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M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 R G V I S I O NM AG A Z I N E . C OM 1

March/April 2015

S T A R T I N G T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N

THE AIRPORT RACE

SINK ORSWIM

\

Are competing cities choking the future of air travel in the Rio Grande Valley?

McAllen ISD approves a

historic bond issuance

LIFE AT SPIS SPRING

BREAKHEALTH CARE

ON THE GOValley Care Clinics brings the doctors

office to your doorstep

your everyday.

L I G H T I N G & H O M E D C O R

( 9 5 6 ) 6 8 2 - 6 9 8 6 | 4 8 0 1 N . 1 0 t h S t . M c A ll e n

w w w. i l l u m i n a ti o n s r g v. c o m

Illuminate

R G V I S I O NM AG A Z I N E . C OM M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 54

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has rapidly become a state and national leader in creating academic opportunities for all students. A tri-city public school district offering a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum, PSJA caters to a 32,000 student body and is focused on graduating all students College Ready, College Connected and College Complete.

With a High School Completion Rate of almost 97 percent, PSJA ISD is leading the region, state and nation in the percent of students graduating from High School. PSJA has a very successful Early College program, with four High Schools designated as Early College and almost 3,000 High School students enrolled in College courses each semester through dual and concurrent enrollment programs. Some of PSJAs most successful programs such as the Dual Language Program, Early College Initiative and Dropout Recovery Program have been highlighted nationally for effectively closing the gap in post-secondary educational attainment.

AT PSJA ISD ALL STUDENTS CAN: EARN COLLEGE CREDIT (up to an Associate Degree or 2 years of College FREE)

GRADUATE BILINGUAL AND BILITERATE

BE PART OF ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE &

RENOWNED FINE ARTS PROGRAMS

COMPLETE EARLY! GO FAR!START COLLEGE NOW!

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

www.PSJAISD.us


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Deciding to take the road less traveled, or moving in a direction that is not the most popular by choice is permissible ONLY IF we have acknowledged the brutal honesty of that fact. We have to train our eyes on the final destination, whatever you believe that to be.

Likewise, the mission statement behind RGVision can be defined as having the ability to see past oneself in order to benefit the greater good. Sharing RGVision Magazine across the Rio Grande Valley means to entice and encourage that philosophy, and in the process gain a regional sense of civic pride.

Our cover story on the abundance of airports within the Rio Grande Valley region found that there is still a disconnect between the cities here. It's a testament, looking into that point where all the positive talk about regionalism from our leaders

breaks down, and we are left with some very old challenges that need to be overcome if we are to join our rightful place in the global dialogue.

This is the legacy we have hoped for, and will continue to strive for in each issue.

We look forward to sharing your legacy! If you are interested in advertising or sharing your sto-ry please contact us at (210) 618-8930 or email [email protected]

Thank you for picking up this issue! Stay informed, educated, and inspired.

"Wisdom: Knowledge rightly applied. We assimilate lots of knowledge. Whether or not we do anything with that knowledge is a measure of our wisdom. That implies some change ... and change can be diff icult." - Hyrum W. Smith

Mark 3:24 -25And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.


FOR A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK @WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/RGVISIONMAG

EDITORIAL MANAGER

JOEY GOMEZ

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR

MARIELA PEA

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ALEXANDRIA RIVERA

BUSINESS CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

BILL MARTIN, CFP

HEALTHCONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

ALFONSO MERCADO, PH.D.

HEALTHCONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

DAVID SAUCEDA, M.D.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSANNIE SYKES

RACHEL ZANARDILAURI REVILLAMARCOS SOLIS

ADRIANA DOMINGUEZMARITZA GALLAGALETTY FERNANDEZAUDREY OCAAS

ANNE PRADOJOE LILLI

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSIVAN RAMIREZ

JOHN FAULKCLARK TERRELLJOHNNY QUIROZ

JAMES HORD

For advertising information, please call us at 210.618.8930 or e-mail us at [email protected].

