HARLINGEN — The Rio South Texas Economic Council will move its offices from Edinburg and merge its administrative duties with the regional Chamber of Commerce in Weslaco, officials said Friday.
Approval for the move to the Rio Grande Valley Partnership offices at 322 S. Missouri St. in Weslaco was delivered Thursday by the RSTEC board, said board Chair Melissa Gonzales, special projects director for the city of Alamo.
“The RGV Partnership staff is going to perform all the administrative duties for RSTEC,” Gonzales said. “They’ll be doing our bookkeeping, our finances, keeping our minutes at our board meetings and they’ll be sending out notices.”
RSTEC is a public-private association that operates as a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit to promote regional economic development. It would generally be the point of contact for site selectors, commercial builders and major developers seeking to locate a plant or major project in the Valley in Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties.
“We’re going to work together and set up a workshop with both boards on how we can work together with two organizations,” Gonzales said. “I’m excited about that.”
The merging of administrative duties and offices for RSTEC comes as the regional economic development agency continues its search for a new chief executive. As reported earlier this month, two candidates rejected job offers to fill that position.
RSTEC has been without a director since the resignation of Alma Puente Colleli last fall.
Gonzales says the new arrangement merging RSTEC’s administrative chores with those of the RGV Partnership makes the director’s position more attractive.
“Trust me, it’s going to be a big relief for the new person,” she said.
The RGV Partnership also is seeking an executive director of its own. Julian Alvarez resigned recently after being appointed to the Texas Workforce Commission by Gov. Greg Abbott.
