HOUSTON (January 31, 2025) – The Greater Houston Partnership announced the launch of its new five-year strategic framework, Houston Next: Advancing Opportunity, during its Annual Meeting. This comprehensive plan builds upon the organization’s work to position Houston as a world-class hub for economic growth, innovation, and quality of life. "Our region is on a remarkable trajectory, and rapid economic and workforce changes demand bold action to ensure Houston leads in talent, innovation, and resilience,” said Partnership President and CEO Steve Kean. “By fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for all, we are paving the way for a brighter future. Our new strategic plan will drive growth, create opportunity, and strengthen our community." Over the past six years, the Partnership has made significant progress through its core economic development and public policy work, along with key initiatives such as UpSkill Houston, Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and One Houston Together. These efforts have laid a strong foundation for the new strategic framework, which focuses on three core pillars: Prosperity, People, and Place, with a particular focus on two strategic imperatives: Talent & Economic Mobility and Resilience. Three Core Pillars Prosperity: This pillar focuses on advancing a strong, diverse economy through proactive economic development that attracts global investment and drives growth across key industries including energy, life sciences, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and digital technology.  People: The focus here is on creating inclusive opportunity and driving economic growth for Houstonians through integrated education and workforce training for high-demand careers.  Place: This pillar aims to build a resilient and vibrant region that supports quality of life and economic growth.  New Strategic Imperatives Talent & Economic Mobility: This imperative focuses on creating a strong, skilled workforce that meets the demands of the future, and creates economic opportunity for more Houstonians. The Partnership will work with employers, education providers, and community organizations to align talent supply with demand, foster inclusivity, and expand apprenticeship programs. Resilience: The goal is to make greater Houston the most resilient coastal city in the world. This involves enhancing critical systems' resilience by convening leading stakeholders who own, operate, and use these systems; advocating for policy solutions that improve infrastructure; and telling Houston's resilience story to attract investment and talent.  "In Houston and at the Partnership, we face the future with optimism and the spirit that together, we can do anything,” Kean said. “Collaboration is Houston’s superpower. And the Partnership’s superpower is our ability to convene, connect, and develop plans with the people, the organizations, and the institutions to get things done." The Partnership is launching a $35 million fundraising campaign to help fund the Houston Next strategic plan.  Lead investors include CenterPoint Energy and Quanta Services, along with Camden Property Trust, Chevron, H-E-B, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann Health System, Mustang Cat, Shell, and Steve Kean. The strategic framework was unveiled during the Partnership’s Annual Meeting. The event also introduced Gretchen Watkins, President of Shell USA, as the Partnership’s 2025 Board Chair. Additionally, the prestigious 2025 Robert C. McNair Award for Civic Leadership was presented to the Love family, recognizing their profound contributions to the greater Houston community. Learn more about Houston Next. Read our 2024 Annual Report. Click to expand ### MEDIA CONTACT:     Brina Morales                 Sr. Director, Communications        bmorales@houston.org            

Every Texas legislative session brings something new: bold policies, fresh faces on the chamber floor, or, in this case, a new focus on making the Texas economy bigger and better. This year, the Texas House and Senate have restructured their standing committees, creating stand-alone panels to emphasize economic development and other key drivers of the state’s economy. In the Texas Senate, returning Senator Phil King will chair the newly formed Committee on Economic Development. Previously, the committee was a policy-combination focusing on Natural Resources and Economic Development. King, who previously served as Vice-Chair for the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce, said he is excited to take on the leadership position in the upper chamber. “I am honored that Lt. Gov. Patrick has entrusted me to lead the Economic Development Committee in Texas, which has the eighth largest economy in the world,” Senator King said in a statement to the Partnership. “We will use this session to discuss policy solutions that can continue to drive our state's economic growth and prosperity over the next two years and beyond. I look forward to hearing from business leaders and local officials from across the state on how we can build upon the Texas Miracle in their communities.” The Texas House created the Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development. Under first-term Speaker Dustin Burrows, the House will have a committee focused on the workforce and expanding the talent pipeline for the first time. Committee assignments for the Texas House have yet to be released.  Burrows told the Partnership he is committed to seeing Texas build a bigger and better economic engine for future generations.  "The Texas House remains focused on delivering legislative solutions that will strengthen our state's mighty economy and provide more economic opportunities for hardworking Texans," said Speaker Dustin Burrows. "This session, the House's new Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development will take a comprehensive approach to ensuring businesses have the freedom and tools to thrive in our state, with a newly created subcommittee concentrating on policies to bolster the Texas workforce. The House will also prioritize support for small businesses through legislation that aims to unleash the power of Texas entrepreneurship in communities across the state by cutting taxes and reforming the regulatory process." It’s too soon to say which bills will go to these committees. For now, a review of the interim reports from the previous committees points to support of key policy priorities for the Partnership: Early Childhood Education: the House and Senate both recognized a statewide need for expanding programs that support families and young children in education/developmental programs The successful implementation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund [HB 1755 - 89(R)] is compelling lawmakers to invest further in innovation and growth for apprenticeship and training programs. Expanding the available workforce talent pool will remain a priority for the 89th Texas Legislature. Click below to read the full interim reports from the following committees: Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development House Committee on International Relations and Economic Development To learn more about the Partnership's Legislative Priorities, click here. For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.