Susan Combs Texas Comptroller Susan Combs will visit East Texas and speak during the Nacogdoches County Chamber New Member Showcase on Friday, Jan. 23, at Hotel Fredonia. At 1 p.m., Combs will give an update for the Texas economy and discuss economic development, work force, government transparency and other economic issues impacting East Texans. For instance, a widening gap exists between the demand for skilled workers in Texas and the state’s ability to supply them. For Texas to remain an economic powerhouse, the state’s education system needs added focus on career and technical training to fill available jobs. Combs will discuss her office’s newest report, Texas Works, which examines the changing Texas job market and the growing shortage of workers with the technical skills required for many of the fastest growing jobs. Combs will also highlight ways local governments can operate more effectively and efficiently by promoting best practices and regional governance. The Comptroller’s office offers a variety of tools to obtain up-to-date data for accurate planning, effective economic analysis and forecasting. One of the most popular tools, Texas EDGE (which stands for Economic Data for Growth and Expansion), provides in-depth analysis vital to economic development. As part of Combs’ “Open Book Texas” initiative, the Comptroller launched the Web site Texas Transparency Check-Up, at www.openbooktexas.com, to help make local government spending more transparent. The Web site reveals the financial transparency of the top 50 Texas cities, Texas counties, school districts and other local entities. It also offers local governments advice for transparency, highlights success stories, provides links to exemplary local government Web sites and gives taxpayers tips to ensure their government is open and accountable. The public is invited to attend the New Member Showcase, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Jan. 23 at Hotel Fredonia and hear Combs speak at no charge. The showcase is an opportunity for new Chamber members to exhibit their products and services to the public.