On March 9th, we gathered business and community leaders, elected officials, and many more at the Austin Marriott Downtown to celebrate our 2021 Austinite of the Year. We took a look at our accomplishments from 2021 and learned about the Chamber's priorities for the upcoming year from our 2022 board chair. Attendees began the evening with a networking reception.

Fred Heldenfels IV, 2022 Board Chair, then shared his direction for the Austin Chamber in 2022 and where he sees the organization can be a leader in finding collaborative solutions to problems faced in the region.

In recognition of the service and leadership Dr. Burnette has provided over the years, Mayor Steve Adler proclaimed March 9, 2022, as Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette Day, and Dr. Burnette was presented with the 2021 Austinite of the Year award by 2021 Board Chair, Nikki Graham.

The evening was certainly action-packed, but we ended the night with our 2022 Live Music Partner, PNC Bank, presenting a generous check of $20,000 to the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Ensemble. Oh, what a joyful night it was!

Thank you for kicking off the year with us at Cheers to the Year! It was a privilege to gather with our business leaders to honor our 2021 Austinite of the Year, Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, and be inspired by our 2022 board chair, Fred Heldenfels.

The Austin region is at a high-water mark for economic and infrastructure investment in our community, but there is still work to do. I hope we will remember the words of Dr. Burnette and be intentional as we work to make the community we all know and love an even better place to live, work, and play.

As Fred mentioned during his speech, the Austin Chamber is the voice of business for our region, representing the interests of businesses of all sizes. If you aren’t already a member of the Austin Chamber, we encourage you to look at the many membership benefits we offer.

I also invite you to take advantage of the Chamber’s exciting and informative programming all year long. Sign up to stay informed about upcoming networking events, educational data and jobs reports, and more. And, of course, we would be delighted to discuss sponsorship opportunities to help your business engage more strategically to amplify your brand.

A special thank you to our premier sponsor Jacobs, 2022 live music sponsor PNC Bank, and our many sponsors and partners who made Cheers to the Year a great success. Because of your generosity, we can fulfill the Chamber’s essential mission of developing the business community, growing the economy, and strengthening our community.

Thank you!

Laura Huffman
President & CEO