Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber celebrates achievements and says goodbye to its leader
Chamber members, community leaders and city officials gathered in a packed ballroom at the Sheraton hotel downtown on Friday for the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Chamber event.
The luncheon marked outgoing chamber president and CEO Anette Landeros’ last address on behalf of the organization.
Landeros, who was hired to lead the chamber in 2019, will be stepping down on Dec. 13. She will officially take up her new role as chief strategy officer of Trinity Metro on Dec. 16.
In her remarks on Friday, Landeros reminisced on her five years as president of the chamber. She highlighted her work to bring all three of the city’s chambers of commerce together and collaborate with the city’s economic development office.
“Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing cities, but we are uniquely positioned to do it better than anyone else,” Landeros said.
Numerous city officials, including Mayor Mattie Parker, departing city manager David Cooke and council members Elizabeth Beck, Carlos Flores and Chris Nettles attended the event.
Membership in the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber, founded in 1973, has grown significantly under Landeros’ leadership. The commerce has about 840 members today, up from around 400 in 2020.
Landeros said when she took up the role, she questioned how valuable chambers of commerce really are in the digital age. But after five years, she said she knows they’re vital to the business community.
“We have to continue to partner with folks who maybe don’t look like our traditional partners and create space for all of us to work together,” Landeros said of the chamber’s efforts to help businesses.
Landeros announced the League of United Latin American Citizens will hold its national convention in Fort Worth in 2026. She also said Fort Worth is a finalist for the 2026 U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s national conference.
It is unclear when a new president will be named, or how far along the chamber is in its search for a new leader.
The chamber’s goals for 2025 include improving member retention, continuing to invest in the historic Northside district and advocating for members during the legislative session, which begins in January.
“I’m just going to put it out there, this legislative session is going to be a really tough one for our Hispanic chamber community,” Landeros said.
At the end of Friday’s event, the chamber’s board played a video honoring Landeros’ service — a montage of photos set to Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” She was presented with a pair of boots bearing the chamber’s logo.
“Your passion for empowering Hispanic businesses and fostering growth within our community has inspired all of us,” said Ish Arebalos, the chamber’s outgoing board chairman.
