Rose Benavidez. Conferences. Partnerships. Events. Updates Upcoming Events. Bravo. Why Shop Local. President s Message:

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myriad of facets. The SCIF s lead role in business recruitment and retention, along with our partner s collaboration, continues to bring great benefits to our area.

1 Winter 2010 Recognized as the prime motivating force for all economic development directly or indirectly impacting Starr County. President s Message: Conferences Partnerships Events Updates 2011 Upcoming Events Bravo Why Shop Local Economic Development in rural communities is often hard to define, but it can be recognized in a myriad of facets. The SCIF s lead role in business recruitment and retention, along with our partner s collaboration, continues to bring great benefits to our area. These efforts are further complemented by our contributions to increasing educational attainment, improving our labor force, expanding infrastructure development and a multitude of other community undertakings. The reality is that each aspect is as significant as the other to ensure a community s prosperity. Our region s outlook is always dependent on our ability to maximize our limited resources and our willingness to believe in a shared vision. As another year draws to a close, this notion became evident with the need to adjust to the economic downturn and the negative financial impact we faced as a result. Our organization has proven to be resilient in times of adversity, but has undoubtedly suffered immensely from a considerable reduction in our expected revenue. In spite of that, our commitment to improve our community, while hindered, does not falter or diminish. Our mission is clear and our sense of obligation remains untainted. We are extremely enthusiastic about our prospects for the coming year and eagerly look forward to working with all of you towards that end. The very nature of the totality of our success although, will only materialize with each of your immeasurable contributions. Rose Benavidez Starr County Industrial Foundation 601 E. Main St. Rio Grande City, Texas Tel / Fax

Page 2 SCIF at Dallas ICSC Conference "I want to offer an alternative vision.

L to R: Janice Ayala, ICS DPS; Lupe Treviño, Hidalgo Co. Sheriff, Eloy Vera, Starr Co. Judge, Cong. Henry Cuellar, Comm.

Founded in 1957, the International Council of Sh

) is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S.

2 Page 2 SCIF at Dallas ICSC Conference "I want to offer an alternative vision. We have to start thinking about the border in a much more holistic, broad way instead of simply a line on the map," CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin at BTA McAllen Conference. L to R: Janice Ayala, ICS DPS; Lupe Treviño, Hidalgo Co. Sheriff, Eloy Vera, Starr Co. Judge, Cong. Henry Cuellar, Comm. Alan Bersin, CBP About ICSC Founded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders, retailers and other professionals as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) continues its efforts to balance security trade and travel at the border, improve quality of life in border communities, and keep NAFTA competitive and efficient in a global economy. This past September, the BTA brought is efforts to McAllen in an effort to bring attention to our border security concerns. Panels discussed included investor visas and business and security. Congressman Henry Cuellar and Congressman Ciro Rodriguez joined CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin in addressing some of the shopping center councils throughout the world. (source: Texas Border Program & Luncheon McAllen September 22 The economic impact that our region has to many retailers is finally being acknowledged, as a result ICSC brought its program to McAllen. The SCIF was there representing Starr County. We were able to listen to retailers suggestions on how best to approach them, what to offer them, and when not to waste our time. The conference then allowed for a concerns the attendees, which included, EDC representatives, mayors and county judges expressed. After the conference a special meeting was held with selected county leaders to discuss and highlight key border security issues. Both Congressman Cuellar and Commissioner Bersin listened to the issues and discussed different initiatives that could be undertaken to address them. We continue to follow CBP through its channel to keep abreast on their activities. face to face meeting with different companies seeking to locate in our area. Texas Conference and Deal Making November 17-19, Grapevine, Texas The conference was a two day event filled with over 400 retailers and developers ready to make deals happen. Previous to the conference, we scheduled on site meetings with numerous companies. Additionally, we provided interested parties with detailed and extensive county information. The results of these meetings were positive and we are excited about the proceeding with the next steps. We would like to thank the BTA for its continued advocacy of our region. We know we have a strong voice in Washington. LtoR: Sam F. Vale SCIF Chair, Cong. Ciro D. Rodriguez; Cong Henry Cuellar LtoR: Rose Benavidez, SCIF Pres., Eloy Vera, Starr Co. Judge

PANORAMA WINTER 2010 Page 3 NEG Grant - Through the U.S. Department of Labor, Workforce Solutions was awarded the National Emergency Grant (NEG).

