The McAllen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has named Josh Mejia as president and chief executive officer effective June 29.
Bianca Cardenas, who has been serving as Interim President/CEO over the last eight months will continue her role as VP of Membership Services.
Mejia is an economic development executive with more than 10 years of experience in economic development, entrepreneurship, government relations and marketing. He comes from the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. where he served as CEO.
“I look forward to working with Mr. Mejia as he starts a new chapter in the history of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce,” said Annette Franz, chairman of the board for the McAllen Chamber. “Mr. Mejia’s years of economic development experience and knowledge of the border’s diverse business environment will help further our mission of serving the McAllen business community. We are confident that with his leadership and management skills, he will take the chamber to new heights. On behalf of the board of directors, we are delighted to welcome him and his family to our beautiful McAllen community. Additionally, the Board appreciates the service of Blanca Cardenas and the chamber staff during this period of transition.”
Mejia’s efforts for both Brownsville and other communities across the United States, Canada and Latin America have resulted in recognition from industry leaders. These include the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, the International Economic Development Council and the Development Counsellors International. These recognitions include the 2020 Young Economic Development Professional award from IEDC and the 2021 “40 Under 40” award from DCI to name a few.
Mejia plans to relocate to McAllen soon and offered the following thoughts about joining the McAllen Chamber of Commerce as its President and CEO:
“I am beyond thankful to have been selected as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the McAllen Chamber and I look forward to working alongside stakeholders and partners to help define a new chapter in economic growth and tourism for the community.
I firmly believe in the potential McAllen can achieve through collaboration and renewed innovation to collectively achieve a new level of success for the business community. The McAllen Chamber is one of McAllen’s greatest assets, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing it become an even greater asset alongside the team I will be working with and the leadership that continues to serve the community.
My first action upon my arrival will be to meet with each invested stakeholder to learn about their views and suggestions on how we can enhance the organization for the immediate future. I highly encourage anyone who would like to contribute to this new chapter to reach out directly by emailing me at jmejia@mcallenchamber.com. Each individual’s input is greatly appreciated as we build something truly relevant and impactful for the community together.”