LOBBY DAY

March 14, 2011 | 8:00 am ET Staff Reporter

Dallas area representatives from The Real Estate Council, NAIOP, NTCAR, and ICSC traveled to Austin last month for Commercial Real Estate Lobby Day to inform lawmakers of the pivotal role CRE plays in the Texas economy. In case you bump into your local lawmaker at the grocery, here's a good conversation piece: The real estate industry in 2007 generated nearly $270.6B in total economic activity and provided $3.8B in state tax revenue, while producing 1.75M jobs in Texas. Pictured is Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council?s Karen Vermaire Fox, TREC?s Linda McMahon, North Texas NAIOP's Lori Stone, Jackson Walker?s Suzan Kedron, Munsch Hardt?s Glenn Callison, Jackson Walker?s Susan Halsey(who's speaking at our Fort Worth State of the Market on March 30, register here), Ranch Capital Group's Rob Huthnance, Courtland Development's Jon Napper, Balfour Beatty?s Rodney Moss, NAIOP's Toby Burke, and Corgan Associates? Mitch Paradise.

Glenn, with Suzan and The Davis Advocates? Macey Davis, also serves as TREC government affairs vice chairman and NAIOP public affairs chairman. He tells us the group had productive meetings with several key members of the legislature?s North Texas delegation. Even with the magnitude of the looming budget deficit and other pressing legislative issues, DFW reps were able to emphasize howtax policy and transportation issues can impact CRE?s ability to drive future economic growth. The Real Estate Councils of Texas organized in 2008 and is a coalition of Real Estate Councils from Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio and also partnered with other CRE organizations to provide a collective statewide voice, Glenn says. We're thinking a travel pillow came in handy for the drive back.

LOBBY DAY

Continue reading this story with a free account

Sign in