Elma Chavez was in the midst of a busy work day and reflecting on the one before as a self-described “one-man show” at the Raymondville Chamber of Commerce. It has been about two years since Chavez was called back from the private sector to revive a chamber that had lay dormant since 2020. She knew what she had to do. A previous tenure as executive director of the Raymondville Chamber…
La Pale’s store on International Boulevard in Brownsville is a vibrant ice cream shop featuring Mexican-style desserts. A big whiteboard in Daisy Alcazar’s back office at La Pale Frozen Bar in Brownsville tells the story of a small business making the leap to something much bigger. “HEB COUNTDOWN 48 DAYS TILL PICKUP,” is written in big blue letters. The message was written in late 2024 before the first delivery truck…
The local library as cornerstones for books in the classic sense and e-books in the digital age are reinventing themselves to remain vibrant forces in their communities. McAllen boasts the largest single-floor library in the country, the McAllen Main Library. Here, events are plentiful throughout the year and include art shows and digital literacy courses. This month, the library is hosting AARP tax volunteers to help local residents file their…
The OrigoWorks portfolio is an extensive one. The Brownsville-based company got its start as a design-oriented firm. Origo today has the capabilities to offer turnkey projects to its clients. The firm over the years has expanded to include construction, sales and marketing, and property and asset management to the services it offers. Origo headquarter offices are housed in what was once an Edelstein’s Furniture warehouse along railroad tracks that are…
As a boy growing up in Harlingen, Pat Reilly was enchanted by the sights and sounds of the Confederate Air Force show featured annually at the city’s airport. Reilly’s home was located just a few miles away from the airport. Looking up to the skies, he could see the vintage World War II airplanes fly overhead during the CAF’s hey days at the Harlingen airport in the 1960s and 1970s.…
Elizabeth Suarez’s deep years of experience in city government and community affairs made her the ideal and perhaps only candidate for a newly formed leadership position in the city of McAllen. In mid-January, Suarez became the president and chief executive officer of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation. It’s the same title she was holding in leading the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. To put two vital legacy organizations under one leader…
A battle-worn firefighter’s helmet rests on a shelf over the bar at Chris Cuellar’s restaurant in Weslaco. The rigors of the job he held for over 10 years in service to his community would take a physical toll. Injury problems would compel him to leave the Weslaco Police Department and bring a need to reinvent himself while still being a young man. Being a restaurateur is a thought that had…
The Dallas Cowboys recently concluded another disappointing season but the lack of success will hardly lessen the devout following the NFL franchise enjoys in the Rio Grande Valley. George Dunn, a senior retail manager for the Cowboys, says the RGV ranks third in Texas for sale of team merchandise, T-shirts, caps and all manner of gear with the familiar blue star. The third-best market ranking (only Dallas-Fort Worth and San…
Annelise Rosas’ growing-up years in Monterrey and Austin left a yearning for another city of her youth. Brownsville is the place where Rosas feels the most comfortable. The Rio Grande Valley’s largest city is the best fit for the interchange of languages she speaks. In Monterrey, Rosas was seen as an American and a bit of an outcast despite being the daughter of Mexican-born parents. The view of her in…
Felida Villarreal worked in the private sector as an accountant and financial analyst and developed an interest in the work of non-profit organizations focused on community service. In the early 2020s, that interest led to a job as the director of finance for VIDA, the acronym for Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement. The Mercedes-based organization was founded in 1995 and serves residents in the four-county Rio Grande Valley. The…