Thank You and Welcome

by Sanjiv Yajnik
Chairman, Collin County Business Alliance President

In 2011, leaders from across the county came together to form the Collin County Business Alliance (CCBA) with the mission of making the county an even more vibrant place to live and work.

Since that summer in 2011, our membership has grown and the Board of Directors includes some of the top employers in the county, including Capital One, Rent-A-Center, Ericsson, Toyota, the Frisco RoughRiders, and United Healthcare. Our board has their pulse on the issues impacting the lives of our residents. We saw that many of the issues facing our county, such as transportation, water and education, were issues that faced the county as a whole, and not just one particular municipality. We knew there had to be a voice for the business community that stretched from one end of the county to the other to ensure that our community addresses these issues and stays vibrant.

One of those issues is transportation. As our county grows and more businesses locate to the area, the movement of employees to and from work will become a top priority. While current infrastructure meets that need, we must stay ahead of the curve and ensure that our road projects adequately meet the growth before it comes so that we are not enduring long delays and degradation in our quality of life.

When our state and county were hit by the worst drought in 50 years, the CCBA took action and stood with the North Texas Water Municipal District to endorse the State Water Plan. The CCBA also worked in partnership with leaders from across the state to ensure that the business community’s voice was heard in Austin for passage of the water bill, SJR1.

Companies here in Collin County recruit from all over the country, and as prospective employees come to the area one of their first questions is always about the educational system in the area. We must work together to bridge the gap and enhance the educational system in our state and our county. The CCBA is working on creating a strong partnership between the business community and local educators so that business and teachers are working together to enable students to have real world training and education on modern business needs.

Issues like these have a tremendous impact on the future of our county and our economic stability in the region. By 2045, Collin County will grow to have more than 2.1 million people. In order to meet that growth, we have to ensure that we meet our needs in transportation, education and water, in order to continue our growth trajectory. Without addressing these issues our county cannot continue growing.

Whether you are a resident or a business leader, we invite you to contact us to get involved and stay updated.

Sincerely,

Sanjiv Yajnik
Chairman, Collin County Business Alliance President, Capital One Financial Services Division