PHARR, RGV – After a little over a year as city manager of Pharr, Alejandro “Alex” Meade is moving on.
Beginning at the start of next year, he will be joining Texas Regional Bank as its Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Public Finance.
Pharr Deputy City Manager Ed Wylie will take over as the interim as the city conducts a search to replace Meade.
“I’m excited to announce that beginning the new year, I will be joining Texas Regional Bank as its Senior Vice President of Economic Development and Public Finance. Although my time as City Manager for the City of Pharr was short, it will definitely go down as a highlight in my career,” Meade said in a statement.
Meade said he leaves Pharr with great memories and praised the professionalism of his co-workers.
“I want to thank the deputy city manager, assistant city managers, department directors, staff and City Commissioners for welcoming me to the City with open arms. Your level of service and dedication to the citizens of Pharr is second to none,” Meade said.
“Of course, this opportunity would have never been made possible without the support from Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez. Your ability to work regionally, your forward thinking vision and leadership is not only putting Pharr on the map but it’s making it a city to envy. I can assure you that the decision to leave the City was not one that I took lightly.”
Before joining the City of Pharr, Meade was the first CEO for Mission Economic Development Corporation. During his tenure in that post, Meade helped attract projects that offered significant job creation and capital investment in excess of $300 million and more than 1,000 jobs.
Meade also established the Center for Education and Economic Development in Mission, which fosters entrepreneurial and creative co-working, training opportunities, and workforce development.
Meade also implemented workforce development programs that have been recognized at the local, state and federal levels, and was the recipient of a special “Innovation Award” from the Progress Times newspaper’s annual citizenship awards.
Prior to his tenure with Mission EDC, Meade was principal at P3 Economics, wherein he consulted multiple communities across South Texas, providing strategic planning, site selection, and business development services. He also worked with communities, local officials, and business and industry leaders to develop strategies to create partnerships in response to challenges, and helped organizations access and negotiate funding from federal, state and local agencies.
Meade has also been recognized for his leadership at the state level, having been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents and previously appointed by Governor Abbott to the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
In his statement, Meade explained his rationale for joining Texas Regional Bank.
“About ten years ago, when I was self employed and TRB was just getting started, I was hired by TRB to conduct a market study to determine where in the RGV to locate their branches. It was through this effort that I became a fan of their core values, mission and vision and have maintained a relationship with its leadership team ever since. I’m thrilled to finally join their team and help play a small role in building a bank that positively impacts the communities they serve.”
Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez praised Meade for his work as city manager, calling him “illustrious.”
