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Economic Development and Tourism Division

Texas Governor Rick Perry:

An Inventory of Texas Governor Rick Perry Economic Development and Tourism Division Records at the Texas State Archives, 1989-2015

 

Organization History Scope and Contents Restrictions Related Materials

Overview

Economic Development and TourismCreator: Texas. Governor (2000-2015 : Perry)
Title: Governor Rick Perry Economic Development and Tourism Division records
Dates: 1989-2015
Abstract: The Economic Development and Tourism Division (EDT) of the Texas Governor’s Office under Governor Rick Perry specialized in encouraging in-state business expansion and relocation as well as promoting domestic and international tourism via partnerships with local convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and private travel-related organizations. These records document the regular activities of several sections of EDT, along with predecessor agencies the Texas Department of Commerce and Texas Department of Economic Development, during the terms of Governors Rick Perry, George W. Bush, and Ann Richards. Efforts to convince corporate entities to relocate or expand into the state of Texas are a particular emphasis. Records include paper, audiovisual, and electronic record types encompassing incoming and outgoing correspondence, memorandums, reports, publications, presentations, speeches, organization charts, clippings, press releases, notes, working papers, strategic plans, agendas, meeting materials, calendars, promotional materials, project files, videocassette tapes, audiocassette tapes, and digital images. Records date 1989-2015.
Quantity: 80 cubic ft. and 1.74 GB (2203 files)
Language: These materials are written in English.
Repository: Texas State Archives
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Other Finding Aids

A description of non-electronic records described in this finding aid is available at https://txarchives.org/tslac/finding_aids/60014.xml.

Organization of the Records

The records are organized into nineteen series and two subseries.  Only series with electronic records are in the Texas Digital Archive.

Agency History

The Economic Development and Tourism Division originated in 2003, when several functions of the abolished Texas Department of Economic Development and Texas Aerospace Commission were transferred to this division under the Texas Governor’s Office (Senate Bill 275, 78th Legislature, Regular Session). The division encourages and pursues business expansion and attracts business relocation prospects for the state of Texas, with specific subordinate offices focusing on small businesses, military installations, and aerospace, aviation, and defense businesses. It operates the Texas Economic Development Bank, which provides financial incentives to businesses expanding or relocating to the state of Texas and makes capital funds available to in-state businesses for economic development projects. Finally, the division also promotes Texas as an attractive travel destination through a multimedia marketing campaign and strategic partnerships with convention and visitors bureaus, local chambers of commerce, private travel-related organizations, and associations.

(Click here to read more of the Agency History)

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Economic Development and Tourism Division (EDT) of the Texas Governor’s Office under Governor Rick Perry specialized in encouraging in-state business expansion and relocation as well as promoting domestic and international tourism via partnership with local convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and private travel-related organizations. These records document the regular activities of several sections of EDT, along with its predecessor agencies the Texas Department of Commerce and Texas Department of Economic Development, during the terms of Governors Rick Perry, George W. Bush, and Ann Richards. Efforts to convince corporate entities to relocate or expand into the state of Texas are a particular emphasis of the records. Records include paper, audiovisual, and electronic record types encompassing incoming and outgoing correspondence, memorandums, reports, publications, presentations, speeches, organization charts, clippings, press releases, notes, working papers, strategic plans, agendas, meeting materials, calendars, promotional materials, project files, videocassette tapes, audiocassette tapes, and digital images. Organizations prominent in the records include the subordinate Texas Military Preparedness Commission and EDT predecessor agencies the Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED) and the Texas Department of Commerce (TDOC). Records date 1989-2015.

Because the organizational structure of EDT and its predecessors as documented in these records shifted over time, series are based on isolated functions and are not grouped based on organizational hierarchy. The records are organized into 19 series that cover general agency functions as well as specific offices and projects. Several series reflect general agency functions. Organization charts document the organizational structure of predecessor agency TDED, and the Business Development Division of EDT, dating 1999-2008. Department of Economic Development Governing Board meeting records, member personnel files, and other material dates 1992-1995 and 1997-2002, and includes the subseries Board meeting records, containing materials documenting both the conduct of the board meetings as well and the projects and subject discussed therein, and the subseries Department of Commerce Policy Board member personnel files and other material, containing personnel files for board members as well as related material such as financial statements and oaths of office. Sunset files document TDED gathering information to comply with the sunset review process, dating 1999-2003. Publication development files document the publication of information intended to foster business relations and tourism in Texas with a focus on international business and import/export, and include publications of TDED’s Economic Information Clearinghouse Division and Office of International Business and EDT’s State of Texas North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Office and State of Texas Mexico Office, dating 2000-2005. Plans and planning records are strategic plans, action plans, and marketing plans created by EDT and TDED as well as documentation of the creation of some of these plans, dating 2001-2005 and 2013-2014. Reports and studies are reports on a variety of topics both authored by and collected by TDED, dating 1998-2002. Proposed legislation documents proposed legislation impacting the functions of TDED from the 72nd through 78th legislative sessions, dating 1990-2003. Administrative correspondence is correspondence of Jeff Moseley, EDT executive director, regarding opportunities for international trade, dating 2003-2005.

