Wanting to become nimbler and more relevant, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is downsizing its board from a sprawling band of more than 100 people to a 15-member group focused on policy.
“Now, we’ve got 14 folks to call,” Perez said. “Finding the majority of folks to explain what the issue is and understand what they think the direction should be is a heck of a lot easier.”Besides the chamber CEO, the newly structured board will include six people from companies investing $25,000 or more and four people from companies investing $10,000 or more.
His pitch: “Business is a force for good and deserves to be represented in the community.” Without the chamber, he said, there would be no organization that understands businesses’ needs and advocates for them. The new structure will enable the chamber to “work through policy decisions more quickly and make the chamber more effective,” Piatt said. “As the world evolves more quickly, the updates just make good sense.”
A big part of the challenge in growing membership is that some view the chamber and institutions like it as archaic in today’s business world — far from the powerhouses they once were, a result of changing cities and economies, cultural shifts and competition. While consolidation — such as when the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce merged with the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce more than a year ago — could reduce the number of chambers, it’s not likely to happen among the largest chambers.
One simpler thing the chamber might be able to do is modernize its external communications. While working on a strategic plan to define its mission and priorities, which is expected to be finalized in August, one of the themes that’s emerged is a need to upgrade its technology. Harvey, the incoming chamber chair, said joining the chamber was one of the first things she did after starting the public relations and advertising company KGBTexas 28 years ago.For Garcia, there’s also a legacy component.
“Now you have different political philosophies in this community,” he said. “Now we’re a bigger city.” “The chamber has been extraordinarily important to San Antonio’s history and development,” said Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor who is a past chamber chairman. “Now, some things have changed in the environment. But I would say the chamber is still the most important business voice in the community.”Becoming ‘a voice’
There are also more voices weighing in now than in the past. In addition to the many chambers, there are numerous trade associations, neighborhood associations, and nonprofits focused on immigration, environmental issues, housing and wages. A draft map released in April split downtown between District 1 and District 5 on the West Side. The committee was preparing to finalize its changes when the Chamber of Commerce and other business executives complained that dividing the businesses in that area among two districts would dilute their ability to speak in unison on issues that affected them similarly.
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