Raudel Garza’s career in economic development leadership has taken him to Mission, Pharr and Harlingen.

He is now heading to a new challenge – and city.

Beginning Nov. 7, Garza will be the new executive director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. His new job will come after a 10-year tenure as the chief executive officer of the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation. Edinburg is hoping Garza’s experience and stature in economic development circles will stabilize a wing of city government that has seen many directors come and go. 

Garza’s hiring comes during an era when Edinburg is experiencing the fastest population growth in the Rio Grande Valley. At current projections, Edinburg will outpace McAllen in total population within the next 20 years. The surge in growth is part of what attracted Garza to Edinburg. On the personal side, it will mean a much shorter commute from his McAllen-area home to the Edinburg EDC offices, which will lead to more family time for the EDC executive.

“Looking out 10 to 20 years, Edinburg has the opportunity to become an urban center,” Garza said. “It has a lot of good characteristics. There’s the main UTRGV campus. It’s the county seat with a new courthouse that’s about to open. The hospitals and the healthcare industry are really growing there.”

Garza spoke enthusiastically of his new job ahead while expressing gratitude for his Harlingen EDC staff and thanking city leaders for their support during his lengthy tenure in Harlingen.

Gains In Harlingen

Garza mentioned an overall number of 60 projects he considers to be among the Harlingen EDC’s significant accomplishments during his time as its CEO.

The top projects he cited are:

• The emergency loan program for small businesses “during the COVID outbreak” of 2020.
• The development of the Bass Pro Shop retail area that would lead to attracting Sam’s Club and numerous restaurants and other retail outlets. 
• Helping to bring the psychiatric hospital Palms Behavioral Health to Harlingen. Garza said the facility established a level of mental health care that did not previously exist in Cameron County. 
• The growth and development of major hospitals in Harlingen and the EDC’s role in capably utilizing enterprise zone designations in boosting health care industry growth in the city.

The thread going through the list is that they all created or saved jobs. Garza estimated the emergency loan program saved over 400 jobs in Harlingen. Palm Behavioral generated over new jobs in the city, he said. 

“Looking back, I think we built good relationships with UTRGV, TSTC and the county,” Garza said. “It has led to better cooperation among all the entities.”

Promoting Edinburg & RGV

Garza will now lead an EDC organization in Edinburg that has been separated out from city government to be more along the lines of how similar organizations are set up in the Valley.

A previous city manager had brought EDC operations into the city’s organization as a department of municipal government. Under a new mayor and city commission, the Edinburg EDC will be more of its own entity, keeping its own board of directors while charting a course to identify fresh goals in attracting new businesses and pursuing jobs growth in the city.

For Garza, a Pharr native, his new job in Edinburg is another opportunity to contribute to the RGV community.

“The Valley is home for me,” he said. “You want to give back to the place where you come from, whether it’s Harlingen, Edinburg or the Rio Grande Valley. I want to promote and talk about the Valley and what we have to offer here.”