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Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Economic Development Corporation.

Photograph Courtesy OFFICE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNOR

Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Economic Development Corporation, will be joining Keith A. Patridge, President and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and Agustín “Gus” García, Jr., Executive Director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, on Thursday, March 26, in “Economic Development – A Regional Outlook”, hosted by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado. The gathering, which also will allow business professionals to meet, network, and create opportunities for the companies they represent, costs $18 per person, or $200 for a table of eight, and includes a hot lunch, beverage and desert. For more information or to make a reservation, individuals may call the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956/383-4974. “The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to the gathering of three of the leading economic development professionals in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Elva Jackson Garza, Vice President of Edwards Abstract and Title Company, which is one of the event sponsors, and Vice Chair of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce’s Public Affairs Committee. Public Affairs Luncheons are an initiative introduced in 2006, and have featured popular topics with speakers who cover important community and legislative issues. The vision is to inform, involve and educate chamber investors and civic leaders. “There are several important factors for scheduling the economic development panel. Primarily, the growth and vitality of the Rio Grande Valley have been impacted by the continued work and efforts of the economic development corporations,” Garza explained. “The Valley is poised to experience changes in the educational, industrial, commercial and residential sectors. Bringing these three EDC entities together will help further the regional mindset in the civic, business and community leaders.” Fred Sandoval, City Manager of Pharr and Director of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, had also been invited to participate in the event, but a schedule conflict prevented his valued participation, according to Ronnie Larralde, Director of Marketing/ Special Events at Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. The Thursday, March 26 session is consistent with the strategies of the Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, who have made regional cooperation with other South Texas cities a priority as part of their efforts to promote socioeconomic advances in deep South Texas.

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Alex Meade, CEO of Mission EDC, to participate with Keith Patridge, President and CEO of McAllen EDC, and Gus García, Jr., Executive Director of Edinburg EDC, in “Economic Development – A Regional Outlook” on Thursday, March 26, at Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance

By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]

Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Economic Development Corporation, will be joining Keith A. Patridge, President and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and Agustín “Gus” García, Jr., Executive Director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, on Thursday, March 26, in “Economic Development – A Regional Outlook”, hosted by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.

The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado.

The gathering, which also will allow business professionals to meet, network, and create opportunities for the companies they represent, costs $18 per person, or $200 for a table of eight, and includes a hot lunch, beverage and desert.

For more information or to make a reservation, individuals may call the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956/383-4974.

“The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to the gathering of three of the leading economic development professionals in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Elva Jackson Garza, Vice President of Edwards Abstract and Title Company, which is one of the event sponsors, and Vice Chair of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce’s Public Affairs Committee.

Public Affairs Luncheons are an initiative introduced in 2006, and since then have featured popular topics with speakers who cover important community and legislative issues. The vision is to inform, involve and educate chamber investors and civic leaders.

“There are several important factors for scheduling the economic development panel. Primarily, the growth and vitality of the Rio Grande Valley have been impacted by the continued work and efforts of the economic development corporations,” Garza explained. “The Valley is poised to experience changes in the educational, industrial, commercial and residential sectors. Bringing these three EDC entities together will help further the regional mindset in the civic, business and community leaders.”

Fred Sandoval, City Manager of Pharr and Director of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, had also been invited to participate, but a schedule conflict prevented his valued involvement, according to Ronnie Larralde, Director of Marketing/ Special Events at Edinburg Chamber of Commerce.

The Thursday, March 26 session is consistent with the strategies of the Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, who have made regional cooperation with other South Texas cities a priority as part of their efforts to promote socioeconomic advances in deep South Texas.

In addition to the EEDC and Abstract and Title Company, other sponsors are familiar icons in the Edinburg business community: Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson LLC, Elsa State Bank and Trust Company, Best Western Plus Edinburg Inn & Suites, Qube Hotel Group, and Rio Valley Realty.

MEADE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Prior to being chosen as Mission EDC in August 2011, Meade had served as a consultant to the organization, whose board members currently include: S. David Deanda, Jr., President; Polo De León, Vice President; Linda Requeñez, Treasurer; Jody A. Tittle, Secretary; Mayor Beto Salinas; Richard Hernández; and Catherine García, Member.

Mission City Councilman Ruben Plata also serves as an Alternator for Mayor Position on the MEDC’s governing board.

