[Press Conference: "Announcing a New Economic Empowerment Coordinator Position" on October 28, 2025]
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THIS IS AN EXCITING DAY FOR THE CITY AS WE ARE ANNOUNCING A NEW ROLE WITHIN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SUPPORT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT FOR L-G-B-T-Q HOUSTONIANS.
AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH SOME KEY PARTNERS THAT MADE THIS ALL HAPPEN.
UH, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, THE HOUSTON L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE MONTROSE CENTER, AND YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE TODAY.
UM, THIS CAME FROM AN IDEA ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT VULNERABLE HOUSTONIANS AND WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR L-G-B-T-Q HOUSTONIANS.
AS FUNDING WAS GOING AWAY FROM ORGANIZATIONS, AS NONPROFITS WERE SEEING SUPPORT, UH, SHIFT AS PRIORITIES FROM OTHER GROUPS WERE SHIFTING.
AND OTHER CITIES HAVE DEDICATED ROLES FOR COMMUNITY LIAISONS.
SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT POPPED UP, BUT WE WANTED TO BE A LITTLE MORE TARGETED HERE IN HOUSTON AND A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC AND HONE IN ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF HOMELESSNESS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES CAN DIRECTLY BENEFIT, UH, THEIR, THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND KEEP THEM OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE KNOW OUR SENIORS ARE LIVING LONGER.
THEY HAVE EXPENSES FROM LIVING TO FOOD, TO MEDICAL CARE, AND ARE IN NEED OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, RE-SKILLING OPPORTUNITIES, YOU NAME IT.
AND NOT TO MENTION, WE HAVE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OWNED BY L-G-B-T-Q HOUSTONIANS THAT CAN GET SUPPORT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, UM, A NATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND DO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THE FOCUS BECAME CLEAR TO CREATE A POSITION THAT WORKED WITH OUR L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH AND OUR SENIORS TO CONNECT THEM TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY.
AND THIS ROLE BEING HOUSED IN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED A GREAT FIT AND SUPPORT FOR WORK THAT WAS ALREADY DONE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS.
SO, UM, I ALLOCATED SOME DOLLARS FOR MY COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND.
UH, I WAS VERY, UH, PROUD TO BE SUPPORTED AS WELL BY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, WHO ALLOCATED DOLLARS FROM HIS BUDGET TO HELP MAKE THIS A REALITY.
UH, THIS POSITION WILL FOCUS ON ECONOMIC MOBILITY, CONNECTING LGBTQ PLUS HOUSTONIANS, SPECIFICALLY YOUTH AND SENIORS, TO WORKFORCE PROGRAMS, SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES AND CITY SERVICES.
AND THIS PILOT WILL ALSO WORK TO IDENTIFY GAPS IN WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, HERE AT CITY HALL AND IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE GOAL AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, TO DEMONSTRATE ALL THE IMPACT A PART-TIME POSITION HAS HAD AND WORK TO MAKE THIS A FULL-TIME ROLE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, IT'S A VERY EXCITING, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO COULD USE SOME GOOD NEWS, UH, RIGHT NOW, GIVEN SOME SOME RECENT EVENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND IT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, OUR HOUSTON, L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER, AND THE MONTROSE CENTER.
AND SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE, UM, FOR DIRECTOR HORT TO, UH, COME UP AND OFFER A FEW REMARKS.
AND I WANT TO THANK HER FOR, UH, THE KEY PARTNERSHIP AND FOR HOUSING, UH, THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR IN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE ARE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS ALSO WITH THE LGBT CHAMBER, WHO WE'VE HAD A LONG, LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH, AS WELL AS THE MONTROSE CENTER.
UM, OUR LGBT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR AND LIAISON WILL BE SO ESSENTIAL IN THE COMMUNITY TO GO OUT AND BRIDGE THE GAPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES, SUPPORT, MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT.
WE KNOW THAT THE PLUS YOUTH AND ENTREPRENEURS OFTEN FACE OBSTACLES THAT MANY OF OUR OTHER UNIQUE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM MANY OF OUR OTHER SMALL BUSINESS,
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UM, IN VENTURES.AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING NAVIGATING POSSIBILITIES, NAVIGATING OPPORTUNITIES, THAT WE ARE REMOVING ANY BARRIERS.
OUR LIAISON WILL HELP US TO ALSO COLLECT DATA.
'CAUSE WE WANNA LOOK AT HOW THIS MOVES THE NEEDLE, HOW WE'VE MADE AN IMPACT.
AND SO WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS AS A PART OF OUR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, UM, DIVISION.
OUR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION IS VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A OUTWARD FACING DIVISION.
UH, WE HAVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT WE ALREADY OFFER TURNAROUND HOUSTON.
WE HAVE TURNAROUND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, WE HAVE OUR, UH, MEET THE BUYER.
THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO MERGE THIS PARTNERSHIP, AND SO WE ARE EXCITED TO HOUSE OUR NEW ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THE MONTROSE CENTER AND TO SEE WHERE THERE'S SYNERGY.
AND I WELCOME, UM, ANY AND EVERYONE TO COME AND TO ASSIST US WITH THIS.
IF THERE'S INPUT, IF THERE'S, UM, DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE, WE ARE OPEN TO THAT.
AND I'M JUST VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS AS A PART OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS ALSO WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT KEY PARTNERS, UH, OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL.
AND, UH, THE GREATER HOUSTON L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER HAS BEEN, UH, SUCH A, UH, POWERFUL VOICE IN SUPPORTING THIS ROLE AND SPEAKING TO THE NEEDS FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO AT THIS TIME, UH, TAMMY WALLACE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER, IS HERE WITH US AND WILL OFFER SOME REMARKS.
I JUST WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND VISION.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS ROLE IS IN PLACE NOW BECAUSE OF HIS COMMITMENT, UH, HIS STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO MAKING HOUSTON A CITY WHERE EVERY PERSON AND EVERY BUSINESS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS, UH, OPPORTUNITY AND THE DIRECTOR.
AS YOU SAID, WE HAVE PARTNERED FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME, AND WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE WELL INTO THE FUTURE AND CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED FOR YEARS TO MAKE ECONOMIC INCLUSION MORE THAN A TALKING POINT.
AND UNDER THIS DIRECTOR'S LEADERSHIP AND PAST DIRECTOR'S LEADERSHIP, WE'VE DONE SOME GREAT THINGS, INCLUDING MAKING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY ABOUT THIS LGBTQ PLUS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR.
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD, AND IT'S ENSURING THAT THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS REFLECT THE FULL DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, INCLUDING, INCLUDING THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, AND THAT ALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND WORKERS CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN THE CITY'S ECONOMIC FUTURE.
WE OFTEN SAY THAT ECONOMIC INCLUSION IS SMART BUSINESS.
IT FUELS INNOVATION, ATTRACTS TALENT, AND STRENGTHENS HOUSTON'S COMMITMENT, COMPETITIVENESS.
WHEN WE CREATE SPACES WHERE EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE, WHEN EVERY ENTREPRENEUR HAS ACCESS TO THE SAME TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES, WE BUILD A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.
THIS NEW ROLE IS AN INVESTMENT IN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S ABOUT REMOVING BARRIERS THAT HAVE TOO OFTEN STOOD IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS AND BUILDING BRIDGES TO CONNECT LGBTQ PLUS BUSINESSES AND WORKERS TO THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.
AND ENSURING THAT NO ONE, NO ONE IS LEFT OUT OF HOUSTON'S GROWTH STORY FOR LGBTQ PLUS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, MANY WHO HAVE BUILT THEIR COMPANIES FROM THE GROUND UP, OFTEN WITHOUT SEC OUT, WITHOUT ACCESS TO TRA TRADITIONAL NETWORKS OR FUNDING.
IT CREATES A BRIDGE BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT, ENSURING BETTER ACCESS TO CITY PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES.
AND IT'S JUST NOT ABOUT LGBTQ PLUS BUSINESS OWNERS.
IT'S ABOUT THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE.
AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE BRING THEIR FULL SELVES TO WORK, THEY'RE MORE PRODUCTIVE, MORE CREATIVE, MORE ENGAGED, INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMIES GO HAND IN HAND.
AND LOOK, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TAXPAYER FOR A MOMENT HERE.
WHEN WE CONNECT UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO CITY RESOURCES THAT ALREADY EXIST, WE MAKE EVERY EVERY TAXPAYER DOLLAR WORK HARDER AND REACH FURTHER.
THAT'S EFFICIENCY, THAT'S SMART POLICY, AND THAT'S HOW WE HELP ENTREPRENEURS AND OUR ECONOMY GROW.
HOUSTON HAS LONG BEEN A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY, A PLACE WHEN PEOPLE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN BUILD THEIR DREAMS, BUT OPPORTUNITY ONLY MATTERS IF IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT TODAY REPRESENTS.
A TANGIBLE STEP TO MAKE SURE THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY IS FULLY INCLUDED IN THE ECONOMIC FABRIC OF OUR CITY.
TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR, THANK YOU.
AND ALL OF THOSE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WORK SO HARD EVERY DAY ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY, WE'RE PROUD TO BE PART OF
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THIS GROUNDBREAKING ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY.THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TAMMY, FOR YOUR WORDS AND, UH, YOUR EXCITEMENT FOR THIS ROLE.
UH, BECAUSE YOUR, YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IS GOING TO BE VERY INSTRUMENTAL, UH, IN THE SUCCESS.
AND THE MONTROSE CENTER, WE ALL KNOW, DOES SO MUCH ACROSS THE CITY FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THEIR YOUTH PROGRAMMING.
