MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex is planning to visit Asia and Europe later this year in order to drum up business for the region.

The trade missions will likely take in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Japan. There will also be a number of visits to Mexico and different parts of the United States. A signature event, much like the group did in Houston last year, will be held in Mexico, most likely in Mexico City.

Confirmation that the group was making such arrangements came from Mario Reyna, in an exclusive podcast with the RGG Business Journal, and top strategist Astrid Salazar, on a webinar with the Prosperity Task Force.

“One of our main goals, besides confirming projects, (after all) that's what we are here for, is to host international delegations for our region, so everyone knows who we are, what we do, and they understand how the dynamic of our region works, and also to be part of foreign trade missions abroad,” Salazar said.

“We're thinking about at least one in Asia, probably Taiwan or Japan, and then some other events in the US, and then one in in the UK.”

Salazar also told the task force: “For 2026 we're working on strategic visits, both in US and in Mexico to attract more business. These visits are going to be monthly, mainly in Texas, some other parts of the US, and then on the Mexican side, Monterrey and Mexico City are the biggest ones we're working on.”

Asked about RioPlex’s calendar for 2026, Reyna told the Business Journal:

“Basically, we will do a signature event, like the one we did in Houston (last year). And right now, more than likely, it might be Mexico City. After that, we do have plans of perhaps going to Taiwan, Japan and the United Kingdom. Why those particular countries? Because those countries have a lot of what we call foreign direct investment (coming) into this particular area, and so that's where they're coming from.”

Editor's Note: Attached is an audio recording of Astrid Salazar's remarks at a recent Prosperity Task Force webinar. She was introduced by Mario Reyna, coordinator of the Prosperity Task Force and executive director of RioPlex.

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Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez today begins a charm offensive as he seeks to bring the larger cities and economic development organizations in the Rio Grande Valley under the RioPlex umbrella.

Cortez plans to meet with all the EDCs, both individually and collectively. The first meeting takes place today with an unnamed city.

Asked what the feedback has been so far, Cortez said: “The response that we're getting from people we've contacted is very positive. The response that we've gotten from individual cities is they're still unsure.”

Smaller cities are coming on board, however. The cities of Mercedes, Alton, Alamo and Elsa have all joined or said they will join RioPlex.

Cortez’s argument is that if individual cities or EDCs go after new business on their own, they are not telling the full story. The full story is all the assets in the region, he says. And that region, RioPlex, comprises the Valley and northern Tamaulipas.

Cortez likens it to a customer visiting a mall. RioPlex is the mall and each city is a store within the mall. The city is not the mall.

In an in-depth interview with the RGG Business Journal, Cortez explained how RioPlex came about and what its goals are. He said to tell the full story he had to start with the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force.

Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story.

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EDINBURG, Texas - The Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships (VAMOS) is celebrating 30 years of service to first-generation, low-income students across the Rio Grande Valley.

In recognition of this year’s anniversary, VAMOS has a goal of raising $1 million in scholarship funds.

The organization’s largest fundraiser each year is a golf tournament. The 30th Annual VAMOS Golf Tournament takes place on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Champion Lakes Golf Course in McAllen, Texas. Proceeds from the tournament will directly support four-year renewable scholarships, with awards of up to $20,000 over four academic years for students from Hidalgo, Cameron, and Starr counties.

The attached audio was recorded at a press conference VAMOS held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. The event was held to announce the golf tournament. The speakers featured on the broadcast are: Karla Rodriguez, a curriculum coordinator at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Sergio Sanchez, board trustee for VAMOS, Dr. Andrew Phillips, MD, who works in DHR's intensive care unit, and Brianna Maldonado, a VAMOS-UTRGV scholar.

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BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County held its State of the County Luncheon in Harlingen last month and Precinct 2 Commissioner Joey Lopez spoke about La Esperanza Community Park’s all-inclusive renovations.

The park reopened in July 2025, with the addition of an inclusive splash pad for children. According to Lopez, the park has been utilized by several children and families that are wheelchair-bound.

“The area is well shaded,” Lopez said. “The renovations that have happened within this past year (are worth) about $2.3 million. We added a huge splash pad that was put in, we updated the walking trail and we have a butterfly garden there.”

The funding for the project was paid through the American Rescue Plan Act. Lopez said the support from the city’s park’s department helped get the park acknowledged by the state level.

“If you haven’t had a chance to come on by and take a look at it, please come on by,” Lopez said. “You’d be very impressed.”

Noble Texas Builders won an Eagle Award at the ABC South Texas 2025 Excellence in Construction Awards for the design and construction of La Esperanza Park. Rene Capistran, president of Noble, said the park has been reimagined with accessibility at its core.

“Working alongside the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the transformation of this beloved community space includes major upgrades that make it more inclusive and welcoming for all visitors. From ADA-compliant renovations in the Community and Technology Buildings to fully accessible outdoor features, every detail was designed with comfort, safety, and usability in mind,” he said.

Editor's Note: The read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website.

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MISSION, Texas - AltaCair Foundation’s top event of 2025 was its Accelerator Conference. This was the third year in a row AltaCair has held an Accelerator Conference. It was billed as the largest health summit in South Texas. During the conference, the group’s president, Dr. Rashmi Chandran, gave a series of interviews. Here is one of them.

Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website for the full story.

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MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex plans to hold meetings every month across the region to explain to communities what the group is doing to bring in more investment and better paying jobs.

Mario Reyna, RioPlex’s executive director, spoke about the group’s vision, mission statement, core values, and strategic direction at a leadership gathering, held recently at McAllen Country Club.

“We're going to have engagements every month throughout the region to tell people what it is that we're trying to do,” Reyna said. “People have to understand, the community has to understand, what it is that we're trying to do, how we're going to do things that are going to make them better.”

RioPlex is looking to bring longterm prosperity to the region, Reyna explained. The region consists of the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas.

“We have to remember why we're doing it. We're doing this because we want to lower the poverty rate in our region, and the only way we know how to do this is by bringing better jobs, bringing more investment. That is going to create better paying jobs.”

Regional unity is key, Reyna explained.

“We want to bring everybody together, private, public, nonprofit, everybody. Everybody that has anything to do with bringing more investment to our community. That's our mission,” Reyna said.

“We cannot move forward if we're not united, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure people understand what it is that we're trying to do. We want to bring more industrial development to this area. So, we're going to be investor-focused. That's what we're trying to do, bring additional investment to the area. We want to promote the region, not internally, but externally.”

Reyna continued: “We want to work with everybody, everybody, including the economic development corporations and the Foreign Trade Zone.”

Foreign Trade Zone No. 12’s president and CEO, Mark E. Garcia, was in the audience. His group has just joined RioPlex.

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.

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Josie Arellano es enlace para víctimas de delitos en el Departamento de Desarrollo Policial de Pharr. Arellano conversó a fondo con la presentadora del Rio Grande Guardian, Mari Regalado, para hablar sobre su trabajo. Regalado comentó que es importante que las víctimas de delitos se presenten y denuncien, sin importar su estatus legal. Añadió que el Departamento de Policía de Pharr puede ayudar.

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Josie Arellano is crime victims liaison for Pharr Police Development. Arellano sat down for an in-depth interview with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mari Regalado to discuss her work. She said it is important for the victims of crime to come forward and report a crime, no matter what their legal status. She said Pharr Police Department can help. Here is the interview.

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