Wayne Peacock, chair of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation and executive vice president of Enterprise Strategy and Marketing at USAA, talked with members of the Northwest Vista College Business Council Friday.
In his presentation, he provided an overview of the Foundation and plans to implement “Forefront SA,” a vision for propelling the city to the forefront of the nation’s top performing cities.
The plan identifies five primary goals and strategies for the economic development future of San Antonio:
* Attracting new job-producing investments
* Retaining and assisting the expansion of established companies
* Nurturing entrepreneurial development
* Growing a skilled and educated workforce
* Collaborating to create a robust economy
The Foundation is currently conducting a national search for a new president because the current president, Mario Hernandez, is retiring in June. The search committee is specifically interested in candidates who can lead the implementation of the strategic plan in an innovative, inclusive and collaborative way
He noted that effective in September, the Foundation will take over the management of SA Works, an initiative developed by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce which is creating an experiential learning program to serve students and employers in San Antonio and Bexar County.
“I like that we have the opportunity to learn about what’s happening in economic development in our city and talk about ways that NVC and other higher education institutions can be involved,” Rosantina Aranda, immediate past chair of the Council and vice president and business banker with Frost Bank.
Peacock challenged Council members to provide input on the strategic plan and to get involved in the work of the Foundation and the implementation of Forefront SA.
The NVC Business Council is a membership organization formed to help create opportunities for success at Northwest Vista College through collaboration, partnerships, mentorship, marketing and financial support. Membership dues are used to provide scholarships for deserving NVC students in need. For additional information about the NVC Business Council, contact Lynne T. Dean, CFRE, at ldean12@alamo.edu or 210.486.4135.
Contributed by Lynne T. Dean, CFRE, NVC director of Institutional Advancement