Ford Sasser and the late Nedra Kinerk recognized at Futuro awards ceremony

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Welcome to the 2025 Futuro RGV Community and Emerging Leaders Annual Awards Ceremony here at the historic Casa de Palmas Hotel.

Thank you Steven Villarreal and Cynthia Tapia for providing the venue for tonight’s event.

Futuro RGV’s mission is to provide information to our community on quality-of-life issues and concerns with a focus on driving positive change in government, economic development, educational advancement, healthcare, public safety and recreational opportunities.

Every year, Futuro RGV recognizes an outstanding community leader.

The 2025 Futuro RGV Community Leader Award goes to Mr. Ford Sasser.

Ford Sasser is a graduate of Texas A&M where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics. He is chief executive officer and vice chairman of Rio Bank. He came to Rio Bank in 1999 as president and CEO. He previously worked at several banks in the McAllen area and was a bank examiner with the Texas Department of Banking.

Mr. Sasser served on the State Board of the Texas Bankers Association for several years, including chairman of the board for 2022-2023. He was a board advisor for the State Bar of Texas, and he serves on the executive committee of the Texas A&M Commercial Banking Program in the Mays Business School.

In 2026, Mr. Sasser founded C.A.M.P. University, which provides opportunities for adults with special needs to continue developing interests, as well as life, social and job skills so they Can Achieve their Maximum Potential. On May 8, 2025, Mr. Sasser was honored with one of Morgan’s “Hearts of Gold Wall of Fame” awards for his extraordinary impact and support of the advancement of Morgan’s collective mission to create a more inclusive world.

On May 22, 2025, Mr. Sasser was presented with the Liberty Bell awarded by the Hidalgo County Bar Association for promoting civic engagement and fostering a long-standing partnership with the Bar.

Mr. Sasser officiated football at the high school and college levels for 35 years. He authored a book about his officiating experiences entitled “Why Would Anyone Officiate Football?” On June 28, 2025, Mr. Sasser will be inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

Mr. Sasser is a longtime advisor and sponsor of Futuro RGV. He often sponsors events for C.A.M.P. University, McAllen Citizens League, the Hidalgo County Bar Association, Futuro RGV and other organizations at the Rio Bank Events Center.

Please help me congratulate our 2025 Futuro RGV community leader, Mr. Ford Sasser.

Mr. Sasser, please come forward to receive your award.

Dr. Nedra S. Kinerk

Our final award will be presented to Karen and Steve Kinerk on behalf of Dr Nedra Kinerk.

Dr. Nedra Kinerk was a visionary leader, educator and tireless advocate for civic engagement and community development in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1999 she co-founded Futuro McAllen, which evolved into Futuro RGV, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in our region. Nedra served as the Futuro RGV president from 2016 to 2025. Her commitment to transparency, public service and inclusive dialog set a standard that continues to guide our mission today.

Beyond her work with Futuro RGV, Dr. Kinerk was instrumental in establishing the McAllen Heritage Center and the McAllen Palm Fest International Folk Life Celebration, now called Fiesta de Palmas. She was named McAllen Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in 2014. In 2020, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling and the City Commission created and presented Dr. Kinerk with the first annual Nedra Kinerk Citizenship Award.

Her service to McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley was recognized at the state level when the Texas Senate passed a resolution honoring Dr. Kinerk in 2023, and again in 2025 when the Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring her.

In February 2025, Dr. Kinerk retired as president of Futuro RGV and was named President Emerita. In her honor, the organization established the Dr. Nedra S. Kinerk Emerging Leaders Scholarship, ensuring her legacy of empowering future leaders endures.

Dr. Kinerk’s unwavering dedication and compassionate leadership have left an indelible mark on our community. She will be profoundly missed.

Karen and Steve, please accept the certificate honoring Dr. Nedra S. Kinerk on your mother’s behalf.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

I want to thank our sponsors. Our Diamond sponsors are Clark Chevrolet, DHR Health, Rhodes Enterprises, Rio Bank and Sam Garcia Architect. Our Gold sponsors are L&F Distributors and Valley Land Title. Our Silver sponsors are Frost Bank and Texas Regional Bank. IBC is a Friend of Futuro RGV and our in-kind sponsors are AT&T, Casa De Palmas Hotel Trademark Collection by Wyndham, Copy Zone, CSL Productions, Radisson Airport Hotel and Upper Valley Mail Service.

We could not do what we do without all of our wonderful sponsors.

This concludes the 2025 Futuro RGV Community and Emerging Leaders Awards Ceremony.

Good night and drive safely.

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