Daniel Silva spent 19 years at the Mission Economic Development Corporation, starting as a fresh college graduate and ascending to being the organization’s chief executive officer.
The climb to the top job was fulfilling, but eventually there was an aspiration for another challenge. In 2022, when the opportunity to serve more than one Rio Grande Valley community came along, Silva took it in seeking to have a bigger footprint.
In July 2022, Silva moved to Weslaco to become the president and chief executive officer of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
“I wanted my next job to have a regional reach,” he said.
Nearing the two-year mark at the Partnership, Silva has quickly reached that goal and then some in working to connect more communities across the Valley to the regional chamber’s activities. He has continued mainstay Partnership programs such as bringing delegations of state legislators to the Valley so they can learn more about the border region beyond negative coverage offered by the national media. Silva has also continued previous efforts in having the Partnership play a leadership role in dealing with regional issues like water and drainage.
“One region, one voice,” Silva said, emphasizing the consistent message sent out from his office.
All Representing RGV
Silva’s background in working at an area EDC gives him credibility in working with colleagues in individual communities that are focused on economic development.
Using those insights and connections, he encourages his fellow economic development specialists to continue highlighting their local strengths while remembering they are part of a bigger regional community. Silva recently worked with area EDCs so that they could have their booths next to each other at a Las Vegas conference featuring the retail industry.
“Everyone was branding the RGV while they were promoting and selling their communities,” Silva said. “There’s not one city that can say they have everything but together as a region, we have a lot to offer.”
The unity theme was prevalent at an RGV economic summit in late 2023 that was held at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. Silva and the Partnership led efforts to put the summit together. It attracted mayors from nearly every Valley city plus state legislators and included a keynote address from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The meeting culminated with every mayor signing a document, pledging they would step up efforts to work more as a region while continuing individual promotional efforts.
“We’re all representing the Rio Grande Valley,” Silva said. “The Valley is a special place and it’s on an upward trajectory.”
Bigger Picture
Along those lines, Silva highlighted the growth and development smaller Valley communities are seeing.
San Juan for one has blossomed in recent years in having a string of luxury auto dealerships locate there along Expressway 83. Over the last few years, major restaurant chains and coffee shops have followed suit. Away from the expressway traffic and sounds there are communities like Elsa which were formerly off the beaten path.
That’s no longer the case, Silva said, pointing out heavy traffic delays with the years-long construction at the Pharr Interchange have diverted traffic to other cities. One of those communities is Elsa on state Highway 107, Silva said. Elsa is now a community that’s part of daily commutes for many motorists seeking to avoid the traffic pile ups at the interchange, he said.
The change in traffic patterns in part explains new retailers and restaurants coming to Elsa, Silva said. He wants those communities to be more involved with Partnership initiatives and projects.
“I’m seeing more communities coming out and feeling like they belong,” he said. “We’re working to get smaller communities to feel like they’re part of what we do because they are.”
One region, one voice. The Partnership has solidified that message with a CEO who came from one community and is helping to create a bigger picture that others can see and follow.
