EDINBURG — The city’s new parks and recreation director began his post earlier this week.
Javier Garza, an educator and coach, took over the position recently vacated by Joe Filoteo.
City officials remained mum about Filoteo’s departure in a press release announcing the change. It’s unclear how or when the former director left his post.
Garza’s hire happened about a month after changes in the Edinburg Parks and Recreation board were made by the new council. In December 2017, the new administration replaced John Treviño and Monica Sandoval on the parks and rec board with newly elected councilman Jorge Salinas and Mario Garcia.
Garza, who started work Monday, comes with more than 28 years of experience working with Edinburg CISD.
“He spent 11 years teaching science and physical education at North Junior High and Edinburg Memorial Middle School,” city officials stated in the release. “The next 17-years he served as the athletic coordinator at B.L. Garza Middle School.”
Garza — who also owns an Edinburg business with his wife Alicia — graduated from Mission High School in 1982. In 1989, he graduated from then University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) with a double major in biology and kinesiology.
A father to three children, Garza also obtained a master’s in educational leadership from UTPA in 2008.
