FEATURED: From a decade-long career as an IDEA Public Schools counselor, Executive Director of Rio Grande Valley LEAD (Linking Economic and Academic Development) to now Executive Director of the South Texas College Foundation and External Affairs, Marcos Silva, Ed.D., has made it his mission to serve his community through education. STC recently welcomed Silva to the higher education system, tasking him with the duty of raising funds that will provide life-changing scholarships to students. Silva is seen here on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the City of McAllen’s MXLAN International Economic Summit, which was held at the McAllen Convention Center.
Photograph Courtesy RIO GRANDE VALLEY LEAD FACEBOOK
Rep. Janie López, R-San Benito, was a coauthor of House Bill 1522, which is intended to improve government transparency by extending the notice posting requirement for open government meetings from 72 hours to three business days and requiring notices about budget meetings to include a publicly accessible copy of the budget, reports South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa. House Bill 1522 will become state law on Monday, September 1, 2025. She is featured here during a gathering of the Texas Counseling Association in Austin on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Texas Sen. Adán “Adam” Hinojosa, R-Brownsville, celebrate the passage of Hinojosa’s Senate Concurrent Resolution 13 on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 by the Texas Senate, which urged the U.S. Department of State and International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to take immediate diplomatic action to ensure Mexico fulfills its obligations under the critical 1944 US-Mexico Water Treaty. SCR 13 was then approved the House of Representatives and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.
FEATURED: Maricela “Mari” De León, MPA, CPM, whose extensive public service credentials also include more than 20 years of professional experience in the Texas Legislature, higher education, and economic development, on Friday, August 1, 2025, was selected Interim Director, Rio Grande Valley LEAD (Linking Economic and Academic Development). She succeeds Dr. Marcos Silva, the former RGV LEAD Executive Director. RGV LEAD (pronounced “/li?d/” and rhymes with “feed”) is a nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Weslaco, linking employers to support both opportunities for students and economic development.
FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Edinburg mayoral candidate Omar Ochoa and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at La Taquiza restaurant, 319 Sugar Road in Edinburg. Canales hosted the event to publicly announce his support for Ochoa. Former Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina and former Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Johnny García are also seeking the city’s top municipal office. The election will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
