By Pamela Cosel, Editor
ROUND ROCK, Texas – She has been a Realtor in the area for the past forty years and knows the city well. In January, Avis Wukasch will also become the Round Rock Chamber Board Chair, having been a volunteer for the past five years. She said others have talked with her for a while about getting involved in Chamber work, and now seemed the right time to do it.
“Some past leadership has attempted to get me involved for many years,” Wukasch explained, “and because of other volunteer obligations I kept saying no. About two years ago, I finally said yes.”
In these months of COVID-19 and the pandemic, businesses have been run differently and the Chamber function has had to change with the times, of course. Chambers of Commerce are known for being friendly, supportive and outgoing, as the Board of Directors together promotes the community and its businesses.
“We have learned many new skills,” Wukasch said. “How to have meetings without being in the same room, how to help others without any ‘hands-on’ involvement. How to encourage people through stories and examples of other times in our history where ‘times were worse’ than this pandemic.” All challenges that will continue into 2021 as Wukasch takes the helm.
Yet, she explained that the work does not all fall onto her shoulders alone. She said that the best thing about volunteering at the Chamber is the people with whom she connects.
“Nothing is accomplished by the Board Chair alone,” she said. “The work of many, many people will continue, work already started in economic development, support of the business community, developing leaders and entrepreneurs, talent development and attraction, business attraction and retention, business advocacy and of course, organizational stability. This work will continue done by many both staff and volunteers, and for a few months I will sit in this seat and do whatever I can do to help and to not get in the way of progress.”
Progress won’t stop in 2021; in fact, the Chamber of Commerce staff and Board members all know they can’t let the energy sag. There is much to do for the city. Wukasch explained the projects for the coming year.
“We are focused on continuing to bolster the economic vitality of Round Rock by proactively recruiting companies in identified target industries,” she said. “Taking care of the businesses we already have here is of utmost importance, and we have an outreach program that will be enhanced in 2021 to ensure we are assisting business where we can. Even in times of the pandemic, our region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. For that reason, it is critical that we enhance and expand our workforce availability and talent development programs for employers and employees.
“We have a concerted effort to develop a thriving ecosystem that supports high growth-entrepreneurs and start-up business in Round Rock,” Wukasch continued. “With the 2021 legislative session kicking off, our public policy advocacy efforts will promote pro-business policies through our regional relationship building and influence infrastructure investment that supports growth and mobility. Last, but not least, we are so thankful for ‘Momentum’ and Chamber Investors who help us drive this important work for the community.”
Wuckash and her husband, who is a Real Estate broker, are parents to two and grandparents to four children. Born in McKinney, Texas, and raised in Anna, Texas, she was used to small towns, with a population of 700, in her younger years. “Now there are more than 13,000 residents,” she said.
However, the big city drew her to Austin for college, and she never left the area. She said that home sales are on the increase and inventory is down in her town of choice. “Round Rock is an amazing place to be in the Real Estate business.”
Looking forward to 2021, Wukasch highlighted the many partnerships that make it such a great city in which to live and work.
“2020 has been a difficult year for all of us,” she said. “The Chamber is proud to have partnered with the City of Round Rock, The Greater Round Rock Community Foundation and Dell Technologies to implement the ‘Round Rock Cares’ fund this past spring. The Chamber gave a significant contribution in seed money to the charitable fund which ended up raising a total of $420,000 and providing financial relief to more than 240 small businesses in Round Rock at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown. This support helped them pay bills until they could access federal support programs. This effort showed that Round Rock is a community that takes care of each other and we are so thankful to be a part of a place where life is well, life and community thrives!”
She believes that the Chamber must stay relevant to the business community and, thereby, contributing to the entire community of Round Rock.
“The way I learned the world is, ‘don’t complain, be engaged, make a difference for the greatest good of all.’”
For at least the next year and longer, that is just what Wukash’s focus will be.