The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce will host a delegation to Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, for its 31^st Annual Leadership Trip on Sept. 26-28, 2011.  Participants will learn how Houston’s leaders addressed key initiatives related to the city’s job growth and development, including generating shipping traffic to the city’s port, downtown revitalization and education reform.

A wide array of theaters and museums draw people from across the region to Houston’s downtown central business district.  In addition, Houston’s port has been instrumental in the city’s development as a center of international trade.

Houston’s economy has a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics and transportation.  The Port of Houston is a large part of Houston’s economy and ranks first in the United States in foreign waterborne tonnage, first in U.S. imports, second in U.S. export tonnage and second in the U.S. in total tonnage.  Houston is also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where its Mission Control Center is located.  Another Houston landmark is its internationally renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world’s largest concentration of research and health care institutions.

More information about the 31^st Annual Leadership Trip and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce is available online at www.OpportunityJacksonville.com or by calling (904) 366-6646.