South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus Administrator Daniel Montez is the by the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year. The honor recognizes Montez’s commitment and dedication to community service and leadership.

Montez said that being honored in this way is validation that his 10 years of service to the community was always the right thing to do.

“Being awarded as Man of the Year validates years of service to the community through various roles I’ve been in. I always tried to stay the course of doing the right thing when taking on these positions that impact the community,” Montez said. “I hoped that I was doing the right thing and making the right choices in collaborating with others for the betterment of our wonderful community. This recognition proves that I am accomplishing that.”

In his pursuit of giving back to his community, he has worked in higher education, both in and out of the classroom for over 30 years, while staying connected to his children’s education by participating in the PTA as president and as a school tutor. The Harlingen native graduated from Rio Hondo High School and went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He furthered his studies at the University of Texas Brownsville and graduated with his master’s degree in Business Administration.

“From a young age my parents instilled in me this sense of giving back to the community through various ways of volunteering. I used to watch them work long hours on the farm, but they would still find the time to be involved in my education, volunteer at the church and food pantries. They really inspired me to remain involved in my community, so I joined my children’s school PTA program and became a PTA member and eventually the president,” Montez said. “I am a firm believer that we have to give of ourselves to others, especially when in these leadership positions. It is more than just a job, we should look at these opportunities as a net you can cast, the further you throw out your net, the more resources and more people you can involve when trying to improve the community.”

Montez has continued to play pivotal roles as a community leader with the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce for more than eight years. He began working with the Chamber of Commerce as a member participating in a neighborhood beautification program back in 2016. Shortly after, he served as a board member for several years until 2021-2022 when he became the chairman for the Chamber Board with his term ending last year.

Today, he continues to serve as a dedicated Weslaco Area Chamber ambassador regularly participating in community ribbon cuttings, supporting local small businesses and fundraising events. He has also served as board of director president for the Weslaco Museum.