By Cindy Harreld

President & CEO

Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

As the United States was entering the space age and NASA had announced the home of our nation’s astronauts and Mission Control would be a region 25 miles south of downtown Houston, so it began. The business leaders of our then small community looked ahead at what was to come and decided that combining efforts and forming one strong organization to serve the entire area would be best. In 1962 the Seabrook Chamber of Commerce and the Kemah Chamber of Commerce merged, two years later the League City Chamber joined their efforts and we became the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce named for our lake. 

Over the next several years, as the community grew, so did the Chamber. By the late 1960s there was a Chamber staff in place in a portable building parked on NASA Road 1 in Webster. By the late 1970s our Chamber was named the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce as we had begun serving all nine cities around the lake, plus portions of two counties making us an area Chamber with a regional impact.     

As the Chamber was the first business organization to form in the area serving both the business community as well as our fast growing population, many of our current local organizations, such as the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership, Bay Area Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Crime Stoppers of Clear Lake, Lunar Rendezvous, and the Arts Alliance Center of Clear Lake started as committees within our Chamber.

As we celebrate our Golden Anniversary we are reflecting on our rich history as an organization with several projects commemorating our 50 years.

The “50 Years 50 Faces 50 Stories” project. Conducted by Dion McInnis with University of Houston-Clear Lake with interviews and photographs of the people that have made a significant impact on our Chamber and our community. 

“Share Your Memories” program. Let us hear from you with your special stories of the community or Chamber. 

 “Paving Our way to the Future” program. Commemorative pavers can be purchased and will be placed at the front entrance of the Chamber building.

The Clear Creek Independent School District Literary and Art Contest “The Clear Lake Area: Past, Present & Future: Building a community”, involving our local high school students.   

 Although we are spending time reflecting on the past, we are also looking to our future with one of our leadership focuses being the development of our Chamber 2017 – Five year strategic plan.

The Mission of our Chamber continues to be: “To promote business growth, educational excellence and community connections while fostering overall vitality and quality of life throughout Clear Lake—Bay Area Houston.”

According to a recent survey reported in Fortune Magazine, of the100 best companies to work for, 94 are members of their local Chamber of Commerce. Businesses that tend to care about their employees tend to care about their community so they invest in both.  

If you have joined the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce you have made a wise investment for yourself, your employees, your company and your community.  If you are not a member yet, we would enjoy meeting you and invite you to stop by the Chamber office.

From all of us here at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, we wish you a prosperous and happy 2012.