Continued from Front Page account of the Irving Heritage House and provided a few facts about Irving

that we can expect to see in the coming year. There are a number of anniversaries including the 80th anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce, 100th anniversary of the Heritage House and the 75th anniversary of the Irving-Las Colinas Rotary Club, a reminder of Irvings rich history and the value of civic engagement in our community. The Irving Heritage Society also shared a brief overview of the restoration of Irvings oldest and most historic landmark home. In addition, Ron Singh, Executive Vice President of Managed Care Services at HMS Inc., provided guests with a positive outlook on the services of HMS and how they are improving the effectiveness of our nations healthcare system. In total, HMS recovered over $2 billion dollars for their clients in 2011 and saved them $4 billion more through the prevention of erroneous payments. Thanks in part to a business-friendly city and the partnerships garnered through the Chamber, Ron examined how HMS was able to utilize and strengthen their technology resources and gain access to a large and talented workforce. Dedicated to embracing the citys past and envisioning the future, Mayor Beth Van Duyne, reaffirmed the strong partnership with the Chamber and highlighted our recent wins including CHRISTUS Health. The 650 new jobs in Irving will continue to bolster our local and regional economy. She also touted the strong regional relationship that is being built with Dallas and Fort Worth, relationships that will be extremely beneficial to retaining corporations in North Texas. The business community is pleased that Mayor Van Duyne has made preparations to meet regularly with CEOs of Irving-based corporations and seek their input on economic development and redevelopment. The Chamber and City staffs work very hard to sustain Irvings business community, which is proud to pay over 70% of the tax base in Irving, keeping resident taxes to some of the lowest in North Texas. With that, these new CEO meetings with the Mayor allow business leaders the opportunity to express their needs about the future of important projects in Irving like the Entertainment Center and the redevelopment of the Heritage District. The Chamber looks forward to working with Mayor Van Duyne as we continue to grow the retail, commercial and industrial components of Irving, thus improving the quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors. We would like to thank all of our sponsors for this event as it would not have been possible without their contributions.