Series documenting specific subsidiary offices or projects are as follows: Business Development general files are electronic files generated by the Business Development Division including incoming and outgoing correspondence, memorandums, reports, presentations, speeches, spreadsheets, press releases, strategic plans, promotional materials, calendars, guides, and digital photograph files, dating 1998-2014. Corporate Expansion and Recruitment project files are generated by Corporate Expansion and Recruitment, an office of Business Development, in the process of negotiating with a series of companies for the establishment of new headquarters or facilities in Texas and the expansion of existing facilities, dating 1989-2009. This series comprises the bulk of the records.

Finance Program files are working papers, loan files, and project files for Product Commercialization Fund loans, Rural Industrial Development loans, and Texas Rural Economic Development Guaranty projects under TDOC and TDED, dating 1977-2003. International marketing project files document trade missions and business development trips under EDT and TDED, dating 1997-2008. Economic Development Bank files document the Commercial Revitalization Deduction and Renewal Community programs of the Economic Development Bank under EDT and TDED, dating 2001-2009. Enterprise Zone Program annual reports consist of reports and associated data on EDT’s Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Department of Economic Development Finance, 1991-2002. Texas Emerging Technology Fund files consist of a single document generated by the Texas Emerging Technology Fund subdivision of EDT, a form waiver letter for the Regional Centers for Innovation and Commercialization program, dating 2012. Smart Jobs Fund files pertain to the Smart Jobs program, a project administered by TDED that provided jobs training grants for eligible Texas businesses, 1993-2001.

Texas Tourism files document tourism in Texas, advertising initiatives, public relations, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and EDT’s Tourism Advisory Committee, dating 2000-2014. Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense files cover the activities of this subdivision of EDT, focusing on the development of aerospace and related industries in Texas in collaboration with interested stakeholders in both the public and private spheres, dating 2003-2011. Texas Military Preparedness Commission files include paper, audio and video recordings, and electronic records generated by the Texas Military Preparedness Commission (TMPC), a body subordinate to EDT tasked with advocating for the retention and expansion of U.S. military assets and associated defense-related businesses within the territory of Texas for the purposes of economic benefit, dating 1997-2015.

Electronic records described in this finding aid that are part of the Texas Digital Archive are indicated as such in the inventory. Restrictions on access to the content of records are applicable to paper and electronic records. Formats of the original electronic files include word processing or plain text files, spreadsheets, photographs and graphic images, databases, emails, PDFs, PowerPoint, and web-ready images. Digital files presented for public use will generally be PDF for text documents or spreadsheets and .jpg for photographic or graphic images. Files in their original format are available on request, restrictions may apply.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

Restrictions and Requirements

Restrictions on Access
Records described in this finding aid may contain information that is confidential under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552) or other statutes. Restricted information, as outlined in the statutes, applies to both physical and electronic records. As laws change, statutory restrictions may be added to or removed from these records. See our Texas Public Information Act and Researching in the State Archives web page for the more common types of restrictions found in state government records.

Requests for materials held within the State Archives, whether a Research Request or Public Information Act Request, must be submitted via this form: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ref/Texas_State_Archive_Material_Request_Form.pdf. A Research Request is sufficient for requesting most State Archives materials. While a PIA Request is always an option, a PIA Request for State Archives materials is required only if a researcher does not agree to the redaction or removal of restricted government information (see: Texas Gov’t Code Chapter 552).

For further assistance with accessing materials within the State Archives, contact the Reference Desk: archinfo@tsl.texas.gov or 512-463-5455.

Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements
Researchers wishing to access videocassettes or audiocassettes must contact State Archives staff to obtain the necessary equipment.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Governor Rick Perry Economic Development and Tourism Division records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 2015/067, 2015/117, 2016/170, 2017/047, 2017/113, 2018/018, 2018/030, 2019/015, 2020/042

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Governor on December 19, 2014 thru May 2016; June 9, November 15, and December 9, 2016; March 9 and October 4 and 20, 2017; September 24, 2018; and October 18, 2020. Electronic records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Office of the Governor on January 29, 2015.

Processing Information
Processed by Jonathan King, January 2016

Accruals processed, series and subseries added, and overall revisions made by Jonathan King, December 2016

Accruals processed, series and subseries added, and overall revisions made by Caitlin Burhans, December 2019

Accrual added by Caitlin Burhans, January 2020

Other revisions to description and encoding by Caitlin Burhans, May 2020

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