Luis Saldana was coming to the end of a three decades-long career with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service when a job offer came along involving the leadership of a historic organization in his hometown.
Saldana’s fellow board members of the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show approached him in early 2023 with the possibility of the general manager leadership post. Saldana grew up the son of an agricultural education instructor at Mercedes High School to go with his years of working for the Texas A&M system and being a livestock show board member.
“The opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t turn it down,” he said. “I grew up on these show grounds. It’s in my blood.”
A year into his new job, Saldana has left thoughts of retirement far behind. He is readying his staff and the show grounds for the upcoming 85th edition of the RGV Livestock Show. They are expecting up to 300,000 visitors during the rodeo’s nearly two-week run in March. The 2024 edition will also have a historic first. The Cowboy Channel, which reaches over 40 million viewers over cable and satellite television, will broadcast the livestock show’s rodeo events.
“It will be huge for our community and for the Valley,” Saldana said of the Cowboy Channel broadcasts. “People from all over the country will be able to see what’s going on in Mercedes and the Rio Grande Valley.”
Journey To Leadership
Saldana’s trek to his executive director and GM job at the livestock show began as a youngster when he presented poultry, sheep and livestock on the grounds every spring just as hundreds of Valley students do today.
He went on to attend Texas A&M before embarking on a 30 years-plus career with AgriLife as a county agent and 4-H youth development specialist. Add those experiences and training to years of service as a RGV Livestock Show board member and Saldana was ready to step in and take the leadership post he now holds.
He oversees a relatively small staff of 11 employees who work throughout the year to prepare the grounds and organize the events leading up to the big spring show. Saldana and his staff also work closely with more than 600 volunteers every spring when the big show comes around.
Beyond that, there are a steady stream of non-livestock show events to tend to every month as Saldana works to make the livestock show grounds a year-round venue. A new concert pavilion is going up to make the RGVLS grounds a go-to music venue regionally. There’s also the 6,100-seat rodeo arena that can host more than cowboy-themed events and exhibit halls that can be ideal for weddings, quinceañeras and meetings.
“We find ourselves in a unique position to use our venue as much as possible,” Saldana said. “The venue has grown and become an even more valuable resource.”
Historical Connections
Saldana is well attuned to the long history of the livestock show and its connection to Mercedes.
He pulls out a folder with a directors meeting document from September 1939 at the beginnings of what would become the RGV Livestock Show. The show then was “the Rio Grande Valley Livestock and Agricultural Exposition.” Another historical document from February 1940 shows $1,000 had been raised “to defray the expenses of show.” In 2023, the livestock show raised $1.7 million for scholarships and awards for students participating in show presentations featuring livestock, poultry, rabbits and other animals they have raised for sales.
Agricultural education remains as the core mission of the livestock show. All of the improvements being made to improve the show grounds to make it a more viable venue for additional events go back to raising funds to help area youth involved in agricultural activities. Saldana also hopes to use the big yearly March event as a means to make Valley residents more aware of the role agriculture has played and continues to play in the region’s history and well-being.
“We want to build a bridge to people who don’t have any connection to agriculture so they can understand the impact agriculture has had in their communities,” he said.