The Facebook Data Center was honored with the annual Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Vandergriff Award at the Chamber’s 10th Annual State of the County on Oct. 23. The State of the County event took place virtually on Hopin due to current recommendations on in-person events.
“Facebook has been part of the Fort Worth community since 2015 when they broke ground on their 2.5 million square foot data center,” said Chamber President and CEO Brandom Gengelbach. “We’ve developed a strong partnership and launched several initiatives benefitting the local business community together. We are so grateful for their continued support of the Fort Worth region.”
The Chamber’s annual Vandergriff Award, established in 2011 in memory of the late Tarrant County Judge Tom Vandergriff, honors a legacy individual or organization whose contributions positively impact Tarrant County on a national scale, the chamber said in a news release.
Past recipients include General Motors, Van Cliburn, Hillwood, Sundance Square, Texas Rangers, and UNTHSC / TCU M.D. School.
“Our thanks goes to the Fort Worth Chamber and Judge Glen Whitley for this incredible honor. Facebook has been a part of Tarrant County since 2015, when we broke ground on our data center here. We love this community, and we’re committed to building strong partnerships and investing in its long-term vitality,” said Holli Davies, Community Development Regional Manager at Facebook.
“We are especially appreciative of the Fort Worth Chamber and the other members of Protect the Fort for all they have done to help local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses are the heart of our community and essential to the local economy, and Facebook is proud to have sponsored this vital program,” Davies said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on Fort Worth’s small business community, Gengelbach said, but he pointed to several initiatives as unique examples of Facebook Data Center’s commitment to Fort Worth:
– Fort Worth groups support small businesses with $250,000 in cash grants thanks to support of Facebook Data Center.
– Fort Worth groups support Fort Worth Businesses with PPE Needs with support of Facebook Data Center.
The Vandergriff Award is presented by Simmons Bank.