For editorial comments and suggestions, pleasesend e-mails to [email protected].

STAFF


Sink or Swim 12McAllen ISD approves a historic bond issuance to improve its facilities

UTRGV Diabetes Center 30An unparalleled opportunity for researchers and medical students

History is Made 20Harlingen CISD opens Harlingen School of Health Professions facility

Its All about Pride 24 San Benito CISD selects a new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mark Puig

ON THE COVER

TABLE OFCONTENTS

Were On A Mission 26PSJA and DHR make their move, addressing the future of healthcare

Preparing Engineers 16Engineering programs continue to grow with UTRGV

THE

AIRPORT RACE

With three major airports within roughly 70 miles,are competing cities choking the future of air travel in the Rio Grande Valley? This isaglimpse into the race for business, and the competitive world within theValleys top airports.

By Joey Gomez | Illustration by Mariela Pena

EDUCATION

pg. 34


March / April

Sudoscan 56A new test that evaluates sweat gland function through galvanic skin response

Affordable Homes 78A non-profit organization helping families in the Valley achieve home ownership

The Moody Clinic 52Helping Valley area children reach their highest potential for over sixty years

Carpe Noctem 82A monthly electronic music event known as the Squeeze Box

The Airport Race 34A glimpse into the competitive world within the Valleys top airports

Dr. Ravi Mydur, MD 58Bringing hope to the terminally diagnosed

Spring Break on SPI 84Life at the biggest beach party in Texas

CORE Business Solutions 30Are in the business of eliminating office chaos

The Robot Surgeon 60Dr. Mario del Pino brings the future of medicine to Rio Grande Regional Hospital

2015 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2

United Brownsville 46A collaborative effort in leading the way to a stronger regional economy

24/7 Emergency Care 64Rio Grande Regional Hospital opens in Edinburg

Health Care on the Go 68Valley Care Clinic brings the doctors office to your doorstep

Lower Valley Dental 48Not just youre regular dental office

Tax-Efficient Investing 50Are you doing everything possible to improve your portfolios bottom line through tax-efficient investing?

HEALTH QUALITY OF LIFEBUSINESS

12 R G V I S I O NM AG A Z I N E . C OM M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5

EDUCATION

McAllen ISD approves a historic bond election to improve its facilities, infuriating county citizen groups who say the Valley cannot afford additional taxes.

by Joey Gomez


Over 40% of McAllen ISD facilities are

40 years old... or older

The original bond would have set aside

$440 MILLION in new construction upgrades

Facilities 50 years or older

$169 M$72 M

$67M

$129 M



All remaining facilities

TH

E FINA

NCIAL BREAKDOWN

Source: Facilities Forecast Advisory Committee

M cAllen ISD trustees and school administrators say they are at a crossroads when it comes to improving school facilities in the district.

Considering that a significant number of schools are over 40 years old, and an even greater number are over 20 years old, volunteers say they have con-cluded more than 18 months of work in which they were tasked to identify the needs of the district, and then prioritize those needs among 46 facilities.

At their regular school board meeting on Feb 23, the McAllen ISD Board of Trustees approved a reduced bond election scheduled for May 9. The amount on the ballot will be $297 million, with about one-third reallocated from the $440 million proposed.

Property tax implications of the $297 million bond issue, which may be sold in up to three pack-ages based on market condititions may result in a 17 cent per $100 valuation tax increase by 2020.

Administrators say projects funded through the $297 million bond should be complete by 2023.

We couldnt just fix what was broken, said Gina Millin, who is co-chair of the district's Facilities Forecast Advisory Committee, the entity that was charged with identifying the needs of schools in the district over an 18 month period. Once you start doing that, then you have to become compliant. We knew that option in the $200 million range was not going to cut it. Plus, we just didnt want to return McHi to the way it looked in 1962. We wanted to incorporate 21st century teaching styles into that facility and others across the district.

In one instance, volunteers say they looked at the lowest option, which was just fixing what was broken at the schools, and returning them to the condition they were in when they opened. The cost amounted to nearly $200 million, according to the FFAC.

