DRC Works for Growth in Metro

The Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), in one form or another, has been championing economic development and growth in the greater Dallas area for more than 100 years.

The nonprofit was recently featured as one of The Dallas Express‘ most influential community organizations of 2023.

Originally established in 1909 as the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the DRC was created by merging four entities: the Commercial Club, the 150,000 Club, the Freight Bureau, and the Board of Trade.

Six years later, the organization incorporated and became known as the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Inc. In 1988 the nonprofit was renamed the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce before finally taking on the name Dallas Regional Chamber in 2008.

In 2022, the DRC won the prestigious National Chamber of the Year Award from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), representing more than 1,600 chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. The award is given in recognition of “excellence in operations, member services and community leadership.”

ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly congratulated the DRC in a press release for serving as a “constant role model for the chamber profession,” highlighting the organization’s hard work. The DRC’s application for the award, detailing the many efforts and programs undertaken by the organization to assist the community, can be viewed here. 

The chamber has dedicated itself to serving and facilitating the growth of businesses in DFW and the North Texas region.

“Together, with our hundreds of member companies and regional partners, our strategy is to serve as the preeminent voice of the business community and a bridge to the education and nonprofit community to drive growth, and an even better quality of life for all who call the Dallas Region home and for those interested in coming here,” says the organization’s website. 

In addition to paving a path for current and future businesses, the DRC is committed to “ensuring all Dallas Region students have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for college or a career.”

This is an especially pressing challenge in light of the current state of the Dallas Independent School District, whose leaders have delivered consistently poor student outcomes, including an on-time graduation rate of just 81.1% for the class of 2022. 

“[W]e have a responsibility to ensure that the students of today are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Dale Petroskey, CEO of the DRC, in its 2023 Annual Report. “That’s why we work hard every day to strengthen our education system to help create a pipeline of homegrown talent with the skills and training needed to succeed in the future.” 

This same report noted that DFW is the top-ranking metro in the nation in terms of job growth, with over 323,000 jobs added in the last three years, and ranks second in terms of tech job growth.

While remarkable growth has been seen in other areas of the metro, the city of Dallas itself has shrunk, presenting another hurdle for the organization. From 2020 to 2021, the city’s net population decreased by more than 16,000 people, as The Dallas Express reported.

In addition to promoting business and education, the DRC has made strides in encouraging and affecting public policy engagement. The agenda for the 88th Texas legislative session was informed by 10 working groups from the DRC comprising 90 members.

The DRC also joined the Jobs for Texas Coalition as an executive committee member with the goal of making policies that would aid in preserving economic success, investing in the workforce, investing in local talent, and improving the quality of life for those in the city through public safety initiatives and encouraging inclusivity.

The Dallas Express reached out to the DRC, CEO Petroskey, and board chair Rafael Lizardi to ask about the organization’s future plans but received no responses by the time of publication.