Why Vision 2025’s year 2 goals matter in the Texas Innovation Corridor

First and foremost, a very happy 2022 to every one of you. As we begin this new calendar year, I am excited to announce the second year of the regional economic development strategy Vision 2025.

Long-time readers of this column are likely familiar with Vision 2025. If you're a new reader, Vision 2025 is the regional five-year consensus-driven and community-built blueprint for growing the regional economy for attracting new employers, expanding our current employers, and increasing economic prosperity. One of the fundamental tenets of this strategy is to evolve with new actionable plans every year, ensuring that we continue to advance our region as the best place to live and do business.

We have 15 new action items for this fiscal year, all of which are individually championed by a community leader and served by a Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP) liaison. Each strategic action item will feature a community-built workgroup of volunteers tasked to execute initiatives towards Vision 2025's community goals.

These workgroups are currently recruiting volunteers, and we encourage anyone interested and who would like to be a part of shaping the region's future to do so! Sign-up forms, as well as the complete list of actions, individual champions, and GSMP staff involvement, are available on our website at GreaterSanMarcosTX.com/Vision2025.

I am proud to say that in Vision 2025's second year, these workgroups will stand on the foundations built by the incredible successes of volunteers in 2021. In that inaugural year, workgroups achieved multiple accomplishments, including such highlights as creating a regional workforce council, formalizing marketing strategies for recruitment processes, and forming a regional conservation committee to preserve the significant natural assets of the Texas Innovation Corridor.

The work done by these workgroups is what makes our region the best place to live in the country. Employers have noticed the work of these groups, which has helped result in our region’s new corporate locations, the creation of good-paying jobs, and recent multi-million-dollar investments into our communities.

2022 carries this momentum, both in economic development and through the continued involvement of volunteers who push the needle towards accomplishing the goals set in Vision 2025.

I am thankful for and to our local business and civic leaders who continue to make the vision a reality. This thanks is extended to those who plan to volunteer in this second year and continue to champion the region's unparalleled successes and collaboration that make the Texas Innovation Corridor the best place in the country to live and do business.

My staff and I always welcome your participation in Vision 2025 and are happy to answer your questions. You can reach me at jasong@greatersanmarcostx.com or via Twitter @JasonGiulietti.