Houston Looks to Ways to Improve Its ED Efforts

Houston has dropped the ball in the past seven to eight years in its attempts to entice outside companies to Houston, according to a report released this week by the Task Force on Economic Development.

The task force, formed at the request of Mayor Bill White earlier this year, includes 23 members from the private sector and is spearheaded by Lee Hogan, president of investment firm Hogan Investments and founding president of the Greater Houston Partnership.

The group, which focused on what Houston needed to create, retain and attract quality jobs to town, found that the local private and public communities' efforts to promote economic development have declined in recent years as local CEOs focus more of their energy on global efforts and their own bottom lines than promoting their home city.

A booming economy in the late 1990s and plentiful job market decreased the emphasis on economic development, said Hogan, a need that has returned as the economy has tapered off in more recent years.

In response to its, findings the group recommended, among other things, that the City of Houston designate a point person on staff directly charged with working on economic development.

More here.