Valley leaders discuss how RioPlex ties in with the RGV Partnership and COSTEP

HARLINGEN, Texas – There was an absorbing discussion at Harlingen Convention Center over whether the creation of RioPlex duplicates the work of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and/or COSTEP.

The discussion occurred in a Q&A session that followed a keynote address by businessman and consultant Rolando Pablos. The event was co-hosted by the CEO Group and the Prosperity Task Force.

Pablos wrote the business plan for BorderPlex, an economic development group covering the El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, and Santa Teresa region. The CEO Group and the Prosperity Task Force invited Pablos to speak in the hope that they could learn best practices as they develop RioPlex.

There is a big difference, however. The Borderplex Alliance is an economic development group that has brought tens of millions of dollars of inward investment into its region. The plan is for RioPlex not to be an economic development group but rather a brand name for the Valley-North Tamaulipas region.

The participant in the audience who kickstarted the discussion about RioPlex and its interaction with COSTEP (Council for South Texas Economic Progress) and the RGV Partnership was Greater Chamber of Harlingen board member Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat. 

Others in the audience who participated in the discussion included Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza, RGV Partnership President Daniel Silva, and COSTEP CEO Adam Gonzalez.

Responding to the questions were Pablos, CEO Group leader Joaquin Spamer, and Prosperity Task Force leader Mario Reyna.

Editor’s Note: Here is an audio recording of the discussion:

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