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Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. has been named to the board of directors of the Border Trade Alliance, or BTA, a forum for business leaders, government officials and other stakeholders in the United States, Mexico and Canada to collaborate on solving critical issues affecting border trade, economic development and international affairs in North America.
The nonprofit BTA’s grassroots network encompasses more than 4.2 million individuals and organizations, including chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, academic entities, manufacturers, industrial parks, customs brokers and various governmental agencies.
Cowen, who was also recently named vice chairman of the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, said joining the BTA board “is a significant opportunity to advocate for policies and initiatives that will strengthen our trade relations and border security.”
“I look forward to working with other board members from Canada, Mexico and the United States to advance our shared goals,” he said.
The BTA was founded in 1986. Other Valley leaders on its board include Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., Cameron County Commissioner for Precinct 1 Sofia Benavides, Cameron County Commissioner for Precinct 2 Joey Lopez, Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority Executive Director Peter Sepulveda Jr., and Brownsville Navigation District Commissioner Ralph Cowen.
Also serving on the BTA board are Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez, Teclo Garcia, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation, and Daniel Silva, president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
