Greater Houston Partnership
Encyclopedia
The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) is an economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...

 organization serving the Greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...

 area, including the counties of Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...

, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller counties. Its headquarters are in Suite 700 on the seventh floor of 2 Allen Center
Allen Center
The Allen Center is a skyscraper complex in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It consists of three buildings, One Allen Center , Two Allen Center , and Three Allen Center...

 in Downtown
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...

 Houston.

The organization was established in 1989 when the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council, and the Houston World Trade Association merged. GHP’s roots extend to the original Houston Chamber of Commerce’s creation in 1840.

GHP’s mission is creating economic prosperity and does so in a number of ways including:
  • Lobbying for legislation that favor’s the region’s business community
  • Facilitating relocation and expansion projects in the region.
  • Through international outreach initiatives, such as business development missions outside the U.S. and receiving foreign trade delegations.
  • Strategic planning.


The organization comprises more than 2,100 member companies, 15,000 individual members and a 130-member Board of Directors.

GHP also routinely hosts events with local officials for "State of" discussions. In addition, the organization's research department releases a well-regarded economic forecast on a year-end basis.

In 1992, GHP founded The Center for Houston's Future as a non-profit research organization. The Center for Houston's Future became an independent affiliate of GHP in 2000. In addition to continuing its mission of research to benefit the Houston region, today it also cultivates regional leadership and community engagement.

Opportunity Houston is part of GHP’s 10-year strategic plan, which aims to assist in the creation of 600,000 net regional jobs, attracting $60 billion in capital investment and increasing foreign trade by $120 billion for the greater Houston area by the end of 2015.

In 2009, GHP founded Houston Young Professionals Endeavor - a sub-organization whose mission is to provide young professionals in the Houston region professional and personal development opportunities.

That same year, GHP was given the distinction of being named an Accredited Economic Development Organization from the International Economic Development Council
International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council, also known as the IEDC, is an organization for Economic developers. It has more than 4,000 members in North America and around the world, and is the largest organization of its kind in existence...

 (IEDC).

GHP's current leadership includes President and CEO Jeff Moseley and 2011 Chairman Larry Kellner
Larry Kellner
Lawrence W. "Larry" Kellner is the former CEO of Continental Airlines, having succeeded Gordon Bethune as CEO in December 2004. Prior to his arrival at Continental, he served as the chief financial officer of American Savings Bank. Kellner retired as the airline's chief executive at the end of...

.
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