AND SO WITH THIS ROLE BEING FOCUSED ON SENIORS AND YOUTH, UM, HAVING THE MONTROSE CENTER'S SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP WILL ENSURE THAT L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH ACROSS HOUSTON ARE CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THAT THIS ROLE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AN IMPACT RIGHT AWAY.
UM, SO VERY EXCITED THAT THE MONTROSE CENTER'S, CEO ABELLIO IS HERE, UM, TO BE A PART OF THIS, UH, JOURNEY FROM THE BEGINNING AND ALSO CONTINUE TO OFFER SUPPORT FOR THE ROLE.
I WANNA ECHO THE THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR, UH, MAKING THIS MOMENT HAPPEN.
IT'S A REALLY AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO OUR L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY AND ALL HOUSTONIANS, AND THE FACT THAT THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY IS PART OF THE FABRIC OF HOUSTON, AND THAT WE'RE AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HOUSTONIAN.
UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO SAID, THE MONTROSE CENTER SERVES OVER 55,000 HOUSTONIANS A YEAR THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS. UH, BOTH OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS, UM, HATCH, WHICH MANY PEOPLE KNOW, BUT ALSO OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS. SO OUR LAW, HARRINGTON SENIOR LIVING FACILITY, AND A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THAT WRAP AROUND SENIORS TO PROVIDE CARE AND RESOURCES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW THROUGH THE FOLKS WHO COME THROUGH OUR DOORS EVERY SINGLE DAY LOOKING FOR RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, IS THAT OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON IS STRONG AND VERY DIVERSE, BUT ALL TOO OFTEN FOLKS ARE FORCED TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS THAT ARE NOT BUILT WITH THEIR EXPERIENCES IN MIND.
ALL TOO OFTEN WE HEAR THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, UNFORTUNATELY, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR YOUTH OF FEELING EXCLUDED, OF EXPERIENCING DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKFORCE, OF NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO FIND THEIR PATHWAY IN TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THIS CITY, UM, THAT IS A THRIVING OPPORTUNITY FOR SO MANY.
SO THE MONTROSE CENTER IS REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ROLE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH AND FOR, UM, BECAUSE IT CREATES A BRIDGE BETWEEN CITY HALL AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE NOT ONLY AVAILABLE, BUT ALSO ACCESSIBLE AND AFFIRMING TO EVERYONE.
AS I STATED, FOR A TRANS YOUTH LOOKING FOR THEIR FIRST JOB, WHO SO OFTEN WE HEAR THEIR STORY, UNFORTUNATELY, OF FACING, UH, DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE, OR FOR A SENIOR, UM, WHO WE ALSO WORK WITH THROUGH OUR SUPPORT SERVICES, WHO MIGHT BE SEEKING ASSISTANCE.
THIS LIAISON WILL MEAN THE DIFFERENCE PERHAPS BETWEEN EXCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT.
SO WE'RE SO EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS MOMENT, EXCITED TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE ON BEHALF OF ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVE.
ULTIMATELY, UH, THIS IS ABOUT DIGNITY.
IT'S ABOUT EQUITY AND BELONGING, AND ENSURING THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS CITY, ESPECIALLY OUR L-G-B-T-Q, IANS CANNOT JUST SURVIVE, BUT CAN THRIVE IN THIS CITY THAT WE ALL CALL HOME.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR THIS MOMENT IN CREATING THIS ROLE.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO GET TO WORK.
UM, LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL THE PARTNERS WHO HAVE MADE THIS HAPPEN.
SO, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, WE HAD, THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
UM, WE'VE GOT A VERY DYNAMIC INDIVIDUAL ON BOARD THAT HAS HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, UM, MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, UM, HAVING A LOT OF ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM, UH, FOR THIS ROLE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, REALLY YOU SEE THE, THE FULL CIRCLE, UH, AT THIS POINT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT, UM, THAT THIS POSITION HAS IN HOPES THAT NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, THIS WILL BE A FULL-TIME POSITION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR DISTRICT H.
UM, SO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS HOUSTON, UM, DIFFERENT OFFICES FOR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WANT TO WORK WITH, UM, THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR THAT WANNA WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF THE MONTROSE CENTER, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
ALL THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE A BIG NEED HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND THIS, UH, THIS ROLE WILL ALLOW US TO MEET THOSE NEEDS DIRECTLY IN, IN A WAY THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UM, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT FOR IDEAS, FOR COLLABORATION, FOR PARTNERSHIP, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE,
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WE'VE GOT, UM, THE, THE ROLE UP AND RUNNING AND, UH, A LOT OF WORK TO DO ALL ACROSS THE CITY, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE FOLKS HERE TODAY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT, UH, OF COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AS WELL.AND SO I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND BEING A PART OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, AND NOW WE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PRESS ON, MOVE FORWARD, UH, AND CONTINUE TO UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON.