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The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation has named Jerry Briones interim executive director and CEO.
Briones, who has been serving as GBIC’s director of International Business and Industrial Park Development since late last year, succeeds Constanza Miner, who stepped down on May 19.
Miner was appointed to the interim position when former CEO and executive director Helen Ramirez stepped down after being named Brownsville city manager.
GBIC said Briones has over a decade’s worth of experience economic development “directing global outreach, sales, business recruitment, business development, retention, expansion and workforce.” In his previous role with GBIC, he attended manufacturing conference in the United States and Mexico, including space industry trade shows and conferences, GBIC said.
Briones recently attended SelectUSA, the largest foreign direct investment event in the nation, hosted by the Department of Commerce. In conjunction with the event, Briones and GBIC staff hosted a spin-off event attended by six foreign direct investors. He has also directed business retention and expansion for GBIC, implementing new guidelines for incentive applications and working with local companies on expansion and employee retention, and the creation of new job and training opportunities, GBIC said.
Briones assisted with the recruitment of First National Bank Texas’s first virtual banking center in Brownsville, a project GBIC expects will bring more than 100 job opportunities within two years.
He is a former Marine Corps sergeant who studied communications at the University of Texas at Brownsville and was previously licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance.
Briones has completed extensive training in various areas of economic development and has led and served on multiple boards and advisory committees, including the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce.
Brownsville Mayor and GBIC Chairman John Cowen Jr. welcomed Briones to the new role on behalf of the GBIC board of directors. Briones said he’s grateful for the opportunity.
“I will continue to foster and create opportunities to build prosperity in our city and the region and provide added value to the organization,” he said.
GBIC is a non-profit, Type-A economic development corporation, supported by a quarter-cent city sales tax. Its focus is facilitating economic growth by encouraging investment and working with regional and international partners in job creation, training innovation, business development and manufacturing.
