Tom Mullins presented a great candid report from the Tyler Economic Development Council.
Key points included:
- Tyler has over 18,000 college level students, attending UT Tyler, Tyler Junior College and Texas College. This represents several thousand more students than typical “college towns” like Stephen F. Austin’s Nacogdoches, which has 12,000 students.
- Tyler is blessed to have an business-friendly city council, mayor and Smith County has a business-friendly board of commissioners.
- Tyler has been adding approximately 3,500 residents per year.
- The State of Texas add approximately 1,000 people per day.
- The average home price in Tyler is lower than the national average at $175,000.
With over 30 years of experience in regional and community economic development, Tom Mullins is President/CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council, serving Tyler and Smith County since June 1989 and President/CEO of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, March 1992 to present. In 1997 and 2002, Tyler was recognized by the Texas Economic Development Council with the Community Economic Development Award for outstanding local development achievements.
Tom served as Chairman of the Texas Economic Development Council Board for 2004-2005. In 2002, he was appointed to Governor Perry’s Council on Science and Biotechnology Development. From 1992 to 1993, he was President of Northeast Texas Economic Development Council, made up of economic and community development professionals from the 23-county region of Northeast Texas. In 1989, he was President of the Minnesota Industrial Development Council.
Mr. Mullins has been a Certified Economic Developer since 1986 and holds a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in regional and community development.
