Members of the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce will visit local legislators during a trip to the state capital Feb. 8. Courtesy photo
Small-business owners interested in attending this year’s Coastal Bend to Austin legislative trip with the United Corpus Christi Chamber Commerce can apply for a scholarship to go. The Navy/Army Community Credit Union and Kleberg Bank have donated $500 to pay the $50 bus tickets for chamber members who might not otherwise be able to attend.
Chamber members will leave by bus at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, from Heritage Park. After a day at the capitol, followed by a reception at the Bob Bullock Museum, the group will climb aboard once again to set out for home at 7 p.m.
The chamber trip will focus on informing members of the legislature of local priorities, said Gilda Ramirez, the vice president for small business and education at the chamber.
The legislative agenda is not the only piece of Ramirez’s job providing for the needs of small businesses in the city.
“We are brainstorming to find out what our small businesses need,” Ramirez told Corpus Christi Business News. “We want to be sure we put together the resources available that they need.”
As head of the Small Business Council, Ramirez said they are working with economics professor Jim Lee at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to survey small business to determine how many are owned by women or minorities and how many are struggling and what they need to be successful.
“We need to do what we can to help our small businesses thrive,” Ramirez said. “We want to hear from them and see what their needs are.”
