Valley Partnership seeks sponsors for 24th Legislative Tour

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – The Rio Grande Valley Partnership is looking for sponsors for its upcoming 24th Legislative Tour.

The Valley’s regional chamber of commerce hosts such tours at the start of every legislative session. The aim is to bring as many state lawmakers and their staff as possible to the Valley, to learn about the opportunities and challenges facing the region.

The 24th Legislative Tour will take place Jan. 23-26, 2025, with a focus on Hidalgo and Starr counties.

“Since 1975, this 4-day biennial event has brought Texas legislators to the Valley, providing a platform to showcase our region’s challenges and opportunities. With a focus on infrastructure, energy, natural resources, and trade, this tour fosters critical dialogue between the business community and state leaders,” the RGVP states.

“Your sponsorship ensures the success of this impactful tradition, strengthening the Valley’s voice in Austin.”

The legislative tours take place soon after a regular legislative session has started. So, they take place towards the end of January every odd numbered year. Two years ago, the tour took in Cameron and Willacy counties and so this next one will feature Hidalgo and Starr counties.

According the RGVP website, there are six levels of sponsorship for the 24th Legislative Tour, ranging from the Platinum Sponsor Level – $20,000 and above – to the Partnership Sponsor level, at $1,500. Click here to learn more.

“The four-day tour of the RGV will focus on various sectors, such as: education, infrastructure, transportation, health care, agriculture, international relations, and business and commerce. Our legislative priorities will be infrastructure, energy, national resources and trade,” the group states.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors and its membership, we sincerely appreciate your commitment and hope that you will be a part of this impactful 49-year tradition in the form of a sponsorship.”

RGVP President Daniel Silva spoke briefly about the 24th Legislative Tour at a Commercial & Investment Tour the group held recently in Rio Grande City.

“The legislative session is just about to start, and we want to make sure that we have a unified voice,” Silva said.

He also spoke about the Partnership’s ongoing marketing strategy.

“We’ve spearheaded a marketing campaign, One Region, One Voice. You will see a lot of that in 2025. It’s really about bringing everybody together for the common good and making sure that if there are things that a community is facing, there are probably other communities that are facing those things as well. We want to make sure that we bring everybody together so we can accomplish our goals.”

Silva started his remarks by explaining what the RGVP is all about.

“We are advocates for the four counties of Starr, Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo. We host events, we spearhead objectives, we rally the troops and get behind things that help the region grow,” Silva said.

“When we’re talking about the medical school, when we’re talking about the university, the combination UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville, when we’re talking about interstate connectivity, when we’re talking about MPO mergers, the Partnership has a place at the table.”

Silva said the Partnership has a “seat at the table” because its members have a vested interest in the growth of the region. He said the Partnership does too.

“We serve in the economic development capacity to help when… when city limits are barriers the Partnership is able to look beyond that and bring people together for a common good at a little higher elevation.”

Silva spoke with pride about the Commercial & Investment Tours and thanked a key organizer, Marie Garcia of SAMES Engineering. The tours are usually held once a month in a different city in the Valley.

“One of the things that we do to the Partnership is the commercial investment tours. We have found them to be very successful. I want to thank Marie. What she has done to help structure this, it has been fantastic,” Silva said.

“We think that every community should have an opportunity to be able to showcase what they have, what their growth looks like.”

Silva said he was particularly pleased to be visiting Starr County.

“I really get excited when we drive up to Rio Grande City, because every time I come out here, there’s just so much more development,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of development that’s taking place, so we’re very proud to be a part of it.”

Silva added: “We’re very proud to support these commercial investment tours. They are very important because it provides opportunities for investors to look at what is happening in different communities throughout the region. And it gives us, our staff and the Partnership board an understanding of what is going on across the area and what the needs are.”

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