The problem with that option, according to Mil-lin, is that when you have old schools, you dont have an ADA compliant basis. When you start to remodel them, then youre no longer grandfathered in, so you have to expand doorways, along with a whole range of other projects, Millin said.

EDUCATION


The idea was like the McAllen Public Library. You cant tell it was once a Wal-Mart. Thats the kind of transformation we are talking about, where you keep the bones but you go in and gut certain

spaces and truly transform, Millin said.

Then the group started exploring the option of tearing down and building new.

The question posed was what if we took every building that was over 40 years of age, and we just demolished it and rebuilt it?, Millin said. When the numbers were calculated, the estimated cost to do that was in the $700 million range, which was not reasonable.

"So, then we started really exploring the buildings and whether they were structurally soundcould we incorporate a 21st century type of environment into these older schools? The answer was yes. The buildings were structurally sound, and yes we could do extensive remodeling to transform it, Millin said.

The FFAC consists of 165 volunteers from all areas of the district. The group says it has spent countless hours over the last 18 months reviewing all data to make a well reasoned recommendation to the MISD Board of Trustees regarding the pro-posed bond.

Nearly half of all schools at MISD are over 30 years old. Of the 33 schools in the district, six of those are 50 years old; four are over the age of 40; and 7 are over the age of 30.

The original bond was set to inject $440 million in new construction upgrades; including $169 million to facilities that are 50 years or older, $129 mil-lion for facilities 40 years or older, $72 million to facilities 30 years or older, and $67 million for all remaining facilities.

The idea was like the McAllen Public Library. You cant tell it was once a Wal-Mart. Thats the kind of transformation we are talking about, where you keep the bones but you go in and gut certain spaces and truly transform, Millin said. When we

did that, we ended up in the $400 million range, and then we kept going back and looking at num-bers. We brought in local builders and looked at their numbers and compared them to our numbers to make sure we were right on target when we con-sidered we wouldnt start building for another two to three years. Thats how we verified that the num-bers we were recommending were good numbers.

According to the FFAC, it is imperative to make the investment now for a variety of reasons. School district buildings will get worse over time, and will become more expensive to renovate. Also, the dis-trict will save millions in interest by locking in at todays current low rates.

The numbers we are talking about are not un-

precedented, Millin said. They are not numbers that we have never dealt with before, and then the other thing is you get what you pay for. Even at the highest projected level, PSJA and Hidalgo will still be higher than McAllen residents. Look at the facilities that PSJA offers. They are paying higher taxes, but they have much better facilities. We are paying lower taxes, but our facilities are horribly outdated and in need of significant renovations.

There are some people who cannot see past the front door. For those people who are going to be moving to the Valley because of industry that is coming like Space-X or UT-RGV, these are pro-fessionals who want to see modern facilities, Mil-lin said.

At a school board meeting on Feb 29, the admin-istration said it was working to develop a solution that continues to ahdere to the FFAC's principles, while addressing the needs identified through the committee's extensive review.

Trustees say they have utilized a funding combi-


The primary function of a school is to

educate. If they want to spend money,

hire some good teachers and pay them well.

nation that establishes the mechanism for "system-ic long-range planning" for maintenance and staff compensation.

The mechanism will allow taxes to be increased in gradual increments rather than one lump sum, according to a district statement. It cuts approxi-mately one-third of the indebtedness that would have come from the original $440 million.

A proposed increase in taxes drew the ire of cit-izen groups who say they are watching the events closely.

How much more of a burden can they put on the taxpayers, said Objective Watchers of the Legal System (OWLS) member Fern McClaugherty who was present at the Board meeting on Feb. 29. I'm hoping that the people of McAllen will vote 'no'."

At issue, according to the OWLS, are the cumula-tive effects of two bonds recently passed in Hidalgo County.

