News

from Olivia Lueckemeyer at Community ImpactRichardson is often perceived as a tech-powered machine. But behind the city’s digital facade is a bustling cultural arts community advancing the city’s knack for innovation.In 2017 national nonprofit Americans for the Arts released a study that quantified the economic impact of creative industries across 341 communities and regions.The report found that ...read more

All eyes are on Congress at the start of 2019. The Richardson area has welcomed back area incumbents, and said hello to a few new ones. One particular North Texas freshman has drawn the attention of GQ magazine to document his transition. Colin Allred is one of those people whose résumé prompts parents everywhere to remind their children—no matter their children's actual ages—that they really ...read more

Repertory Company Theatre​: Bridges, a new cultural outreach program Repertory Company Theatre, through a special grant from Ann and Charles Eisemann Arts Innovation Initiative, will host a new multicultural outreach program, BRIDGES, designed to bring cultural groups, arts organizations, artists and communities together through the arts. The two-part event is scheduled for February and March at ...read more

The City of Richardson has broken ground for the new Ann Eisemann Inclusive Playground at Cottonwood Park. The Richardson East Rotary Club led the fund-raising campaign that raised $500,000, including $125,000 from Ann and Charles Eisemann. The park will be called the Ann Eisemann Inclusive Playground. Other donors included the BB Owen Trust and the Rees-Jones Foundation. The first of its kind in ...read more

The Richardson Chamber's Public Policy Committee develops the Chamber’s legislative agenda for each legislative session. Watch  Committee Chair Debbi Richards, Richland College, talk through the chamber's priorities in a short video here.For 2019, the committee has set goals for multiple areas: Economic developmentWorkforce developmentHigher educationPublic educationTransportationLocal ...read more

Methodist Richardson earns Gold Seal of Approvalfrom Community Impact newspaper Methodist Richardson Medical Center has been awarded the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval for pancreatic, liver and bile duct cancer care from the Joint Commission. It is the first hospital in the nation to receive the award. Experts from the commission performed an on-site review in October that evaluated the ...read more

by Celina Cardenas FleitesManager of Public Affairs, Atmos Energy CorporationVice Chair, Community Division (Public Policy and Education & Workforce Committees), Richardson Chamber of Commerce The logic is sound: if our community is better educated, it's better for everyone. Although it makes sense, the national tide of funding is actually flowing away from education in favor of other things. ...read more

For more than 35 years, the City of Richardson, Richardson Chamber of Commerce and Richardson Rotary Clubs have recognized highly deserving Richardson businesses, individuals and projects with the annual Economic Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Awards program.This year’s EDGE Award recipients have achieved extraordinary success and/or made a significant investment in Richardson, and were ...read more

Developers look to rejuvenate south Richardson and Town Central From the Dallas Morning News   An aging office building at Central and Spring Valley is about to get an upgrade, and downtown is set for a rejuvenation as Town Central. Retail space, offices, parking and apartments are part of both plans. Town Central will be an urban village at the entrance of Richardson’s historic downtown. The ...read more

Want to learn about education and workforce issues? Building the workforce of the future is a major focus of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Members with special interest in enhancing both high school and higher education are encouraged to join the Education & Workforce Committee. The committee facilitates the business community’s sustainable impact on building an emerging workforce through ...read more

President’s Club profile: Covenant Realty   Richardson native Valerie Kirkpatrick has come home and moved her business with her.  Valerie is the president, managing broker and owner of Covenant Realty Corporation, and a member of the President’s Circle of the Richardson Chamber.“I graduated from Richardson High School,” said Valerie. “When I moved back to Richardson two and a half years ago, I ...read more

November early election is underway; your vote matters   The November election will determine your next federal, state and county officials plus the Richardson ISD Tax Ratification Election and Collin County traffic bond. Early voting begins Oct. 22 and ends Nov. 2 Please vote and encourage your employees to vote! Employees are 65 percent more likely to vote based on the information received ...read more

Ambassadors keep the chamber running   Congratulations and a big thank you to our recent ambassadors of the month:Steve Rolandelli, senior consultant for IRI ConsultingMark Kobilka, Make Your Mark PrintingBill Schaid, Kiwanis Club of RichardsonErin Williams, Edward Jones   Ambassador Club members are liaisons who serve as the face of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Ambassadors represent, ...read more

You know your business, and you know how to run your business. You also know that keeping a leg up on the competition needs a little more…marketing via web and mobile. Three small business owners in Richardson shared their knowledge recently at the Growth and Mobility luncheon. Joe Constantino, founder and CEO, Einstein's Eyes; Colin Hayes, senior enterprise account executive, Belo + Company; ...read more

by The Dallas Morning News, see full article here. After years of planning and months of debate, DART board members have approved the $1.1 billion Cotton Belt east-west commuter rail line. Richardson businesses already are populating Northside, a premiere train stop set to open in 2022. Northside represents a convergence of DART's, Richardson's and UT Dallas's interests. DART wants to expand ...read more

The Richardson Mayor’s Summer Internship Program wrapped up its inaugural year with a celebratory luncheon for the 2018 interns and their supervisors at RISD’s Professional Development Center. Guest speakers included Mayor Paul Voelker and RISD Superintendent Dr. Jeannie Stone. Twenty-five students participated in the program, which began in the spring with job skills workshops and interviews ...read more

Adult Literacy Center receives $16K grant from LegacyTexas and Federal Home Loan Bank  LegacyTexas Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB)presented the Richardson Adult Literacy Center with a $16,000 Partnership Grant Program (PGP) grant to support operational and administrative costs for the center’s “ESL for Adults” program. The program helps adult students improve their English to ...read more

From marketing communications to Leadership Richardson, Susan Kassen, vice chairman for membership services for the Richardson Chamber, stays involved with Richardson, her home for 16 years.A realtor with Ebby Halliday, Susan grew up in Plano and attended Texas Tech University to pursue a degree in advertising and marketing. Upon graduation, she worked for an advertising agency in Dallas and then ...read more

Video brings inclusive playground to life The new inclusive playground is quickly becoming reality. More than 90 percent of the required funds have been collected. A recent open house gave residents a birds-eye view of the planned play elements through an exciting conceptual video. The City of Richardson and Richardson East Rotary Club teamed up to make it happen by raising funds to build an ...read more

Feed Children Everywhere effort coming on Sept. 9 Event hopes to yield 100,000 bagged meals The Richardson Interfaith Alliance, in partnership with the Richardson Chamber, is hoping to prepare 100,000 meals to distribute in the community. We need your help to make it happen. On Sunday, Sept. 9, a Feeding Children Everywhere meal bagging event will be from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Richardson ...read more

Leadership Richardson announces Class XXXIV The Richardson Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that class XXXIV of Leadership Richardson has been selected. The 2018-19 program year will begin in September. Participants were chosen from the largest pool in the program's history. The admissions committee had hard decisions to make in their selections.    The 42 members of Leadership ...read more

When you’re counting on someone, count on Nancy Wilson. Family, numbers and Richardson – with accomplishments almost too numerous to list, uber-volunteer Nancy Wilson is this year’s Citizen of the Year. Since 1965 the Richardson Chamber has named an annual Citizen of the Year.  You can see the full presentation here. This year’s honoree moved to Richardson a few years before that and has ...read more