Skip to main content

Amy Chronis Remarks at 2022 Annual Meeting

Published Jan 28, 2022 by A.J. Mistretta

amy chronis 2022 annual meeting.jpg

From left, Thad Hill, Amy Chronis and Bob Harvey

See 2022 Annual Meeting recap. 

It was an honor to serve as the 2021 Chair, and I’m proud of everything we advanced last year thanks to so many people in this room.

And, I should stop to say how pleased I am to actually be here in the room with you. 

You may recall that last year’s Annual Meeting was held virtually, and while I think it was a great event that allowed us to try some new things, I am grateful to be with you all in person today.

At last year’s Annual Meeting, I talked about the importance of advancing and leveraging Houston’s technology renaissance to help drive our region’s long-term success.  

I spoke at length about the importance of this tech renaissance—both its role in continuing Houston’s long history of innovation and the critical part it plays in ensuring Houston is among the great 21st century cities of the world.

Despite the pandemic, Houston has made significant progress. And standing here today, I’m proud to say Houston is still a frontier city looking forward. 

A metro where tech and innovation have moved to the forefront!

And importantly, everyone is pulling in the same direction, moving Houston toward a brighter future.

Over the last year, we celebrated the opening of The Ion in Midtown, which is already becoming a true hub of innovation.

Greentown Labs also opened last year and is quickly helping establish Houston’s position in the world of climatech.

We also celebrated the openings of the East End Maker Hub and the growth of The Cannon, the Downtown Launch Pad, Deloitte’s own innovation center, and so many others. 

Entrepreneurs from around the world are coming to Houston to launch and build their businesses, drawn by our collaborative innovation mindset, our business-friendly environment, and great quality of life. 

Houston is fast becoming a hub for Energy 2.0 companies and start-ups, along with life science companies looking to change the world.

We had a record year for venture capital funding of Houston start-ups in 2021 at just over $2 billion, which is up 610 percent since 2016.

The HX Venture Fund, which the Partnership helped launch back in 2018, has fully invested its first $40 million dollar fund, and is actively fundraising its second fund-of-funds targeting a $75 million raise. 

The HX Venture Fund has invested in other VCs that have poured millions into Houston start-ups including a significant investment in Houston-based Nauticus Robotics which, you may have heard, went public through a $560 million dollar merger last month.

We saw two of our start-ups – Solugen and Axiom Space – grow into unicorns, meaning they’ve achieved a valuation of more than a billion dollars. Solugen is revolutionizing the sustainable chemicals industry. Axiom Space is gearing up to build the world’s first commercial space station down at the Houston Spaceport.

Beyond the start-ups, tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud have greatly increased their presence in Houston. 

And we added two new Fortune 500 company headquarters to our roster with announcements from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NRG—bringing our total to 24 Fortune 500 headquartered firms, the third largest concentration in the nation. 

I’m also proud to say that Houston is leading the conversation around the global energy transition to a low-carbon future. This effort is being led by Bobby Tudor, and we made significant progress last year through the release of our regional strategy which we are now putting into motion. 

We’ve got much work to do, but companies and investors around the globe are taking notice. 

Importantly last year, we accelerated our commitment to addressing racial inequity through our One Houston Together initiative. This program focuses our efforts on helping minority-owned businesses grow and increasing racial equity in the corporate talent pipeline and executive leadership. 

I am grateful to Dr. Ruth Simmons from Prairie View A&M and Gretchen Watkins from Shell for co-chairing this effort.

Last fall, at our Houston Diverse City Summit, we unveiled the results of Houston’s first regional Equity & Inclusion Assessment. The findings of that assessment led us to sharpen our focus, and I believe we are on the right trajectory to lead meaningful change that creates opportunity for all Houstonians.

I want to close by thanking all the members of the Executive Committee and Board, along with our committee chairs for your leadership. I also want to thank all of the members who generously support the Partnership with your time and talents as well as your financial investment.

Special thanks to Bob Harvey for his tremendous leadership through another unusual year. I’d also like to thank the incredible Partnership staff for their outstanding hard work. 

When you serve as Partnership chair, you get a very close view into how much work is going on in this organization to make Houston a better place to live and work. Sincere thanks for all that you do. 

And to everyone in this room, thank you for your commitment to the Partnership and Houston. 

I am eternally grateful for the unending support of my children, my husband John who is here today, along with my Deloitte colleagues. 

I’ll wrap-up with an imperative from my speech last year: each of you must be active ambassadors for Houston. 

