new strategic plan would focus on three broad dimensions:

1. 一个伟大的全球化城市必须有 strong, diverse “21st Century” economy.
2. 它必须提供——并以——而闻名 高质量的生活.
3. 它必须提供 人人有机会 – both to its current citizens and those who are attracted to it.

政策峰会期间, committee 成员s divided into three workgroups to develop a deeper understanding of their role in advancing Houston as a great global city as laid out by the 休斯顿下 strategy within these three focus areas and the role their committee will play in reaching those goals.

强劲、多元化的经济
的 皇冠HGA010官方下载谘询委员会，由 斯科特·奈奎斯特，和 可持续发展谘询委员会，由 艾米Chronis, led a discussion on the impacts of the energy transition in building a strong, diverse economy. 皇冠HGA010官方下载 still makes up roughly one-third of Houston’s economy. In order to ensure the continuation of a strong economic base for the region, it is important to position Houston to lead the energy transition. Simply put, no other market in the world has the energy-centric expertise needed to lead the way. Committee 成员s offered their knowledge on how Houston should develop a common language regarding the energy transition. 例如,re are phrases describing the energy transition that are used by various businesses, government entities and other organizations that are not sufficiently aligned or consistent. 的 committees inventoried energy transition activities, including the many technologies that will contribute to effective and efficient carbon management. Finally, committees discussed potential policies that enable or inhibit the energy transition.

高品质的生活
的 交通谘询委员会，由 马克盖椅子，还有 沃尔特·米歇尔，副主席 Infrastructure and Resiliency Advisory Committee，由 克拉克, 医疗保健谘询委员会，由 特洛伊比利亚雷亚尔，和 地方质素谘询委员会，由 里克。坎, identified points of intersection between transportation, 基础设施和弹性, and health care to create a better quality of life for Houstonians. 与交通有关, while Houston’s congestion compares favorably to many of the region’s global peer cities, Houston needs a new mobility plan designed around new technologies and changing demographic and residency patterns. Members recognized that a step has been taken in the right direction when, 在11月, 选民们通过了METRONext计划. 的 plan can have downstream effects by improving transportation infrastructure and routes to health care facilities, 这反过来又提高了生活质量. 在新的一年, 成员s identified the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, 70亿美元, 车站, TxDOT project to rebuild IH-45 from Beltway 8 through downtown as a prime example of transportation, infrastructure and greenspace opportunities aligning to improve quality of life for Houstonians.

人人有机会
的 公众教育谘询委员会，由 安迪·韦特，和 高等教育谘询委员会，由 萨德山, plotted a student’s public 教育 through common milestones and transition points from early through higher 教育. 的 committees discussed common barriers to persistence and completion as well as key wrap around services and proven methods for improving academic achievement. Committee 成员s identified systemwide opportunities for successful student transitions in their various periods of 教育, including potential methods to better support and uplift the teaching profession. 

Fireside Chat with 斯科特·麦克勒兰德 and 鲍比·都铎
At the conclusion of the Policy Summit, Partnership President and CEO, 鲍勃·哈维, moderated a discussion with 2019 board chair 斯科特·麦克勒兰德 即将上任的董事会主席 鲍比·都铎. Harvey asked Tudor what his focus areas will be as chair of the Partnership. Tudor said that following the Partnership’s recent efforts in public 教育, he will continue that work as chair although t在这里 needs to be a firmer grasp on how “人人有机会” is defined. He then stated his primary focus would be on growing Houston’s role in leading the energy transition. In response to a question from Harvey about the growing emphasis on how the Partnership should respond to “conscious capitalism” – from Environmental Social Governance Funds to the Business Roundtable’s issuing a statement that their priority is no longer simply creating shareholder value but also to ensure more inclusive prosperity – Tudor said that the oil and gas industry needs to respond to and be seen as a solutions partner for a low carbon future and a leader in the energy transition. McClelland said that Houston needs to the continue to grow its energy sector but at the same time also look at the commercialization of life sciences, supporting the growth of the port and tech industry to balance the regional economy. 

大家都说, 2019 was an exceptional year at the Partnership made possible by the committee 成员s and chairs. 的 Partnership’s Policy Advisory Committees will continue their work within the 休斯顿下 strategic plan in 2020. For more 信息 about the committees’ accomplishments this year, click 在这里. 

To learn about how to join the 政策委员会, please email 成员.engagement@tb35018.net.