Joel Villarreal’s oratory skills on display at SCIF Talks event

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Long-serving Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal is known as one of the best public speakers in the Rio Grande Valley, always capable of getting an audience revved up with his rousing style and eloquent rhetoric. 

As a keen student of history Villarreal would often include a quote or two from one of his heroes, such as President Kennedy or Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now that Villarreal just lost his re-election bid, perhaps constituents will not get to see or hear as many of his speeches going forward. That would be a loss for the Valley.

Here, below, is a video recording of one of Villarreal’s last speeches as mayor from a podium. It took place at a Starr County Industrial Foundation event at South Texas College’s Starr County Campus in Rio Grande City. 

Immediately following Villarreal’s remarks, a panel discussion took place about higher education. The moderator of the panel, Lone Star National Bank senior vice president Julian Alvarez, was full of praise for Villarreal ’s oratory. “What a pep talk. He stole my thunder,” Alvarez said.

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