By Brandon Dietert, 2017 Chair of the Board
Opportunities Abound
Welcome to summer in New Braunfels…as we say hello to our summer visitors for the first time we are reminded that living in New Braunfels all year is a gift. We are blessed to live in a vibrant, growing ever- changing city that offers so many opportunities for our visitors, but at the same time offers our residents a year-round playground that other cities our size can’t offer. These opportunities for fun makes New Braunfels an exciting place to live, work and play!
Speaking of growing opportunities…congratulations to all the new graduates these last few weeks from both our school districts and the many private schools in the area…and congratulations to the many students from our area that have completed their time in colleges across this country. Furthermore, to the many students that have completed their courses of study at the many different technical and trade schools that give opportunities to students to better their life and careers…Congrats!
Just like the many opportunities that New Braunfels can offer our visitors, it is a great situation we are in right now where the next generations of New Braunfels can stay in our area to take those next steps in their life. Not all cities our size have a growing, robust economy that allows for these opportunities for this type of organic growth of their community. Being able to offer these opportunities to our families and friends will help New Braunfels maintain its culture and continue its “small town feel” even as we grow in size and population.
Here at the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce we offer several programs in Leadership Development. For our high school aged youth we offer the Youth Leadership New Braunfels program that is designed to train students in leadership techniques and community awareness so they become familiar with current issues, community resources, opportunities and other factors influencing the direction of their community’s future.
For our business community we offer the Leadership New Braunfels program for adults who are emerging as leaders within their chosen careers and/or various community organizations and agencies, and current leaders wishing to improve their knowledge, expand their network, and enhance their leadership skills.
For continued engagement we offer the Leadership Alumni Association for graduates of Leadership New Braunfels. The Alumni Association gives them opportunities to stay engaged and active in the Chamber, continue to grow their network and support the Chamber’s initiative to grow community leaders. Applications for the adult Leadership NB program are currently available at www.LeadInNewBraunfels.com.
The Chamber of Commerce saw the need for additional avenues for leadership development and growth over the past few years. With that is mind we have partnered with two local organizations to offer these opportunities…The New Braunfels Jaycees and the Hispanic Business Alliance. The Jaycees have been around a long time and are made up of aspiring leaders between the ages of 18-40 who are looking to grow their network, become engaged in the community, progress their professional development, and work towards creating a better New Braunfels through volunteering and philanthropic efforts. The Jaycees help prepare their members to become the business and community leaders of New Braunfels’ future. Visit www.nbjaycees.com for more details.
The Hispanic Business Alliance was created to assist the Hispanic community locally with promoting, advocating, and educating this segment of the community as they seek opportunities for success. The 2nd annual Dia de los Muertos festival will be downtown Oct. 28. Yes, this growing organization is doing some very exciting things to get our community involved. They are truly linking business and community success! Visit www.NBHBA.com for more details.
Opportunities definitely abound in New Braunfels these days and that makes for an exciting time…make sure to get involved where you can and spread the word!