Ramiro Garza: RGV State of the Region — trade, education, SpaceX — How the Rio Grande Valley transformed its future

The Rio Grande Valley has quietly become one of the most strategically important regions in North America.

From logistics and trade to medicine, higher education, and space innovation, the Valley’s growth story is rooted in long-term investment and local leadership.

Former Edinburg mayor Ramiro Garza reflects on the people and decisions that shaped this transformation — and why the region’s future is just beginning.

Watch it here on YouTube:

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Below is an AI generated transcript of Mayor Garza’s talk.

“When I think back over the past few decades, it’s remarkable how far the Rio Grande Valley has come. I’ve lived much of my life watching this region evolve from a place that others often overlook, to one of the most dynamic, fastest growing economies in Texas and the entire United States. I’ve had the privilege of serving as mayor of Edinburg and working in economic development for more than 25 years.

Through it all, one truth has never changed. The Valley’s greatest resource is its people — the dreamers, the builders, and the believers who saw possibility where others only saw obstacles. Today, the Valley is a vital link to North American trade, a binational economic engine connecting the United States and Mexico. Nearly half of U.S.–Mexico trade passes through our ports and bridges here.

What happens here matters not just to South Texas, but to the entire country. If trade built our economic foundation, education transformed our future. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, through its School of Medicine, and Texas A&M have changed the story of who we are and what we can achieve, as have our community colleges throughout the region — from South Texas College to Texas State Technical College and Texas Southmost College.

Just a decade ago, few could have imagined that young people from the Valley would be studying medicine, biotechnology, and engineering right here at home. But that’s our new reality, and it’s building a healthier, more prosperous region. And then came SpaceX. When rockets began to rise from Boca Chica, the world started to look south — toward Brownsville, toward the Valley.

SpaceX didn’t just bring jobs; it brought global attention. It showed that innovation, technology, and bold ambition belong right here, too. We no longer tell our brightest students to leave to find opportunity. We tell them: look east to the coast, to the stars, to the future. We’re building it right here. But even with all this growth, what makes the Valley special isn’t just business — it’s community.

Families can still find affordable homes. Students can still get a great education close to family. And entrepreneurs can still take a dream and turn it into a business that changes lives. The Valley story has always been one of resilience. We’ve done more with less, often without the full support we deserve. But through it all, the people of this region never stopped believing in what we could be.

That’s why I founded the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. I started this publication because I believe our region deserves a stronger voice — one that tells the story of our growth, innovation, and binational connections from a truly regional perspective. Every day, our team of journalists covers the people, the companies, and the ideas shaping our future.

Our journal also includes a data center packed with local economic insights, business trends, and investment data you won’t find anywhere else. People want to see themselves in the story of the Valley’s success, and that’s what we’re here to deliver. Over these past decades, I’ve seen the Valley grow stronger — its cities more connected, its people more educated, its businesses more ambitious.

We are truly a binational region — Texan and Mexican, local and global, all at once. Our economy fuels the state of Texas and strengthens the nation, from manufacturing to medicine, from logistics to tourism, from space rockets to the small businesses lining our main streets. This is the new face of the Valley. As I step away from public office, I carry deep gratitude for the chance to have served, and a renewed commitment to continue telling the Valley story through the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal.

Because the Valley story isn’t finished. It’s being written every day by the entrepreneurs who take risks, the teachers who inspire, the families who build, and the young people who believe their future can begin right here at home. The Rio Grande Valley is no longer the edge of Texas. It’s at the center of its future — and together, we’re proving the Valley’s best days are still ahead.”