Voters approved a bond referendum on Nov. 6, 2012 in favor of the drainage board of directors is-suing $184 million to upgrade the county drainage system; which added an additional $25 in taxes an-nually per $100,000 property valuation.

Voters also narrowly approved a $159 million bond issuance in 2013 to South Texas College in order to fund new buildings and operations. That bond was passed as a result of the ballot in Starr County. Taxpayers in Hidalgo County rejected the proposal, which amounts to an additional $35 an-nually per $100,000 property valuation.

The taxpayers cant afford it. There are just so many taxes. You have the county drainage that is taxing your property, STC is tacking on another one. Then we have the county, which is at 59 cents, McClaugherty said, referencing Hidalgo Countys tax rate, which ranks among the highest in the state

Look at Chicago or New York, those buildings they are using are more than 100 years old, Mc-Claugherty said. The primary function of a school is to educate. If they want to spend money, hire some good teachers and pay them well.

Among other scenarios orginally proposed by the district included selling the $440 million at three different intervals; $169 million in 2015, $142 mil-lion in 2017, and $129 million in 2019, avoiding a big tax hike, according to MISD superintendent Dr. James Ponce.

The more money you throw at something like this wont affect the quality of education for the children. They were saying that these wonderful new buildings were going to help their education, but its not the buildings that do it. Its the fam-

ilies and teachers, McClaugherty added. What happens if families cant afford their homes? Kids would like a roof over their head or something on the table at night. How many of these kids are go-ing home hungry? They may get fed at school, but that may be the only meal they have. These people are hanging on to their tiny homes, and they are going to lose it when each one of these entities raise the value of their properties.

Members of the McAllen Tea Party also voiced their concerns.

They increase the property values, so people have to work harder. That means they have less time with their kids, and they delegate the responsibility of educating to the school district, and then the dis-trict bitches about the fact that they have no home life. You are creating poor people by doing this, said Richard Montesdeoca, who is a member of the McAllen/Hidalgo County Tea Party and member of the OWLS. This means people have to make one of two choices. They can work harder, or they can move to San Juan. The school district doesnt seem to realize that. They are giving us the old standby saying its better, but it would be better if our population wasnt poor.


By Letty Fernandez

Engineering programs continue to grow with UTRGV

Preparing engineers

SINCE 2011

EDUCATION

17M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 R G V I S I O NM AG A Z I N E . C OM

T he civil engineering program that began in the Department of Me-chanical Engineering at The Uni-versity of Texas-Pan American in 2011 came at just the right time for Dora Robles, now an assistant to the city engineer of Pharr, Texas.

Robles was then a junior mechanical engineering major waiting to enter the program that held her passion and would allow her to stay close to home.

It was up to par with any program that had a much longer history. I had a lot of one-on-one time with my professors and program director and I was able to do an internship with the Texas Department of Transportation where I helped supervise a high-way construction project, she said.

Robles, who earned her bachelors degree from UT Pan American in 2013 and her masters in civil engineering at Texas A&M University at Kings-ville, now works as an engineer in training for the City of Pharr. Her duties have included the review of development plans and the design and oversight of sidewalk and drainage projects.

It doesnt sound like much--sidewalks, but it does entail from finding money from grants and ap-plying for them to surveying and going out for bids to managing the construction side of it, she said. The most exciting part of the job is to see what you put on paper come to real life.

Civil engineering will be one of many engineer-ing degrees offered when The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley opens this September. UTRGV will offer bachelors degrees in computer engineer-ing, electrical engineering, engineering physics, engineering technology, manufacturing engineer-ing and mechanical engineering. UTRGV will also offer the Master of Science in Electrical Engineer-ing, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engi-neering and Engineering Management.

We want to expand existing programs and add new ones, including doctoral and certificate pro-grams, said Dr. Miguel Gonzalez, who was ap-pointed interim dean of UTRGVs College of Engi-neering and Computer Science (COECS). We will be the university of choice for students who want to practice engineering not only in this region but across the country.