Approximately 200 full time, temporary jobs were created in throughout our county.

victims of 9/11, it was a day to honor those that have answered our nation s call of duty.

3 PANORAMA WINTER 2010 Page 3 NEG Grant - Through the U.S. Department of Labor, Workforce Solutions was awarded the National Emergency Grant (NEG). These funds were aimed to assist in the cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of hurricanerelated flooding that struck us this summer. Approximately 200 full time, temporary jobs were created in throughout our county. We were glad to assist Workforce in coordinating the distribution of the labor force by serving as the liaison between Workforce, county and Patriot Day served as more than a day to commemorate the victims of 9/11, it was a day to honor those that have answered our nation s call of duty. It was a day to pay tribute to those that have defended the freedom and privileges we value, but that often we take for granted. In order to ensure that our Starr County Veterans are taking full advantage of the benefits they deserve, the Starr County Industrial Foundation and the Office of Congressman Henry Cuellar coordinated a Veter- the different municipalities. We are certain our economy will feel a boost during the duration of this program. STC/HASC Grant - South Texas College (STC) was awarded a $600,000 through a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant to assist in the demolition of 34 condemned units and to create a career pathway for 84 public housing recipients through skills training. The initiative that ans Enrollment Fair that took place at the South Texas College Starr County Campus. General Ricardo Sanchez, keynote speaker, was emphatic in asking all the veterans in attendance to encourage every veteran they knew, especially those skeptical about the benefits, to come in and get registered. Congressman Cuellar encouraged everyone to maintain their advocacy efforts for the construction of a hospital in our area and to continue to enroll veterans into the system included a proposed model introduced by the SCIF was further developed by STC and selected for funding based on extreme need and its innovative approach to community and economic development. The two year program is expected to begin by 2011 and will have a dramatic positive impact in our community. in order to promote the extensive unmet needs. Rose Benavidez, expressed, Veterans we thank you for your service, today is an attempt to give back to each of you a small token of what you have so selflessly given us and to make certain that the same dedication and commitment with which you served our country is the same dedication and commitment every veteran receives upon their return. If you would like to volunteer to help a veteran please call us at TWC Commissioner and local Workforce Solutions Board at NEG Award Ceremony Veterans we thank you for your service, today is an attempt to give back to each of you a small token of what you have so selflessly given us and to make certain that the same dedication and commitment with which you served our country is the same dedication and commitment every veteran receives upon their return, Rose Benavidez, SCIF President and STC Vice Chair We continue to work with Rio South Texas in promoting our region. With the collaboration of South Texas College, we were able to travel to New York and participate in the Rio South Texas Media Tour, which aimed at bringing positive attention to our area. A coalition of Valley wide EDC Directors met and answered questions from prominent media outlets that included, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine and Bloomberg News. Many of them were learning, for the first time, about the valuable assets we have to offer. We focused on the our premier educational institutions and our business friendly climate, but many still had questions about security. Despite confronting this challenge, the great majority were impressed by our efforts in the region. The information provided was revealing to the reporters and we received praise for our collaboration. They further acknowledged the impact Rio South Texas four county region has on the Country, instead of dismissing our individual communities for lack of populace.

Page 4 Last month, the SCIF was awarded a $20,000 grant from UTPA s Stronger Together initiative to expand our outreach efforts throughout the community and to augment the organization s technology.

The program is also expected to contribute considerably to capacity building efforts within non-profit organizations that we will greatly benefit from.

Robert Nelson, SCIF Chair Sam Vale, Stronger Together Director Lucila Lagace LtoR: Ana Maria Rodriguez, UTPA Interim Provost and Vice Pres.

Ryan Guillen, Ruben Saenz, Campus Administrator STC Starr County campus; and Alma Perez, Director UTPA at Starr County.

