Editor’s Note: Toyota Motor North America’s commitment to its customers extends to giving back to the community through board service and social innovation. The company has contributed more than $1.05 billion to support safety, education, and environmental initiatives across the U.S. Toyota Motor North America shares its production know-how with nonprofits and community partners – from food banks to hospitals — to help them serve more people, more effectively.
As Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors, Toyota Motor North America’s Chris Nielsen serves on the Nominating Committee, which will review nominations for the 2020 Board Class. Nominations will remain open through Friday, August 16. Click here to complete a nomination form. To learn more, please contact Managing Director of Investor and Board Relations Katie Summerfield at ksummerfield@dallaschamber.org or 214.746.6745.
Q: Tell us about Toyota Motor North America’s corporate citizenship and what inspires you to give back to the community?
Toyota Motor North America’s community involvement goes far beyond the grant dollars we commit to support workforce readiness, inclusive mobility, financial inclusion, and community resilience. We work every day to apply and share our expertise to help build a better tomorrow. For example, in 2017, Toyota Motor North America partnered with Parkland Hospital to implement simple process improvements that would significantly cut down discharge times, reduce waiting times, and open up beds faster for more patients – at no cost to the quality of care. Those kinds of projects inspire me because they create real impact and provide models that other community partners can use in their own organizations.
Q: What do you enjoy most about serving on the DRC Board of Directors?
Hands down it is a diverse group of business and community leaders who are all here for the same purpose – to make this region the best place to live, work, and do business. My time on the DRC Board has helped my own development and given me a network of lasting relationships that I will carry far beyond my term of service.
Q: What qualities do you think make a great board member?
A great board member is someone who is already engaged in the community, and who is ready to take his or her involvement to the next level by serving with some of the top business leaders in the region. He or she is dedicated to the term of service and ready to roll up sleeves to help make a difference.
Q: Toyota Motor North America has been a member of the DRC since 2015. What is one thing you wish you would have known then, that you know now?
When I first joined the DRC, I realized there are hundreds of ways to get engaged with the organization’s robust programming. I would encourage new members to lean on the DRC staff, who are here to guide your team and offer personalized recommendations for involvement.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in the Dallas Region?
My wife and I love sports. I think she might even be more competitive than I am when it comes to a good game! We enjoy the Cowboys, Stars, Rangers, and the Mavs, and anytime I can watch my son’s high school baseball team, I consider that the pinnacle.