At UT Pan American, producing graduates with engineering degrees has a long history. COESC - a college that grew from a program within the former College of Science and Engineering in the mid-1990s to its own college in 2010 - currently has undergraduate programs in computer engineering, computer science, as well as electrical, manufactur-ing and mechanical engineering and graduate pro-grams in computer science, electrical, mechanical and manufacturing engineering, information tech-nology and engineering management.

Enrollment and graduation statistics show sky-rocketing growth. In 2001, UTPA had 1,080 stu-dents enrolled in engineering programs and by 2014, enrollment climbed to 2,285 students. From


2001 to 2014, UT Pan American awarded 1,773 undergraduate degrees and 574 graduate degrees in its vari-ous engineering disciplines.

Were continuing to grow, were solving our problems with outside-the-box solutions, weve received support from the administration and UT System and plans are for it to con-tinue to flourish and play a transfor-mational role throughout the region, from Laredo to Brownsville, Gonza-lez said.

Many UTPA graduates have gone on to work for major contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon as well as the automotive industry and other corporate giants. In addition to providing employers in the region and beyond highly qualified workers, the college also was involved in creat-ing UTPAs first multi-million-dollar start-up company, FibeRio Technol-ogy Corporation. That company was born of an invention from two me-chanical engineering faculty members and was incubated at the University before moving to its own location in McAllen in 2011.

Its sister institution that will also be a part of the new UTRGV, UT Brownsville, began offering a Bach-

elor of Science in Engineering Physics and Engi-neering Technology in 1996 and has awarded 180 degrees in those two majors.

The Engineering Technology program is the only bachelors program of its kind offered south of San Antonio and provides students with a strong engi-neering technology background combined with the opportunity to specialize in one or more technology areas

Engineering Physics degree has a general engi-neering core with four specialization tracks includ-ing electrical, mechanical, computer and bioengi-neering.

Our engineering physics program provides our students with a palette of engineering skills, in-cluding designing, developing, building and testing


devices and tools, said Dr. Yong Zhou, Program Director. We are preparing our students for jobs in engineering services, research and development, manufacturing industries, and the federal govern-ment.

Gonzalez said UTRGV will continue the success of the programs through its dedicated faculty who are focused on student success while maintaining rigorous programs so that students not only thrive in the classroom, but are ready to compete in the working world.

As a young engineer early in her career, Robles foresees a bright future for potential UTRGV engi-neering students.

You need engineers to grow, she said. The new university will bring even more opportunities for students - not just from the Valley but from other areas - to find internships and fill well-paying jobs that are in high demand.

EDUCATION


By Adr iana Dominguez


Marking the beginnings of medical careers, the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) opened the Harlingen School of Health Professions (HSHP) facility this past December.

Dressed for the historical occasion, students filed in for their first day on the new campus with excitement and discovery. The new facility features state-of-the-art rooms and labs where students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge and procedures that theyve learned in class.

Im very excited about the hands-on equipment, said Angelica Montes eighth grade student. I look forward to using the surgical lab and the patient care room. Also, I look forward to getting to work in my field of study surgery. I want to be an an-esthesiologist.

Jacob Harms, who hopes to one day become an endodontist, is most excited about the wealth of resources available to him at the new facility.

We have every piece of equipment that we could possibly need here at our disposal; from the chairs to the little things such as toothbrushes, said Harms. We also have many computers at our disposal and an excellent library, as well as, knowl-edgeable teachers that we can use as resources for information.

The college-like atmosphere throughout the facility will foster the collaborative style of learning, which will prepare students for a post-secondary education in the medical field. Along with further-ing their medical education, students will be able to choose one of six areas of study in their sopho-more year to focus on throughout their high school career. Schools of Study include: The School of Pharmacology/Biomedical Technology, The School of Dental Science, The School of Patient Care, The School of Medical Science Research, The School of Sports Medicine, and The School of Surgical Procedures. Students will also have the privilege to work with local medical professionals to observe re-al-life medical practices.

