The Mission Chamber of Commerce is without a president and CEO as Robert Rosell has returned to BBVA Compass Bank as Vice President, Community Relations Officer for the Border Region.
Rosell, who began leading the Mission Chamber in April 2017, had his last day there on Friday and immediately started in his new role with the bank this week. His job consists of assisting local markets throughout the border region, which spans from Brownsville to El Paso.
Assistance of local markets will focus on Community Reinvestment Act efforts. The CRA is a 1977 federal law that “encourages” banks to help their local communities meet their credit needs.
Rosell, 32, began leading the Mission Chamber after the departure of former President and CEO Josh Stockel who was hired for the job in April 2016.
The position there allowed him to understand the needs of small businesses, he said.
“One of the challenges that I found out during my tenure at the Mission Chamber was access to credit is always essential for small businesses,” he said. “I think without the right capital, small businesses have a challenge growing their business.”
The top job at the chamber remains vacant for now, Rosell said, but the board of directors is assembling a hiring committee to find his replacement.
A Waco native, Rosell has lived in the Rio Grande Valley since 2004. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science and English and then a Master’s Degree in public administration from then-University of Texas-Pan American.
Before joining the chamber, Rosell previously worked with BBVA for about three and half years as a corporate compliance officer.
“It’s certainly very exciting to be back at the bank,” he said. “It’s a different role but I think with my experience that I learned while I was a compliance officer — and then also with my time at the Mission Chamber — I think both of those experiences are going to help me succeed in this position.”
Returning to the bank, he said, also gives him the opportunity to work with various communities and not just one.
But the city of Mission will always have a special place in his heart, he said.
“As I told the mayor and the city council, if there’s anything that I can do now in my new role to help out the city of Mission, I will be more than glad to do so.”