As you travel more for work and focus on attracting and retaining talent, talk about the incredible progress we are making in diverse tech and innovation and our commitment to the energy transition. Talk about our greenspaces and the incredible quality of life. 

Houston is a city moving forward, and each of us must get that story out there.

Related News

Membership

New Partnership Members in June

7/8/25
The Greater Houston Partnership welcomed 13 new member companies in the month of June. The Partnership works to connect companies with resources, information and networking opportunities to help increase business while also providing a platform to influence the direction of the region.  New members who joined in the month of June include: Arizon Corporation: Arizon Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance custom RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) solutions. They provide comprehensive RFID application solutions and services worldwide for various fields, including apparel, retail, and logistics. Website. Arnold Ventures: Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy founded by Laura and John Arnold in 2008, dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through evidence-based policy solutions. They focus on addressing broken systems and driving lasting change through research, advocacy, and building bipartisan coalitions. Website. Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP: Boardwalk Pipelines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Loews Corporation and headquartered in Houston, Texas, owns and operates approximately 14,335 miles of interconnected natural gas and liquids pipelines across the central and eastern United States. They provide solutions for businesses requiring diverse market connectivity and reliable sources of supply for power generation, LNG, and petrochemical feedstock. Website. Cornerstone Capital Bank, SSB: Cornerstone Capital Bank is a company formed through the partnership of Cornerstone Home Lending and Roscoe Bank, combining their expertise to provide a range of banking services. They focus on mortgage lending, personal, commercial, and institutional banking, emphasizing service, strength, and stability for people and communities. Website. First Horizon Bank: First Horizon Bank is a financial institution that offers capital market services, regional banking and wealth management through the First Horizon family of companies. First Horizon Bank and IBERIABANK reached an important milestone by legally merging. IBERIABANK will adopt the First Horizon name. Website. Food Truck Club: The Food Trucks Club manufactures, rents, and sells food trucks and organizes events. They provide services related to gear for food trucks and host themed events. Website. Houston Habitat for Humanity: Houston Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing in the City of Houston by helping low-income families earn simple decent homes in which to live. Website. Maximum Q: Maximum Q, led by Lisa Shumate, is a company focused on leadership coaching and development. They offer services such as Executive Advising, Leadership Bootcamp, and Organizational Transformation, utilizing "The Five Q's" to help leaders achieve breakthroughs and results. Website. Russo's: Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen is a pizza restaurant specializing in authentic New York-style pizza and Italian dishes based on family recipes. The company also offers franchise opportunities. Website. Sallyport Partners Fund: Sallyport Investments is an operationally focused private equity firm, based in Houston, TX. They partner with management teams to grow and build high-performing businesses across various industries, aiming to create lasting value for investors, companies, and communities. Website. TerraPower: TerraPower is an American nuclear reactor design and development engineering company, founded by Bill Gates. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the company focuses on developing advanced nuclear technologies, such as the Natrium reactor, to provide clean, safe, and affordable energy. Website. TGS Cedar Port Partners, LP: TGS Cedar Port Partners is the largest master-planned rail-and-barge-served Industrial Park in the U.S., offering rail-served, e-commerce, distribution, cold storage, and manufacturing users unmatched resources for the future of industrial logistics. Website. The Edge Group: The Edge Group is an executive search firm established in 1994, specializing in sourcing talent and elevating organizations through retained search services. It is comprised of ten professionals with over 100 years of combined experience in professional retained search. Website.
Read More
Membership