The School of Pharmacology/Biomedical Technology

The School of Dental Science

The School of Patient Care

The School of Medical Science Research

The School of Sports Medicine

The School of Surgical Procedures

EDUCATION


The opening of the Harlingen School of Health Professions facility marks yet another milestone in our transformational journey as it opens up countless opportunities for our students to get a head start in a career in medicine and the medical school process, said Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos. I want to thank the Board of Trustees for their commitment to excellence and their commitment to choice within public schools. By advancing our schools our students remain on the path to global achievement.

At HSHP it is essential that students have opportunities for collaboration, as much of the design and curriculum of the school is based on project-based learning. Classrooms will enhance their medically focused curriculum with a design aimed at exposing students to the different medical areas so they can see whats being learned in the class and how its incorporated into that field.

Solidifying its opening, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Dec. 17. Over 400 members of the community including Senator Eddie Lucio, Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell and Valley Baptist Health System President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Manny Vela were present to

celebrate the event. With the support of the community apparent, it was a memorable day for all as it marked the collaboration that took place to between the district and community members.

What happens here changes public education and expands the educational opportunities that we can afford our students, said Board President Greg Powers. It took a collaborative effort of many individuals to achieve what you see here today. We want to thank those members of our community who volunteered their countless hours to participating in design meetings to bring this vision to a reality.

The inaugural year of HSHP marks the beginning of a new world of possibilities for Harlingen students. During its initial year, the legacy class is comprised of eighth and ninth grade students with the campus designed to add an additional grade level each year until 12th grade is reached with a maximum enrollment of 550 stu-dents. The design allows students to be able to continue their enrollment from eighth grade to the completion of their senior year. To enroll in the campus, students had to be accepted through an application-based process.


The campus curriculum and mission aligns with the districts strategic plan. Created through a collaboration between district officials and over 800 Harlingen community members, the plans main themes include developing learning environments conducive for collaboration; creating curriculum to fit the individual needs of students; opening specialized and unique schools for students at all levels of education; and to align high school programs with post-secondary endorsements and certification programs for college and career readiness. HCISD Board of Trustees adopted the plan during their regular February 2014 meeting.

For more information on HSHP please visit www.hcisd.org/HSHP or call 430-4078. To f ind

out about HCISDs additional Schools of Choice visit www.hcisd.org or call 430-9500.


EDUCATION

When it comes find-ing the right formu-la for success at San

Benito ISD, we are our own worst enemy, according to the districts new superintendent Dr. Marc A Puig.

What is the key to that formula? It amounts to unleashing the talent and intelligence of staff in the district, and that is only achieved by working together, Puig said.

People make San Benito CISD successful, Puig said. The people are amazing. Our focus, and one of the biggest challenges is making sure we are all working together as a team. I have seen the enemy,

and its us. We are our own worst enemy. We have to look

inward, and look at what we have and celebrate and promote

the great things we have here.Leadership has been a key issue in San

Benito over the last few years.Former superintendent of schools Antonio G. Li-

mon served as the districts leader fro 2004 until May of 2013, when he was placed on paid admin-istrative leave following an internal investigation. That investigation closed last year, and Limon was reinstated on an interim basis until the next super-intendent was hired.

By Audrey Ocanas

PRIDEITS ALL ABOUTNew SBCISD superintendent ready to take the reigns of troubled district


With Limon on leave, the district paid interim su-perintendent Dr. Alfonso Obregon $91,000 for his work from May 2013 to November 2013. He was followed by Dr. Ismael Cantu who earned $51,000 during his tenure as interim superintendent from Dec 2013 to June 2014.

The district continued to pay Limon while he was on leave. He received $179,000 during his absence. In total, the district paid three superintendents $321,000 in a span of about 13 months.

Limn was reinstated May of 2014 and went back to work June 5, 2014. However, a condition for Limns return included a search for his replace-ment. Puig emerged as Limons best-suited replace-ment by the district.

