We recently told you about the Dallas Regional Chamber working quickly to populate a site for workers displaced by the COVID-19 outbreak. The online portal, located inside the DRC’s Say Yes to Dallas talent retention and attraction page, updates listings every five to 10 seconds to help locals find available jobs. Now, the DRC has upped the campaign: It’s brought on Emmitt Smith to lead the efforts.
Emmitt Smith is a renowned Dallas entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and, most commonly known, former professional football star. Smith, a DRC board member, is now also the new face of the DRC’s “Connecting Displaced Workers to Jobs” platform.
For the chamber, Smith will serve as the chief spokesman, appearing in radio, television, and social media marketing and on a digital billboard space donated by Clear Channel Outdoor for the campaign’s use through the end of the year.
Smith said he’s proud to play a part in the awareness efforts and hopes this will assist North Texans everywhere in getting back to work.
“Dallas has given me and my family so much throughout my career in football and in business,” said Smith. “Some of the very people who cheered so hard for me throughout my career in football are now the ones I’m rooting for to get back on their feet.”
Smith is a football icon famous for being an NFL All-Time Rushing leader. Even with three Super Bowl championship rings on his fingers, Smith kept grinding even after retiring in 2004. When he came to Dallas, everything opened up, and he was able to learn from local greats like Jerry Jones.
He now calls the region the “center of the universe.”
“I have this vision—the same vision that I use on the football field—I can see certain things before they actually get there,” Smith said at Venture Dallas last year. “Being able to see growth in a city and understanding the patterns of growth, and having this intuition that, you know what, that’s a pretty nice looking corner. And someday, it’s going to be more than what it is right now.”
Today, Smith leads ESmith Legacy Holdings and has several companies in real estate, construction, and technology. He also founded Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities with his wife to provide opportunities to underserved youth.
“There are few people in Dallas whose platform and voice better represent the kind of tenacity and positive spirit that we need to inspire hope right now,” Dale Petroskey, DRC president and CEO, said in the announcement. “The DRC is doing all we can to help our neighbors who are out of work through no fault of their own. Emmitt is the ideal partner to spread the word that better days are ahead and opportunities and resources are just a few clicks away.”
How the Dallas Regional Chamber is “Connecting Displaced Workers to Jobs”
Workers in Dallas affected by COVID-19 can find full- and part-time jobs on the DRC’s Say Yes to Dallas site. It’s also useful for companies or individuals seeking to relocate here.
The microsite is broken down by sector, such as hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, food service, and warehouses. Powered by autonomous software, the job postings are updated in real-time using a feed provided by Indeed.com and direct listings from local companies.
Information available includes:
• Leads for in-demand jobs
• Access to online courses to upskill into high-demand, well-paying jobs
• Child care, for parents involved in essential work
• Links to allow workers to file for unemployment claims
The DRC worked in partnership with the workforce boards of Greater Dallas, Tarrant County, and North Central Texas to reach as many employers as possible. The organization also collaborated with the Dallas Citizens Council, Downtown Dallas Inc., and VisitDallas as the pandemic began to unfold.
Dallas Innovates is a collaboration of D Magazine Partners and the Dallas Regional Chamber.
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