In addition to Meade as Chief Executive Officer, the Mission EDC staff features Daniel Silva, PCED, Chief Operating Officer, Judy Vega, Executive Assistant, and Bertha Ramírez, Administrative Assistant.

According to its website (http://www.missionedc.com):

The corporation was going through one of its toughest transitions at that time and required a complete overhaul in order to continue to prove to be an asset to the City of Mission.

Since taking the lead role, Mission EDC, aside from it’s retention and recruitment role, has developed workforce development programs with the three Mission area school districts, implemented a small business fund for the citizens of Mission called Ruby Red Ventures, and established the initiative, Code the Town, which promotes computer science throughout the community.

A former Principal of P3 Economics, an economic development consulting firm in Brownsville, Texas, Meade was dedicated to identifying and marketing opportunities in the Texas Rio Grande Valley communities, focusing specifically on growth areas throughout the Valley corridor.

He specialized in establishing public-private partnerships (P3s), conducting economic and market studies, strategic planning, and site selection.

His clients throughout his time with P3 Economics consisted of Harlingen EDC, San Benito EDC, Pharr EDC, the Delta Region, Mission EDA/EDC, Mercedes EDC, Alamo EDC, Vizta Property Management, SpawGlass, Panda Express, Bass Pro Shops, Texas Regional Bank, and other public and private entities.

Prior to starting P3 Economics, he served as the Interim Director and Manager of Economic Development at the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce.

He has worked at Long Chilton, LLP as a Senior Accountant in Harlingen, at Burton McCumber and Cortez, LLP as the Manager of Litigation Support in McAllen, at Grant Thornton, LLP as a management consultant in the Global Public Sector division in Washington, DC, and at Southern Union Gas Corporation as a Cost of Gas Analyst in Austin.

Meade, a Brownsville native, was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and previously served on the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, and the Governor’s Advisory Board of Economic Development Stakeholders.

Meade received his BBA in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, his MBA from the University of Texas – Brownsville, and is scheduled to complete the Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas-Pan American in May 2015.

He is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) by the National Development Council and as a Certified Public Manager (CPM) by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium.

ROLES OF MISSION EDC

Mission occupies the western portion of the McAllen McAllen/Edinburg/Pharr/Mission metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which is the fastest growing MSA in Texas.

The general concept of a metropolitan statistical area is that of a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of social and economic integration with that core, according to the U.S. Census. MSAs comprise one or more entire counties, except in New England, where cities and towns are the basic geographic units.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan statistical areas for purposes of collecting, tabulating, and publishing federal data. Metropolitan area definitions result from applying published standards to Census Bureau data, that federal agency further notes.

Tremendous growth in population and investments in the Mission highlight ongoing progress in Mission, which continues to prepare its infrastructure to meet the growing demands of commerce and tourism, including absorbing the impact of the one million residents on the other side of the border, from Brownsville to Reynosa.

Mission has already prepared the infrastructure necessary for the manufacturing, warehousing and transportation industries looking to expand or relocate. This explosive growth has created tremendous opportunities for retail business.

New arrivals include Advance Auto Parts and The Home Depot. Recent companies to complete their Mission expansion or relocation to the area include: Vanity Fair, T-Mobile, Panasonic, Black and Decker, Frito Lay and many others.

The Mission Economic Development Corporation commissioned a study of the Mission Retail Trade Area by the Buxton Group. Their study utilized CommunityID, a program that is designed specifically for use in community economic development initiatives.

In the Retail Site Determination, Buxton examined the potential for Mission to attract new retailers and restaurants. It was determined that the retail site located at the intersection of Shary & Business 83, in the eastern portion of the city, has a potential to attract new retailers and restaurants. The site has high traffic counts from Business 83 and would appeal to restaurants and retailers that target a variety of segments.

Overall, this Mission site is well-situated to attract a quality mix of desired retailers and restaurants.

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The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. It’s five-member governing board, which is appointed by the Edinburg City Council, includes Mayor Richard García as President, Fred Palacios as Secretary-Treasurer, and Felipe García, Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, and Steven Edward Cruz, II. For more information on the EEDC and the City of Edinburg, please log on to http://www.EdbgCityLimits.com or to http://www.facebook.com/edinburgedc

Titans of the Texas Legislature

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