Puigs resume is extensive, having been a teach-er, assistant principal, principal, assistant super-intendent. After his duties as the superintendent of schools at Culberson County-Allamoore ISD in Vanhorn near El Paso , Puig began his duties for SBCISD on Jan. 5, 2015. His contract is for three years and 177 days, ending on June 30, 2018. Key points of his contract include a starting sala-ry of $140,000. That salary will increase by $5,000 during each of the first two years, and $10,000 the third year.

IM PROUD TO SERVE HERE...IT WILL BE A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE BUT THERES NOTHING TO BE GAINED IN PLAYING SMALL.

Im proud to serve here, he said. Im humbled by this opportunity, and I cant wait to touch the lives of every child through the team in this district. It will be a tremendous challenge but theres noth-ing to be gained in playing small.

According to the 2010 Census, only 14.9 percent of Cameron County residents over the age of 25 held undergraduate degrees. Puig said he intends to not only see his students succeed at the secondary level, but go on to pursue higher education.

Im a schoolteacher. Im on special assignment as superintendent but Im a schoolteacher first and I love my special assignment, said Puig. Going the extra mile is what its going to take to get us to where we need to be. First and foremost, we are servants. The trustees are servants. The clients that we serve are the children. We work for children, Puig remarked.

With his hiring, Puig said the students at San Benito have a mentor and friend. With 19 schools and approximately 11,300 students, he acknowl-edges his task is an arduous one.

One challenge Puig said he intends to meet head on is the issue of proper pay for his employees. Last year, the San Benito school district was subject to a lawsuit by its police officers who claim they were improperly paid for overtime in addition to other numerous workplace violations. At Puigs State of the District Address held on Jan. 19, 2015, he re-ferred to a similar challenge at his previous school district. The staff and teachers were underpaid when he first started but Puig stated that by the end of his third year, the teachers at Culberson had a 15 per-cent salary increase.

We want to work together to create a premier district; not only to be a flagship of the Rio Grande] Valley but to be recognized statewide and nation-ally, Puig said. We do that by creating tremen-dous programs of which we already have in place; everything from automotive to cosmetology, trades, robotics, and we have a surprise coming up that Im working on. It will be unique to the Valley but I wont tell that now, its a big idea so well see how that goes.


In anticipation of the Rio Grande Valleys future medical school, school districts are teaming up with hospitals and higher-education institutions to ad-dress the dire shortage of nurses locally and state-wide, according to PSJA superintendent Dr. Daniel King.

PSJA ISD has begun its collaboration with Doc-tors Hospital at Renaissance, South Texas College, Region One ESC and South Texas ISD to train the next generation of nurses in the Rio Grande Valley.

EDUCATION

WE'RE ON A MISSION

A new pilot program will begin this spring to pro-vide students interested in a nursing career the op-portunity to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing through the first ever in the nation dual enrollment program in nursing.

There has been always been a shortage of doctors, and a medical school is going to increase the num-ber of professionals in related fields, King said in a phone interview. We are going to need even more nurses. Were going to need other kinds of support

PSJA and DHR make their move, addressing the future of healthcare in the Valley; one student at a timeby Joey Gomez


Through this program, we are going to be able to increase the supply of nurses.

personnel for the doctors offices and the different healthcare facilities.

Dual enrollment programs allow eligible high school students to enroll in college courses while in high school. They are able to complete high school and college-level courses at the same time.

Through the dual enrollment nursing program, PSJA ISD high school sophomores interested in the nursing field will be able to take college courses that can be applied to their Associates Degree in Nursing upon high school graduation.

The dual enrollment program allows for expand-ed educational opportunities while also addressing the healthcare needs of the region by working to alleviate the nursing shortage that challenges local healthcare providers.

The program will open up an additional 25 slots for nursing students, King said.

This is a really big deal, King said. We all ac-complished several things in one. Through this pro-gram, we are going to be able to increase the supply of nurses. Even though there is a big nursing short-age in the Valley and statewide, we can start making progress towards this shortage.

It gives more access to more of our students to a rewarding nursing career because it builds on the programs UTPA and STC already have, King said.

