Changing of the Guard

WESLACO — Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Hernan Gonzalez announced his resignation two weeks ago, after more than a decade of guiding the department that has had a hand in numerous development projects that have change the face of the city.

Gonzalez said late last week that it “was time” to submit his resignation which will be effective in May.

“The community is changing in terms of having a brand new board and it’s time. I think it’s fair to the board to have someone who they bring on and have confidence in,” he said. “It’s time for me to look and see what’s out there as far as other opportunities. I see it as an opportunity to find other ways to be involved in the community.”

Gonzalez said he chose the time frame of the resignation to allow the board to find a suitable replacement for an agency most often tasked with enticing developers to choose Weslaco over other cities throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

“It will provide the board ample time to make an orderly transition. I didn’t want to be abrupt in any way,” he said. “Economic development is an important process for the community and the board will need some time to decide what they want to do and how they want to do it. I wanted to be very deliberate and focused in how we take the next steps.”

Despite issuing his resignation, Gonzalez said there is still much work to do between now and May.

“We have several projects we’re working on that need attending to. We will continue to focus on those projects and provide whatever assistance to the board they need for the transition,” he said. “Everyone builds on someone else’s work and we need to continue to build on that momentum. Weslaco, in this region, is the next hot spot.”

But becoming that hot spot, Gonzalez said, took hard work by the corporation. Gonzalez pointed to three specific development projects occurring during his tenure that he said would lay the groundwork for the city’s future development.

“I think the development of South Texas College and being part of the process to continue STC at that location was a big accomplishment, as was the business and visitors center being developed. And certainly adding more retail to the community in terms of the J.C. Penney and Lowe’s project (was an accomplishment),” he said. “They all took time and they will change the face of Weslaco going forward.”

Despite the growth and development, however, Gonzalez said it will always be important for Weslaco to never lose sight of its past and its identity.

“It’s part of the redevelopment of the town from within. Weslaco probably can boast being the best community in the region. When people think of the Rio Grande Valley, they have an image of what is good here,” he said. “We’re small, we’re charming and we’re welcoming. We’re the only community that has a main street identity still. It makes a statement that’s important and no other community in the region can say that.”

Throughout the growing pains that have accompanied development, Gonzalez said it is Weslaco’s citizens who have seen the city through tough times.

“A community needs a nucleus of people who believe in it and want to invest in it because they love the community. That’s what we’ve been able to tap here and we can build on that going forward,” he said. “When you look at the Valley going forward, the Valley is going to do very, very well. Not all communities are going to do well, but the ones that do will be the ones who reinvent and reinvest in themselves, and Weslaco is doing that very well.”

As the date of his resignation nears, Gonzalez said he is unsure what he will do once he steps down from his post, but did say that he hoped to remain active in the community he has had a hand in shaping.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of calls I’ve gotten by the business leaders in the community asking me to reconsider. I don’t know if that’s in the cards or not,” he said. “I want to serve the community and I enjoy what I’m doing. God has blessed me with good health and I love big-picture projects. I will probably want to see what’s out there, but whatever we do we plan to stay in the region. This is home.”