novation there. The two go hand in
hand. There are culture and student
exchange opportunities. When you
are talking about the fastest growing
economy in the world and a country
of 1.2 billion people, I think there are
many areas where we can partner and
benefit each other.
HeidiPP: True, the exchange is mu-
tually beneficial. There is so much we
can learn from them — and them,
from us.
the solution. You can be on the out-
side looking in, or you can be on the
inside working from within to make
a change. But my advice to people
is to get involved and to participate
from wherever they are. You do not
have to be Mayor. You don’t even
have to be a council member to be
effective. You can be a community
sion. It was my first time in India. We
worked to enhance the relationship
between the two communities. We
are a significant trade partner for In-
dia and there is a significant Indian
population in Houston. More than
82,000 Houstonians were born in
India, and another 200,000 are of In-
dian descent. They are a vibrant com-
Mayor Turner: Yes. And you know,
we are pushing for a direct flight.
Did you know there are no direct
flights from Houston to New Delhi
or Mumbai? You go to Newark and
over to India. Or you go to Istan-
bul and over to India. Or you go to
Frankfurt, Germany and over to In-
dia. That is a 24- to 25-hour trip. A
direct flight would help to enhance
the relationship between the two
countries by shortening the travel
time between us.
‘‘
One thing about mayors is we have to be
results oriented. … You can not allow politics to
get in the way. There is no Democratic or
Republican pothole when the rain falls.”
leader, a community organizer, or a
neighborhood helper. From wher-
ever you sit, you can effect change.
HeidiPP: You have hosted many
missions
representing
Houston
abroad, I heard that you just recently
returned from a trade mission in In-
dia. What was it that you and your
team did during this trade mission?
Mayor Turner: It was a group of 35
people on a business and trade mis-
48 iF Magazine | January 2019
munity within the City of Houston.
India has the fastest growing econo-
my in the world. They consume a lot
of energy and the U.S. is a principal
exporter of energy. With India as a
consumer, the two go hand in hand.
So that was one area. There was syn-
ergy there. Also, there are doctors and
researchers. That was another area of
interest. Then there are scholars, tech-
nology, and innovation. We are creat-
ing technology and innovation here.
They are creating technology and in-
HeidiPP: In 2018 you also traveled
to Argentina, Chile, and Peru. What
are your thoughts on Central and
South America?
Mayor Turner: You know Houston is
like the “Gateway to the Americas”.
It just makes a lot of sense to be fo-
cused on Central and South America.
HeidiPP: So when was the mission
to China?