Aldrete: A tribute to Mike Allen from McAllen

You won’t believe what’s happening right here in Texas. If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of silos coming crashing down. 

Working in silos is out, working together is in. Apparently, regionalism is where it’s at these days. 

South Texas cities and counties have always been neighborly, but now their conversations and strategic directions are coming together a lot earlier in the planning stages of issues like transportation, infrastructure, mental health, emergency preparedness and more. 

In the early 1990s, Mike Allen from McAllen was the CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation. And yes, that’s exactly how he would introduce himself with every handshake. Hi, I’m Mike Allen from McAllen, he would say. He enjoyed watching their facial reaction, but he also knew that by introducing himself that way, it would make it easier for them to remember both his name and the region of the state that he represented.

Mike was a Catholic priest back in the day. Eventually, he left the priesthood, got married, and was appointed to lead the McAllen EDC by then-McAllen Mayor Othal Brand. 

Eddie Aldrete

During one of the Texas legislative sessions, Mike had a meeting with, I believe it was state Senator David Sibley of Waco. As always, Mike was seeking funds for transportation projects, health care funding and others. And during the course of that meeting with Senator Sibley, the senator made a statement that struck a nerve with Mike. He said that if the Texas border communities would stop fighting amongst themselves and would unite and fight against transportation funding that was going to Dallas and Houston, they could probably get bigger pieces of the transportation budget. By competing united as a group.

Inspired by Senator Sibley’s comments. Mike Allen from McAllen, founded the Texas Border Coalition. It was made up of cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development corporations and civic and elected leaders to go and argue for funding both in Austin and in Washington. 

Mike was special to me because my wife Christina was working for him in March of 1992, the day she and I met in his office.

Sadly, we lost Mike Allen from McAllen back in 2010. But trust me, his legacy lives on. Today, Mike would be proud to see the Texas Border Coalition continuing to fight for issues of importance on transportation, funding, healthcare, education, and so many other issues, both in our state capital and in our nation’s capital. He would be proud of the Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza is chairing the newly formed South Texas Alliance of Cities that includes communities from the Rio Grande Valley, northward to include Laredo, Corpus Christi and all the way up to San Antonio.

Mike was fiercely competitive. He once admitted to me that he used to drive up to Laredo at the airport under the cloak of darkness, around midnight, to count how many cargo planes were taking off, so that he could see exactly where McAllen ranked in competition with Laredo in total trade. But today, he would be proud to see all of the nearshoring in northern Mexico and what that means to Texas and the Texas border communities. He would bask in the excitement of the South Texas Triangle, or as Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai calls it, the South Texas Diamond. 

On October 10, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce held their first ever State of the Region luncheon. Yours truly moderated the conversation between Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai of San Antonio, Medina County Judge Keith Lutz of Hondo, and Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina of Laredo. 

As I looked around the room at the 350 people in us in attendance, I thought about Mike Allen, along with a host of bankers, manufacturers, economic developers, workforce trainers, chambers of commerce, civic leaders, elected leaders and more, who, over the years, blazed the trail before us to get to this point of cooperation regionalism and togetherness.

Editor’s Note: The above commentary was provided by seasoned journalist and advocate Eddie Aldrete of San Antonio at the start of his latest Beyond the Bite podcast. The episode was called “Growing the Economies of the South Texas Diamond.” Click here to learn more about the podcast series and to listen to the latest show.

About Beyond the Bite

Beyond the Bite is a podcast that goes beyond the headlines and sound bites to uncover the stories that drive the business community of San Antonio and South Texas. Hosted by seasoned journalist and advocate, Eddie Aldrete, each episode features real conversations with job creators, business leaders, and community pillars. Whether they are carrying on family legacies or breaking new ground, Eddie’s guests offer unique perspectives on the economic drivers of the region. With decades of experience at the intersection of business, public policy, and politics, Eddie is known for his advocacy efforts and relationship building. Tune in to Beyond the Bite to discover the stories that shape our region’s future.

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