Partnership Members Making News - June

6/17/25
The Greater Houston Partnership celebrates our members making important announcements and sharing news about their operations and impact in our region. Learn more about some of those announcements over the last month below. Business Moves (breaking ground, expansion, business’ moving to Houston) Corebridge Financial debuts on the Fortune 500 list at No. 224, with $18.78 billion in 2024 revenue, joining 25 other Houston corporations including Exxon Mobil and Chevron.  Fervo Energy, a Houston-based company now valued at over $1 billion, secures fifth on LexisNexis's 10 Most Innovative Startups in Texas report. The company recently fully contracted its 500-megawatt Cape Station geothermal development, which is expected to begin delivering electricity in 2026. Fervo Energy secures $206 million in new financing to support its flagship 500-megawatt Cape Station geothermal project in Utah. Greentown Labs and MassChallenge form a strategic partnership to support early-stage climatetech startups, leveraging their combined expertise and networks. This collaboration aims to strengthen the ecosystem for these companies by providing mentorship, support, and broader commercialization opportunities.  Hilcorp Energy plans a $4.5 million renovation of the 13th floor at its 1111 Travis St. headquarters. This is the latest in a series of renovations for the 24-story tower, which Hilcorp has occupied since 2016.  Houston Dynamo FC adds International Money Express as a new partner, continuing its sponsorship growth. The company will have the naming rights to Shell Energy Stadium's northeast gate, which will be renamed Intermex Gate. Landry’s Inc. plans to convert the two-story, 5,650-square-foot former Joe's Crab Shack at 7 Kemah Boardwalk Waterfront Drive into an entrance building for a new water park. The estimated $435,000 project is slated to start in July and finish by the end of next March. Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital will begin its third expansion this fall, a $277.5 million privately funded project. This expansion will add two new buildings, including a six-story Patient Bed Tower that will house TIRR Memorial Hermann inpatient rehab and increase the hospital's licensed bed count to 201.  Sueba USA breaks ground on a 346-unit apartment complex, "Missouri City 1," in Fort Bend Town Center in Missouri City, with completion expected by fall 2026. The development, located near a Metro Park and Ride, will offer studio to three-bedroom units ranging from 496 to 2,088 square feet. The Signorelli Co. secures two new large tenants for its 240-acre Valley Ranch Town Center mixed-use development: Books-A-Million will occupy a 12,000-square-foot space, and Havertys Furniture will open a 41,500-square-foot showroom, with both scheduled to open this fall.  Education Harmony Public Schools is set to open its first STEM-focused campus at City Place on August 13 for the 2025-26 school year, serving students from pre-K through sixth grade. This campus is part of a larger development that will eventually include middle and high schools on a 28.9-acre site.  Rice University's Owl Spark and the University of Houston's RED Labs launch their summer 2025 accelerators, featuring a total of 20 student ventures focused on various sectors like technology and healthcare. These programs will culminate in The Bayou Startup Showcase in July.  University of Houston launches the Centennial Construction Project, a $43 million initiative aiming to transform the campus core, creating more pedestrian-friendly spaces, including a new Centennial Plaza and enhancements to Wilhelmina's Grove. University of Houston-Downtown has relocated its Career Center Annex, Office of Alumni Relations, and Office of Continuing Education to "The Launchpad" at 1801 Main St. to enhance post-degree success and career mobility. Additionally, UHD is establishing the Center for Crime, Urban Research and Education (C-CURE) at The Launchpad, aiming to provide technical assistance and foster research-driven solutions for complex challenges in the greater Houston area. Health Care Houston Methodist holds first place among large health systems in Premier's 15 Top Health Systems in the United States, an annual ranking based on clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and patient experience. Several of its individual hospitals also received high rankings in various categories within Premier's Top 100 Hospitals list, alongside HCA Houston Healthcare facilities.  Innovation  Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital introduces a new robotic bronchoscopy system for early lung cancer detection, marking the first time this minimally invasive technology is available in Fort Bend County.  Rice University's student-led Rice Wind Energy team secured second place overall at the U.S. Department of Energy's 2025 Collegiate Wind Competition. The competition, which challenges students to design and build wind turbines, develop projects, and engage in public outreach, saw over 40 teams compete with only 12 reaching the finals.  Syzygy Plasmonics begins developing NovaSAF 1 in Uruguay, the world's first electrified facility designed to convert biogas into over 350,000 gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually. University of Houston's BRAIN Center and TIRR Memorial Hermann develop MyoStep, a soft, lightweight exoskeleton designed to help children with cerebral palsy improve motor function. This innovative device includes a wireless sensor network for real-time data collection and safety features, offering a discreet solution for motor impairments.  Transportation  Houston ISD undergoes the first steps for a free METRO bus pass partnership for its roughly 50,000 high school students. This agreement will allow eligible HISD students to use Metro's existing transit system at a negotiated rate. Southwest Airlines is finalizing its first transpacific partnership with Taiwan-based China Airlines, allowing for single-ticket itineraries between their services. The partnership is set to launch in early 2026, with routes becoming available for purchase later this year.  If you are a member and want us to help communicate news about your organization, please send a press release or information about the announcement to member.engagement@houston.org and we will share it with our content team for possible inclusion in an upcoming roundup. Learn more about Partnership membership.
Read More

Related Events

Membership

2025 Soirée: Unlock a World of Possibilities

Unlock a World of Possibilities at the Greater Houston Partnership’s 2025 Soirée, chaired by Tom Jorden, CEO of Coterra. Soirée is an evening where the vibrant spirit of Houston’s international community takes center…

Learn More
Learn More
Executive Partners