WESLACO, RGV – The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council will celebrate 50 years of regional impact and unified development by hosting a luncheon on Wednesday, August 2nd.
The event takes after the group’s regular monthly board meeting, which starts at 12 noon in the Ken Jones Executive Board Room at the LRGVDC’s offices at 301 W Railroad St, Weslaco, Texas.
LRGVDC Executive Director Ron Garza said the one of the topics to be discussed at the regular board meeting will be about UT-Rio Grande Valley having a special seat on the board as a regional entity.
Once the regular board meeting has ended at 1:00 PM, a short break is planned for a light lunch. At 1:30 PM, the committee will then tell the 50-year story of LRGVDC.
“The story will be told in a historically creative way. There will be elected officials, regional leaders, LRGVDC stakeholders and partners at the luncheon,” said Garza.
“We will keep it [the luncheon] lighthearted, but it will still be a historic perspective of how the region developed,” Garza said.
When LRGVDC was formed 50 years ago there were only three cities in the three county area that had over 25,000 in population, now there are nine cities boasting such numbers.
“The Lower Rio Grande Valley used to be a little over 300,000 in population. Now, there are near 1.3 million people living here,” Garza pointed out. “Only through partnership and collaboration can you exist over 50 years,” he said, referring to the LRGVDC’s staying power.
As a matter of fact, C.B. Shields, an original board member from 1967, could attend, Garza said. Shields was 33 years of age when the LRGVDC started out. Shields told the Rio Grande Guardian he is preparing remarks for the celebration. If he cannot make it someone else will represent him, Shields said.
