Nonprofit organizations typically form to address an area of need in the community. Leaders of those nonprofits are usually well-versed in the field they serve, but often not equipped with the knowledge and skills required to succeed on the business side of helping people. Nonprofit leadership is the topic of the first in a series of executive education course offerings from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. “We want…
Don Breeden’s success in advertising and marketing has a lot to do with his lifelong passion for art. “That’s how I make my living,” Breeden said. “I am an artist and I used it to sort of lead into advertising. And I still do. I get a lot of clients off of it. I mix the commercial aspect with the fine arts aspect.” Breeden spent much of his youth…
Verturo Construction owner Joey Holand wanted to help veterans. In 2016, Holand and his wife donated a hunting trip that reunited two combat-wounded veterans. The pair had been separated after their tours of duty. “That weekend changed me as a person,” Holand said. “It changed me on how we look at our veterans.” Holand’s company and other contractors, in partnership with H-E-B’s Operation Appreciation and the nonprofit Operation Finally Home,…
An ambitious five-day festival coming to McAllen in July will celebrate the past, present and future of Latino culture and its influence on the Rio Grande Valley. “We see the need to create a destination festival in the summer,” said Luis Cantu, vice president for international business and community development with the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. “It’s kind of a compilation of a lot of events we have done, but…
The new $17.6 million Harlingen Convention Center is open for business. The 44,436-square-foot facility was dedicated in May with great fanfare. Soon after, construction started on a $25-million five-story Hilton Garden Inn with 149 rooms adjacent to the convention center. That project is expected to be complete in 12 to 14 months. The hotel is being developed by BC Lynd, which will also manage the convention center. Advance bookings for…
Texas Secretary of State David Whitley expressed confidence that the Texas Department of Transportation’s 10-year, $70 billion statewide infrastructure program will bode well for the future economic development in the Rio Grande Valley. “As TxDot begins to the rollout of the Unified Transportation Program bill, it’s even more important that we continue to communicate with one another to accomplish our goals of enhancing capacity, maintenance and safety of our critical…
City officials and community leaders gathered May 1 for a ceremony and ribbon-cutting to formally dedicate the Harlingen Convention Center. Attendees had a chance to tour the building and a community open house was on the schedule for the evening. Mariachis entertained guests upon arrival. A color guard made up of officers from the Harlingen police and fire departments started the ceremony. Harlingen school district students then led the pledge…
The history of a legendary Rio Grande Valley bootmaker provides the backdrop for the Bootique, a clothing and gift shop in downtown Raymondville. The store is in a portion of the brick building where Abraham Rios crafted custom footwear for decades. The building’s current owners, Cruz and Sonya Tijerina, ran the Bootique until they sold the business to Elma Chavez, former director of the Raymondville Chamber of Commerce. The Tijerinas…
Mike Heep spends his days cultivating native plants and educating people about the benefits of using indigenous vegetation in gardens and landscaping projects. Native plants are drought and freeze tolerant, and attract the birds and butterflies for which the Rio Grande Valley is famous. In 1964, Heep moved from San Antonio to the Harlingen area with his family. He operates Heep’s Nursery on the same two-acre tract where he grew…
The business plan is pretty simple. Offer modern facilities with kid-friendly fun, competitive pricing and top-notch customer service, and people will come. Xtreme Jump Trampoline Parks began in San Benito about three years ago and last month opened its newest location in Harlingen. They also have operations in McAllen, Corpus Christi and Laredo, with more planned in the near future for the Rio Grande Valley and other towns in Texas…