HARLINGEN — Normal is a term which has lost its previous connotations as the world negotiates its way out of the grip of the coronavirus pandemic.
But help adapting to the “new normal” will be available at the Harlingen Convention Center on Oct. 29 when the Texas Economic Development Council hosts a workshop, “Resilience and Recovery Workshop: Don’t Mess with Texas.”
The workshop is free but registration is required by Oct. 27 on the TDEC website.
“Really, just about anybody” can attend, said Raudel Garza, chief executive officer of the Harlingen Economic Development Corp. “They’re not going to be checking credentials or anything like that.”
“The Texas Economic Development Council is striving to reach out to educate, a little bit, local government officials, economic development board members and even staff on some of the things that are out there as far as tools that can help communities survive and thrive through this whole mess,” he added.
The Texas Economic Development Council, formed 60 years ago, is an Austin-based nonprofit professional organization dedicated to improving economic and employment opportunities in Texas.
Garza, who this month was elected to the TEDC board, said the workshop is being funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The presenter for the workshop will be David Dodd, founder and president of the International Sustainable Resilience Center.
Workshop participants will go over definitions of what resilience is all about in terms of economic development, along with a guide to available resources, regional profiles and examples of communities and organizations which have successfully implemented recovery programs for recovery.
Teams will work together in coming up with recovery/resilience strategies and then make presentations of their work.
“(The TEDC) called and they wanted to do something in South Texas, and they asked me where they should hold it, and I said ‘Harlingen,’” Garza said.
There is no cost to attend the workshop which will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you go:
WHAT: Resilience and Recovery Workshop: Don’t Mess with Texas
WHO: Texas Economic Development Council
WHERE: Harlingen Convention Center
WHEN: Oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
COST: Free
BACKGROUND: Televised episodes featuring presenter David Dodd are available at the website https://sustainableresiliencetv.com
REGISTER: Registration ends Oct. 27. To register go online here: https://texasedc.org/events/resiliency-and-recovery-workshop-dont-mess-with-texas
