New I-LinCP chapter debuts in RGV, rallying AEC, developer, and project owner community

WESLACO, Texas — The Rio Grande Valley’s architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) community and project owners packed Uncle Chops Food Hall in Weslaco this past Thursday evening for the official launch of the region’s first Institute of Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP) chapter. 

Contractors networked with public-sector owners, developers, architects, and engineers while the newly minted board laid out an ambitious vision: put every stakeholder who shapes capital projects under one collaborative roof.

“Our goal is simple. Owners, designers, builders, and investors all win when we plan together and work together,” said Brian Godinez, Chapter President, and CEO of ERO Architects.

Joining Godinez on I-LinCP’s RGV Chapter leadership team are Jose Delgado, P.E., Chapter Vice President, and senior vice president at Halff; Oscar Garcia, Chapter Vice-president-elect, and vice president at Broaddus & Associates; Courtney Villarreal, Chapter Secretary and marketing manager at D. Wilson Construction; and Javier Solis, Chapter Treasurer and facilities division manager at MEG Engineers.

Board Priorities

Jose Delgado called the launch “perfect timing,” pointing to the wave of public and private projects set to reshape the RGV’s economy. “I-LinCP lets us align community needs, capital, and expertise so the RGV grows on its own terms,” he said, vowing to draw on I-LinCP’s San Antonio, Austin, and Houston chapters’ unique experiences over the last 15 years, and tailor it to local needs.

Oscar Garcia explained that he and Delgado have mapped out an event series on alternative delivery methods, critical infrastructure, industrial development, health-system expansion, amongst other relevant topics, stating, “And we’ll host these programs from one end of the RGV to the other.”

Courtney Villarreal extended an open invitation for every firm, agency, and, especially, project owners and developers to join, stressing that, “Your participation will ultimately lift the entire region.”

Javier Solis pledged support “beyond balancing the books,” vowing to recruit the people and companies whose expertise is vital to I-LinCP’s and the chapter’s mission.

Carol Warkoczewski, I-LinCP’s National Founder, Chief Vision Officer and CEO, joined the inaugural mixer and applauded the great turnout, praising the RGV’s “unique sense of unity and pride.” She emphasized that when owners and AEC professionals sit down together to tackle shared challenges—even from differing viewpoints—they accomplish far more. Genuine collaboration, she said, benefits every stakeholder and, above all, the community whose future they are collectively shaping.

Financing the Future—and Closing Gaps

Dr. Miguel de Los Santos and Bobby Villarreal of Estrada Hinojosa & Company, an industry leader in public finance offering political subdivision advisory services, bond underwriting, and bond trading shifted the conversation to dollars and cents. While school and municipal bonds pass much easier in other Texas metros, they cautioned that the RGV still struggles to win voter support for large-scale education projects, which leaves too many students in decades-old portable buildings.

Villarreal warned that without sustained investment, the RGV will continue to lag the state’s larger cities, and the consequences are already visible. “Our best young talent are moving their families to places with modern schools and public facilities,” he said. “Every time that happens, we lose intellectual capital and buying power. It’s a quiet brain drain we can’t afford.”

He urged attendees to become ambassadors for change. “Word of mouth matters here,” Villarreal emphasized. “If each of us explains that a new school is not a cost but a long-term asset, and that patching fifty-year-old buildings has become unbelievably expensive, we can start turning bond elections in our favor and keep talent at home.”

What’s Next

The RGV Chapter board plans regular sessions, rotating from one end of the RGV to the other. Early adopters who join now will help steer the agenda.

As the evening wound down over complimentary food and drinks, attendees lingered in clusters—swapping business cards, sketching out ideas, and excited that the RGV now has a dedicated stage for capital-project collaboration. Board members stayed to field questions and encouraged attendees not only to join I-LinCP, but to step up as active, impact-driven members of the board, as volunteers are needed to share their time and talent within the various committees:  Programs, Marketing and Communications, Membership, Sponsorship,  Community Relations, and Nominations.

“Tonight proved the appetite is here,” Godinez said with a smile. “Now we get to build something even better—together.”

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