LH Chamber members welcome Gecko Hardware
It’s only a few months old, but already the Lake Highlands Chamber is preparing to host their first big event. On April 23rd, they’ll host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of Haven Lake Highlands, the first phase of the new town center development.
I asked founder Ted Hill how the Lake Highlands Chamber got started and what they have in mind.
“I had started a Linked In group called Lake Highlands Community, just for people to network. It grew to 400-500 people, and people were making comments – I call them ‘comment grenades’ – saying ‘you ought to do this’ or ‘the community ought to do that.’ I had been through Leadership Dallas and the Mayor’s Star Council and seen a lot of development being pulled south. I just decided that if we don’t stand up now and wave the flag that we’re open for business, Lake Highlands could be in a huge hurt in years to come.”
Ted sensed that advocacy for development in LH was lacking and says he couldn’t “just sit on the sidelines.”
“The Northeast Dallas Chamber is going back to their roots to become the East Dallas Chamber. You’ve got the Garland, Richardson and North Dallas Chambers all around us, and in the middle, this black hole. No one has any vested interest in development in Lake Highlands. We basically want to be servant leaders for the business community in Lake Highlands.”
An LH Chamber meeting at Crossroads Diner
Ted graduated from LHHS and says he learned much about the community from his parents, Ray and Peggy Hill. He held an organizational meeting for the group in July of 2013, and, since then, the Chamber has recruited about 30 members and holds monthly board meetings. Membership is open to all in LH, and fees are competitive with other local chambers.
“We strategize about what’s going on, and we’re strategically moving forward. It’s been interesting to see how quickly and easily things have developed. I think it’s a sign the community really wants it. The response has been great. The next step will be to send our ambassadors out to invite more people to join.
“We’ve got some great guys on our board – people with a good sense of what is going on in Lake Highlands. We have a lot of feelers out for what’s coming.
“I love businesses, I love working with businesses, I love how businesses work, I love talking to business owners and figuring out what makes them tick, so it’s just kind of a natural fit for me to do something I love and do it in the community I was born and raised in.”
The Lake Highlands Chamber meets the third Thursday of each month with LH Forum, a business leadership and networking group, at 7 a.m. at Crossroads Diner. The $13 breakfast buffet includes tip. At the April 17 session, Dallas Police Chief Brown will discuss “Crime in Lake Highlands.”
A Women’s Leadership Connection group, led by Marla Ravkind and Carrie Hill, are in the works.
The ribbon cutting at Haven Lake Highlands will include wine and appetizers, and ceremonies take place from 6-8 p.m. April 23.
