Texarkana Chamber highlights workforce initiatives, property holdings and Red River advocacy; city reports Q3 development activity

Dr. Robin Hickerson, president and CEO of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, presented the chamber’s activities and priorities to the Texarkana City Council on Oct. 13 and described efforts in workforce development, property management and military-affairs advocacy.

Hickerson told council members the chamber recently upgraded its downtown office, added security and landscaping, and improved its boardroom for community use. She described a memorandum of understanding with Texas A&M University-Texarkana that allows chamber members to receive discounted tuition rates and noted the chamber owns multiple small parcels in Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas that the organization is preparing to market to prospective employers.

She highlighted workforce initiatives, including ACT WorkKeys and efforts to certify Miller and Bowie counties as ACT WorkReady communities, noting Bowie County was approximately 65% toward its work-ready goal and that employers are being encouraged to sign up for the ACT WorkReady assessment. Hickerson said the chamber has more than 700 partners and that its outreach and “chamber days” bring attention to small businesses and nonprofits.

Hickerson also described the chamber’s role in coordinating local responses to potential changes at Red River Army Depot. She credited collaboration among the city, the chamber, the Ready Group, TexAmericas, Riverbend and the military affairs committee for recent progress and noted the chamber traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet congressional offices in support of protecting jobs at the depot.

City Manager David Orr reported on the quarter three economic development report, saying the city engaged on six project responses across multiple industries, including manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, advanced technology and construction. Orr noted the Lofts at the Grama project received a 2025 Preservation Texas award and that the city’s fall newsletter includes information on new sidewalks funded by TxDOT, the utilities service line project and the new HyperReach alert system that replaces the former CodeRED program.

Orr also said Texarkana will host the Tex21 transportation conference Nov. 6–7, featuring Department of Transportation officials and corridor and multimodal discussions; the event will include airport terminal tours and optional flights from the flight school.

“Think of this as your button,” Hickerson said, describing the chamber’s role as a resource for businesses and residents seeking help or information. She encouraged council members and staff to use chamber services and to nominate businesses for the chamber’s upcoming awards.

No council action was required on the presentation. Council members thanked Hickerson and city staff for the update and noted downtown improvements and business support programs as examples of recent progress.