ECONOMIC FORECAST

Speakers offer deep look at area business models

The Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies program at Texas State University held a 50th anniversary kick-off reception at which local business leaders discussed the collaboration between the university, the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greater San Marcos Partnership and how that relationship benefits community commerce.

San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce President Page Michel was the keynote speaker for the night. The evening ended with a “fireside chat,' which was moderated by Texas State University Vice President of Academic Affairs Gene Bourgeois and featured Michel and the Greater San Marcos Partnership Manager of Workforce Development Ted Groholske.

Bourgeois said the aim of the “fireside chat” was to provide a glimpse into the workforce needs of the San Marcos community as well as the entire Innovation Corridor–the area along I-35 from Austin to San Antonio.

According to Bourgeois, the university has partnered with the local governments, existing employers and prospects to grow the local workforce economy. He said the university is soon to be an R1 university, which will offer 46 different academic departments with hundreds of academic degree programs.

“We create degreed students. That’s what employers want,” Bourgeois said. “Will they be able to hire the kind of employees that they want? Will they be able to retain the kind of employees that they want? And Texas State is crucial to that.”

Michel said that the OWL’s department at TXST and the SMACC share a similar mission.

“The chamber is committed to helping prepare people for workplace success because it’s crucial to the businesses for our local economic prosperity,” Michel said. “Local businesses are truly the backbone, the lifeblood of any community because they provide the jobs that enable us to build lives here, and they contribute to the uniqueness of the community. The clincher is their success is tied to the availability of workers, and that is where the OWL’s program comes in, thankfully, offering a pathway to adult learners seeking to further themselves and increase their value to our local organizations.”

Groholske said the GSMP is an economic development firm that is partnered with the city of San Marcos as well as Hays County. He described the business as the connecting thread for different resources.

“Our part with that is to then take that initiative and go throughout the state, the country [and] the world and find those organizations … that would match well, accommodate and complement what we have right here in San Marcos,” Groholske said. “Typically around 80% of the career positions are going to require a degree or some sort of certification.”

Michel said the Chamber of Commerce is not part of the city or county government.

“The chamber is an independent, local nonprofit organization,” Michel said. “Here in San Marcos there are 600 members. There are about 500 businesses. Then there are schools and civic groups and other nonprofits that belong [to the chamber].”

Michel said in 1903, the year the chamber was created, the SMACC’s top priority was the advancement of education, and that is the same year that Texas State University had its first freshmen class. She said that the chamber has had various goals throughout the years depending on the needs of the community at that time, and each goal was successfully completed and provided a boon to the community.

“During the COVID pandemic crisis, the chamber was like the ER for businesses,” Michel said. “We made sure that local businesses stayed informed, got all of the updates, and took advantage of the funds and the grants that would help them to survive.”

Michel said a top challenge for local businesses is finding and maintaining a steady, skilled workforce.

“Now workforce issues are at a crisis level for many local industries,” Michel said. “Business leaders have come together at the chamber to focus on workforce development initiatives, and we collaborate with all the educators and stakeholders in the community to identify gaps and things that we can fill and projects that we can launch.”

Michel said SMACC just received a grant to fund a new position: the Education and Talent Pipeline coordinator. This position will focus on implementing initiatives with SMCISD and connecting students and families to businesses. This is just one of many initiatives in the effort to keep the San Marcos workforce pipeline flowing so that it can nourish the local economy.