Opportunity Austin improves region’s ‘luck’

The good news about Austin never seems to end. In 2013, we have already seen designation as the Best City for Small Business for the fourth year in a row by Business Journals; named the No. 2 BestPerforming City on the Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities Index; and ranked No. 3 on Forbes’ Best Cities for Good Jobs list. Every day seems to bring new attention to our city and vibrant economy.

Let us be the first to say: Despite our enviable status, future success is not guaranteed. As quickly as we have been recognized, we will just as swiftly cede this enviable status if we do not continue to invest in our regional infrastructure, our people, our education, and our business climate. Restless discontentment is our ally.

This is why broad and deep support for our region’s economic development program, Opportunity Austin, is so vital. Starting with an initial $120,000 investment from the Real Estate Council of Austin in 2003, Opportunity Austin has since been the driving force behind notable improvements in job, wage, salary, and high-tech growth among the nation’s 200 largest metro areas and benchmark communities. As we prepare for Opportunity Austin 3.0, the latest iteration of the Opportunity Austin campaign, consider a few statistics:

■ Since Opportunity Austin’s launch in 2004, more than 250 companies of all sizes have announced major expansions or relocations to Austin.

■ There has been a net gain of more than 168,500 jobs and an $8.46 billion increase in greater Austin’s total payroll over that same period of time.

Opportunity Austin’s focus has evolved over the years and now rests squarely on three clear, strategic priorities: Economy, Talent and Place. We must balance economic growth with a clear need to lift our fellow citizens out of the cycle of poverty, improve transportation and raise high school graduation rates.

We begin with our economic priorities. The strength of our economy is undeniable, but there is still work to be done. We must continue to nurture the kinds of high-value and diverse jobs that are so essential to business creation and entrepreneurial growth. Our support of Austin TechLive at Capital Factory has provided a spectacular space and vast resources for the startup community, and the continued growth of our Tech Partnership has enhanced industry collaboration and growth in

Clear, strategic priorities are Economy, Talent and Place.

key sectors. Finally, through continued involvement in progressive technology commercialization programs at the University of Texas at Austin, we are supporting innovation and further strengthening the talent pipeline.

Talent and education are linchpins of our local efforts, as well. Since 2004, we have achieved a 30 percent increase in college enrollment after implementing the region’s first enrollment initiative. We must continue to increase efforts to ready students for competitive careers, prepare our existing workforce through retraining programs, and help disadvantaged students catch up to move ahead. Our success as a community is dependent upon the success of the individual, and we must address the needs of those who are struggling. In 2013, our poverty rate is projected to be 18.5 percent. We can do better.

Some refer to “quality of life,” but we would like to go a step further and add “quality of place.” The Austin lifestyle that is cherished by our residents and lauded by outsiders must be preserved. With great growth comes resulting challenges, and we are proactively addressing traffic and public transportation solutions and overall quality of life issues that are imperative to Austin’s long-term success. In the past three years, we have seen small successes via the creation of a regional express lane network and the development of a multi-modal public transportation system through the Transit Working Group. Again, this requires a collaborative effort between businesses, public officials and residents alike. These issues did not arrive overnight and will take smart, thoughtful, forward-looking solutions.

Austin’s success is no accident. There is a popular maxim about golf that asserts “the harder you practice, the luckier you get.” The same is true of Austin. Show up. Work hard. Manifest an intense competitive spirit that attracts new businesses and opportunities to Austin, and proudly defends our “quality of place” — these are the keys going forward as we proudly embark on Opportunity Austin 3.0. Farmer, president of Heritage Title Co., is chair of Opportunity Austin.