AUSTIN, Texas – As we regularly ran Matt Ruszczak’s expert analysis of the latest sales tax revenues coming to South Texas, the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service was frequently asked where the economic development specialist went.
Ruszczak left the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, otherwise known as COSTEP, last December. There he served as vice president of economic development. Before that he was executive director of Rio South Texas Economic Council. For both of these organizations Ruszczak would often fly to Europe to try to land big manufacturers for the Rio Grande Valley. Under his leadership, the European American Investment Council learned all about the Rio Grande Valley.
When he left COSTEP, Ruszczak would only say he was moving to Austin. Now, however, he has informed friends and supporters of his new gig. He is working at the Capitol as co-legislative director for state Rep. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City.
Ruszczak, who moved to Texas from Germany as a teenager, says it is a dream come true to be working at the state Capitol.
In a posting on LinkedIn, Ruszczak wrote:
“Not ashamed to admit that I have a few tears of joy in my eyes as I type this… I am excited to share with y’all, that, a little over a month ago, I joined this awesome team at the Texas State Capitol Office of State Representative and Committee Chairman Ryan Guillen. I serve here as Co-Legislative Director during the 88th Texas State Legislative Session which is currently underway. It has been an awesome and eye-opening experience. I’m working harder and longer hours than I ever have in my life, learning from a fire hose, and having an absolute blast doing it. I’m blessed to work in an office where everybody steps up to the level of leadership exemplified by Chairman Guillen. If it is before 6:00 am, or after 11:30 pm, or anytime in between, I can honestly say, with awe and the utmost respect, that the Chairman is working with passion, commitment, and maximum effort to advance the interest of his constituents and the State of Texas. So, no matter how exhausting it may be, it makes it a true privilege and pleasure to be part of the team.
“But long hours and passionate work isn’t why I have some tears of joy in my eyes. Those of you who know me a little better know how much I love the Texas State Capitol building, and how its halls have been part of my professional and personal life over many years. While my first visit to the Capitol, if my memory serves me correctly, happened in 1998, my first professional engagement here was preparing for and executing McAllen Day in Austin in 2009, so the 81st Texas State Legislative Session. That experience sparked a dream: To work a Texas Legislative Session from inside the Capitol, learning the process from the bottom up, and making a difference every day of the session. Each of the following legislative sessions, as I got to participate from the outside in via my advocacy activities for the various organizations I worked for, that dream was reignited. But the stars never aligned just right to make it happen, until now. So, today, and by total coincidence on the same day as McAllen Day in Austin 2023, I am overjoyed sharing with y’all that I’m literally living a dream, everyday, since the start of January. Carpe diem!”
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