Partnership History

The original Houston Chamber of Commerce was chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1840. The Houston Business League was founded in 1895 and evolved into the 20th century Houston Chamber of Commerce.

The Greater Houston Partnership was founded in 1989, as a merger of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council and the Houston World Trade Center. A private, non-profit organization, the Greater Houston Partnership is the primary advocate of Houston's business community and dedicated to building regional economic prosperity.

Headed by a Chairman of the Board who serves a one-year term and a 130-member Board of Directors, the Partnership focuses on building regional prosperity through the dual-pronged efforts of public policy advocacy and business development. The Board represents CEOs from a cross-spectrum of Houston's business community, including the sectors of energy, IT, education, finance, medicine and research.

Past Chairs are:

• 2006: Chip Carlisle, president, Wells Fargo
• 2005: Jodie L. Jiles, senior vice president, First Albany Capital
• 2004: Rob Mosbacher, president, Mosbacher Energy Company
• 2003: Deborah Cannon, CEO, Houston Zoo, Inc.
• 2002: Steven L. Miller, chairman and president, SLM Discovery Ventures; retired chairman, president and CEO, Shell Oil Company
• 2001: Bruce LaBoon, partner, Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP
• 2000: Jim Royer, president and CEO, Turner Collie & Braden, Inc.
• 1999: Ned Holmes, chairman and CEO, Parkway Investments/Texas, Inc.; chairman of the Port Authority of Houston
• 1998: Ansel Condray, president, Exxon
• 1997: Joe Musolino, vice chairman, NationsBank of Texas
• 1996: Phil Carroll, president and CEO, Shell Oil Company
• 1995: Dennis Hendrix, president and CEO, PanEnergy
• 1994: Ken Lay, chairman and CEO, Enron Corp.
• 1993: Marc Shapiro, president and CEO, Texas Commerce Bank
• 1992: William Barnett, managing partner, Baker & Botts
• 1991: Charles Miller, Chairman, Meridian Advisors, Ltd.
• 1990: Robert Onstead, chairman and CEO, Randall's Foods Markets, Inc.
• 1989 (2nd half): Charles Duncan, private investor, Duncan Equities Inc.
• 1989 (1st half): Ben Love, Chairman and CEO, Texas Commerce Bancshares