Pub. 55 2014-2015 Issue 4

8 possible on various community boards over the past twenty years, and continue to do so today. After graduating from the Sherman Chamber Leadership Program in 1995, I was nominated to the Sherman Chamber of Commerce Board, which I participated in from 1996 through 1999. I also served as the Business activities chair in 1999. At this point the Sherman Chamber was also the economic development arm of the city, a part of the chamber which I enjoyed thoroughly. 1996 was also the year that the city began to consider passing a sales tax to fund economic develop- ment. In 1989, the Texas Legislature amended the “Development Corporation Act of 1979” to allow local sales tax to be dedicated solely for economic development purposes. By add- ing section 4A to the Act, smaller cities could better compete for industry and jobs for their community. I had the opportunity to serve on this committee in Sherman, and we went to work on a public relations campaign to get the new sales tax passed. We were successful, and the Sherman Economic Development Corpo- ration was born. SEDCO has played a huge role in maintaining a strong business climate in our community by attracting new business and industry, retaining existing business and industry, and providing infrastructure development. From 1996 until 1997, I served on the North Texas Boy Scouts Advisory Board and worked to support their causes. Although only on the board for two years, Graham Interna- tional has continued to financially support the organization. In 1997, I had the opportunity to join the Grayson County United Way Board of Direc- tors on which I served for seven years. This provided me the opportunity to see and learn about the incredible work being done in our community by various 501C3 organizations. I was amazed at how the United Way could take many small donations and combine them to make a huge impact. At the time, it was difficult to take the time as a business owner to vet the many organizations that were ask- ing for financial support; however, I could be confident that by contributing to the United Way the money being donated by the company and its employees was being used wisely and appropriately. After joining the board in 1997, I went on to become Business Chair from 1997 through 1999, County Campaign Chair in 2001 and 2003, and President of the Board in 2002. Since that time, and with a much better understanding of the non-profit agencies pro- viding service in Grayson County, Graham International has created its own voluntary contribution program that allows employees to provide input on which organizations receive their funds. With employees from different cities in Texas and Oklahoma, this process encourages better participation and allows our employees to make a difference in their own communities. In 1997, I had the opportunity to get involved with a state business association, the Texas Association of Business. My ap- preciation for this organization stems from something that occurred even before I had the opportunity to take over operations when my father passed. During his last years, he was very sick with congenital heart failure. Dur- ing this time, the business was struggling, and had it not been for the loyalty and dedication of our employees, it would have certainly failed. Economic conditions during the late 1980s and early 1990s were tough, and the oilfield bust hit the company hard. Combined with the health issues of my father, the company struggled to keep the doors open. Perhaps the biggest challenge involved the skyrocketing costs of workers compensation. In 1991, the Texas Association of Business played a huge role in reforming the Texas Workers Compensation Insurance Program. The results of this reform were immediate, and I know for a fact that without this reform, Graham International would not have made in through this period. Therefore, I felt an overwhelming obligation to return something to this great organization that played such a huge role in me having the opportunity to take over the family business. That opportunity presented itself when I was asked to serve as the North Texas Chapter Chair of TAB in 1998 and again in 2001. While Chapter Chair in 1998, I was asked to serve a three year term on the Texas Association of Business State Board, which I graciously ac- cepted. Although Austin is around a five and a half hour drive from Sherman, I was excited to have the chance to participate in state affairs. I quickly found myself in a position to provide meaning ful input on state issues, specifically the impact of legislation on small businesses. The TAB Board was mostly comprised of rep- resentatives of large business and industry, and I took my role as a champion of small business seriously. After serving my three year term, I was asked to serve as the State Tax Committee Chair in 2003, which allowed me to continue my service to the board. I served in this capac- ity from 2003 through 2007. In 2008, I was provided the opportunity to serve as Chair of TAB’s Business and Commerce Political  BRETT GRAHAM — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7  BRETT GRAHAM — CONTINUED ON PAGE 10