4 Page 4 Last month, the SCIF was awarded a $20,000 grant from UTPA s Stronger Together initiative to expand our outreach efforts throughout the community and to augment the organization s technology. The funds will be utilized to enhance our in house promotional collateral and the purchase of computer software and hardware. The program is also expected to contribute considerably to capacity building efforts within non-profit organizations that we will greatly benefit from. LtoR: Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, Representative Veronica Gonzalez, SCIF Pres. Rose Benavidez, UTPA Pres. Robert Nelson, SCIF Chair Sam Vale, Stronger Together Director Lucila Lagace LtoR: Ana Maria Rodriguez, UTPA Interim Provost and Vice Pres. for Academic Affairs; Rose Benavidez, STC Board Vice Chair and SCIF Pres., Eloy Vera, Starr Co Judge; State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, Robert S. Nelsen, UTPA President; State Rep. Ryan Guillen, Ruben Saenz, Campus Administrator STC Starr County campus; and Alma Perez, Director UTPA at Starr County. Through the efforts of many, the realization of having a University of Texas Pan American Center in our county became a reality this year. The center is a state of the art 17,391-square-foot facility and offers undergraduate courses as well as early childhood bilingual and generalist classes for education majors, criminal justice and master's-level courses in education leadership and reading, interdisciplinary courses in history, English and anthropology.(source: This is the beginning of UTPA s commitment to creating opportunities for future generations. We believe that education is the great equalizer and that our community will reap the benefits of an educated population focused on prosperity. We will continue to work towards making many more of these opportunities a reality. Thank you UTPA! UTPA Starr County Dedication Ceremony

Tours Bio Tech Company Retail prospects Industrial Development Advocacy Border Security Immigration Funding 112th US Congress - January 3 82nd Texas Legislature Regular

5 Page 5 PANORAMA WINTER 2010 Grants Assisted the Housing Authority of Starr County with their Stronger Together Grant Application. Submitted Texas Rural Communities Grant Applica tion proposal for the SCIF Organizations NAAMREI Rio South Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council County Site Tours Bio Tech Company Retail prospects Industrial Development Advocacy Border Security Immigration Funding 112th US Congress - January 3 82nd Texas Legislature Regular Session - January 11 NBA D-League - January Rio Grande Valley Legislative Tour - January Physicians Liaison Event - February 12 State of the County Address - Date TBD County Wide Economic Session - Date TBD

selected Region One Board Seat. City of RGC Efrain A.

Rio Grande City, Texas Tel 956.487.2709 Fax 956.716.8560 E-mail: info@starrcounty.org Website: www.starrcounty.org Twitter.

com/starrind Staff Rose Benavidez, President Nilda Elizondo, PR Director Meliton Villarreal III, IT Tech For

office. SCIF Board of Directors Chair S. F.

6 PANORAMA WINTER 2010 BRAVO!! Sam Vale Elected Chair Border Trade Alliance Alfredo Guerra Elected City of Roma Mayor Richard Gutierrez selected Region One Board Seat. City of RGC Efrain A. Duran Water Treatment Plant Groundbreaking Starr County Industrial Foundation 601 E. Mai n St. Rio Grande City, Texas Tel Fax info@starrcounty.org Website: Twitter.com/starrind Facebook.com/starrind Staff Rose Benavidez, President Nilda Elizondo, PR Director Meliton Villarreal III, IT Tech For additional information or for questions on any of the projects or events overviewed, please call or visit our office. SCIF Board of Directors Chair S. F. Vale Starr Camargo Bridge Vice-Chair Richard Gutierrez Gutierrez Ranch Secretary Larry Gonzalez First National Bank Treasurer Noel Benavides J C Ramirez Store Joe Escamilla Border Pacific Railroad Gustavo Valadez KQBO Xavier Perez Hinojosa and Perez Eloy Vera Starr County Judge Abel Gonzalez Starr Co. Commissioner Ruben Villarreal Mayor, Rio Grande City Brenda Villarreal Mayor, City of La Grulla

7 Why Shop Local? Top Ten Reasons to Shop Local We all know how fun it is to shop locally, but there s more to it: 1. Protect Local Character and Prosperity Our city is unlike any other city in the world. By choosing to support locally owned businesses, you help maintain our diversity and distinctive flavor. 2. Community Well-Being Locally owned businesses build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, linking neighbors, and by contributing back to the community. 3. Local Decision Making Local ownership means that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions. 4. Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy Your dollars spent in locally-owned businesses have three times the impact on your community as dollars spent at national chains. When shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development. 5. Job and Wages Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do. 6. Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship fuels America s economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class. 7. Competition A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. 8. Product Diversity A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices. (www:the Institute for Local Self-Reliance) PANORAMA WINTER 2010

8 Starr County Industrial Foundation 601 E. Main St. Rio Grande City, Texas We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards 2018

Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards 2018 The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC) is proud to announce its twentyfourth annual Charles L. Edson (The Edson Awards), which recognize Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) developments