Category Archives: e-Brief Features

Rodriguez Appointed to TMRS State Board

e-Brief Features Government Moving On Up News Comments
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez to the Texas Municipal Retirement System Board of Trustees for a term to expire on Feb. 1, 2029. The board oversees the Texas Municipal Retirement System, which is responsible for providing a secure retirement benefit plan for eligible employees of more than 800 Texas cities. Rodriguez is a former gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Municipal Retirement System Board…

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UTRGV Introduces Summer 2024 Grad Incentive

e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments
UTRGV

This summer, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is offering a special incentive to incoming graduate students, aimed at jumpstarting their academic journey toward an advanced degree. The new Summer 2024 Grad Incentive will grant up to $2,000 toward the education of new students entering any academic program within the UTRGV Graduate College. This award, provided through grants or scholarships, is available on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted. To…

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Texas Labor Market Shows Steady Growth

e-Brief Features News Comments
hand-shake

The Texas labor market maintained its momentum in March to reach a 36th consecutive month of positive annual growth and once again set new record-high levels for jobs, Texans employed and the civilian labor force. Texas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm job count increased to 14,115,700 after 19,100 jobs were added over the month in March, reflecting growth in 45 of the last 47 months. Texas also led the nation with…

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Port of Brownsville Business Park Lands First Tenant

e-Brief Features Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
COSTEP CEO Adam Gonzalez, Westa Inc. CEO Zaur Kafkas, and Port of Brownsville Interim Director and CEO William Dietrich join Brownsville District Navigation District members Ralph Cowen, John Reed, Sergio Tito Lopez and John Wood.

The Port of Brownsville recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking for its first tenant at the Port of Brownsville Business Park, Westa Inc. The April 18 ceremony marked a significant milestone in the development of the port’s 118-acre business park. Westa Inc., a major player in the agricultural industry, will invest $20 million to establish a state-of-the-art wheat flour mill and wheat storage silos at the Port of Brownsville. The company…

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STC Hosts Public Safety and First Responders Expo

Community Events e-Brief Features Featured News Comments
Public Safety and First Responders Expo

South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence will host its annual Public Safety and First Responders Expo on April 26, welcoming community members to explore career opportunities and academic pathways as first responders. Free and open to the public, more than 400 students from school districts across the Rio Grande Valley and community members are invited to the event, where a total of 40 local, state and federal…

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Fortune Ranks UTRGV MSBA #4 in Texas

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
Fortune magazine recently ranked UTRGV’s Online MSBA program 4th in Texas for 2024 – and 17th in the broader national roster.

Murad Moqbel, program director for UTRGV’s Master of Science in Business Analytics, says data is powering the world these days. “Data is the new oil,” he said. “It used to be that people made decisions based on their experience or intuition but analytics allows us to make data-driven decisions.” That’s why a recent study by Fortune magazine that ranks UTRGV’s Online MSBA program fourth in Texas for 2024 – and…

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Call to McAllen Businesses: Lemonade Day

Community Events e-Brief Features News Comments
Lemonade Day

Once again, McAllen kids will be fulfilling their dreams of becoming business owners when Lemonade Day McAllen takes place on May 11. Organizers are currently seeking local businesses to serve as stand-site locations for the citywide educational program that teaches youth the entrepreneurial skills necessary to start, own and operate their own business in a lemonade stand. McAllen businesses serving as stand locations can not only help these young entrepreneurs,…

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A Clear Eye on the Goal

e-Brief Features Education News Non-Profit Comments
Michael Castilleja

Life hasn’t been easy for Brownsville resident Michael Castilleja. Raised by his grandfather, he learned the value of money at an early age because it was hard to come by. When he completed high school, he faced a number of obstacles in his pursuit to break free of the cycle of poverty but Castilleja possesses a clear understanding of the value of education. “Being in a Hispanic family in the…

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Port of Brownsville Awarded $1.1M

e-Brief Features Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Port of Brownsville

The Port of Brownsville was recently named the recipient of $1,116,279 in funding from the federal government for its Port of Brownsville Vessel Suitability Analysis and Feasibility project. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez announced the award in March as part of $15,622,100 in Community Project Funding for the 34th Congressional District of Texas. “By passing this final tranche of long-awaited funding bills, the U.S. House of Representatives has avoided a devastating and…

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UTRGV Partnership To Improve Regional Competitiveness

e-Brief Features Education News Comments
Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista and Can (John) Saygin shake hands after the signing of a collaborative research agreement. (Photo Jesus Alferez, UTRGV)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Universidad de las Américas Puebla have signed a collaborative research agreement to strengthen international research and academic collaborations. This initiative aims to enhance regional competitiveness through a portfolio of applied research and development topics to be carried out jointly by faculty and students of UTRGV and UDLAP. Can “John” Saygin, senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College…

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