The Small Business Administration estimates about 627,000 new businesses open every year. It might be a hobby to earn extra income, or a long-standing idea you finally want to act on. Whatever the motivation, there are resources available for people who want to launch a business in 2019. One of the organizations aspiring business owners can turn to is the Small Business Development Center housed at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Center…
The Weslaco Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting applications for the position of chamber president/CEO. Doug Croft recently resigned from the position after accepting an opportunity to lead the Lincoln County Chamber in North Carolina. “We are disappointed to see Doug move on. He has been valuable to the Weslaco chamber and community. Doug has prepared our organization for the next chapter and we are in a great place to move…
From the deck at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Mercedes, I watched approximately 2,000 black-bellied whistling ducks in Ibis Pond as they looked for food, perched on logs and bobbed in the chilly November water. The park’s 200 acres of woodlands, lakes and marshes shelter an amazing abundance of wildlife from seven alligators to diverse birds, butterflies and 24 mammal species as well as native plants. The mid-Valley park…
Scott Vaughan of Burton Auto Supply and Cynthia Cabaza of Shepard Walton King Insurance Group are Man and Woman of the Year, respectively, with awards from the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce. Also receiving honors are Robert McAllen with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as Chick-fil-A of Weslaco with Business of the Year. Scott Vaughan In his nomination form, Vaughan is described as a true role model and an amazing person. Vaughan’s involvement in…
Three new members are now part of the 2018-2019 Weslaco Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Joining current members are Superintendent of Weslaco ISD Priscilla Canales, Valley Trophies owner Travis McDaniel and South Texas College Mid Valley Campus Administrator Daniel Montez. Canales’s service in the interest of public schools in both large and mid-size school systems spans to 1991. Through the years, her various positions in education includes teacher, mentor, educational specialist, assistant principal and principal,…
This week is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Veterans Small Business Week, highlighting the different facets of the veteran business community. Locally, the Lower Rio Grande Valley office of SBA is in the middle of the celebration, offering events, many of which take place in the next days. This year’s theme, “Our #VetBiz Community,” showcases the various facets of the veteran business community, ranging from the prospective or existing veteran…
Custom training for local small businesses is the focus of a Weslaco EDC grant. The $100,000 grant will fund South Texas College in providing training in retail, manufacturing and logistics through Sept. 30, 2019. A ceremonial check presentation took place Nov 1 for the partnership to increase both high skill and high wage jobs in the Mid-Valley region. “Workforce training is one of the biggest negotiators in today’s economic projects,”…
Luis Reyes is the new Weslaco Chamber of Commerce board chair for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Reyes is the communications manager for Magic Valley Electrical Cooperative, a role in which he has served since 2011. “The chance to serve our members and the Weslaco business community is a task I’m excited and eager to take on,” said Reyes. “Weslaco is the epicenter of so much growth and economic development, it’s important…
From advances in studying determinants of health, to public health initiatives to combat obesity and patient case studies, researchers from across the country and world gathered recently at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s second annual Research Symposium to discuss how they are addressing disparities in healthcare. “Health Disparities 2018: Closing the Gap” featured keynote speaker Maria Elena Bottazzi, associate dean of the National School of…
The Rio Grande Valley is a complex network of interconnected communities bound by culture, geography and economics. At times in its history and into the present, the region sometimes struggles to overcome territorial squabbles to work together for the common good. With the merger of campuses into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the concept of a regional university represents another step in uniting the border region. And a…