PSJA began its talks with STC and DHR last spring. They announced the start of the pilot pro-gram at a press conference in January. In attendance at that event was U.S. Congressman Ruben Hino-josa, D-McAllen, STC president Dr. Shirley Reed, DHR CEO Israel Rocha, South Texas ISD super-intendent Dr. Marla Guerra, and Region One ESC deputy director Eduardo Cancino.

Texas and the nation are facing a critical short-age of registered nurses, according to a report by the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (TCNWS), an organization created by the Texas Legislature to act as a resource for data and re-search on the nursing workforce statewide.

Texas will not produce sufficient RNs to meet the healthcare demands of Texans through 2020 with-out major interventions to increase the RN supply, according to the TCNWSs report entitled Strate-gic Plan for the State of Texas To Meet Workforce needs of 2013.

Texas schools produced 7,031 RN graduates in 2007, but for supply to meet demand, the number

of new graduates must grow to 18,000 in 2015 and 25,000 by 2020, according to the study.

Among other findings in the report: Demand for RNs is expected to increase by 86

percent between 2005 and 2020 but supply will only grow by 53 percent.

Increasing capacity in nursing programs will involve acquiring the financial resources to recruit and retain additional qualified faculty and students; acquiring additional clinical instruction sites; and fostering innovative public-private partnerships, according to the TCNWS.

The partnership between PSJA , South Texas ISD, South Texas College and DHR will no doubt become one of the most beneficial collaborations in the Rio Grande Valley, said Congressman Hinojo-sa, ranking member of the Subcommittee of Higher Education and Workforce Training. This innova-tive Dual Enrollment Pilot Program will create career opportunities for many of our high school students in the field of nursing.

Our medical community and our residents will benefit from the advanced education, training and experience that await our students, the congress-man said.

Dr. Daniel King, superintendent of PSJA

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 R G V I S I O NM AG A Z I N E . C OM 29Museum of South Texas History H 200 N Closner Blvd H Edinburg, TX 78541 H USA

FIND IT ALL ...

Discover the historic culture and heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. Behold the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of our historic and contemporary buildings. Stroll through our enchanting gardens landscaped with native plants. View an extensive collection of artifacts and archival documents and enjoy programs and seasonal special events.

To learn more call +1-956-383-6911 or visit MOSTHistory.org

CULTURAL HISTORYA PLACE L IKE NO OTHER


EDUCATION


By Lauri Revilla

and exciting things are coming to the Rio Grande Valley in the near future.

Although the Valley has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years, it still has a reputa-tion of lagging behind in innovation. The recent groundbreaking of Space X and the upcoming launch of The University of Texas Rio Grande Val-ley and its School of Medicine are quickly changing this image. Soon, the Rio Grande Valley will also gain international recognition as a leader in medi-cal research and treatment with the new South Tex-as Diabetes & Obesity Institute.

The Institute will bring an elite, 22-person re-search team led by one of the most recognized names in biomedical research- Sarah Wil-liams-Blangero, Ph.D. to the Valley. After re-ceiving her Doctoral Degree in Biological Anthro-pology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, Williams-Blangero devoted her entire career to studying genetic epidemiology at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field and has been named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. With the recruitment of Dr. Williams-Blangero and her team, UTRGV will

SOUTH TEXAS DIABETES & OBESITY INSTITUTE: Changing the Face of Health Care in the Valley

When You Come To A Fork

In The Road, Take It

When I woke up this morning, I dragged a sensor across my head and found my cells at night had gone awry. For some reason, cancerous cells were going amuck on my 120th birthday. Confirm-ing the findings, my tri-cord-er rid me of my neoplasm in seconds. I then boarded my inflatable starship at Just Read the Instructions to start the day with the first of 10 pan-galactic house calls.

How is that for 2115 Rio Grande Valley medicine! It has all the makings of sci-fi but not too far from reality, maybe a 100 years from now. Not all that unbelievable like the unbelievably fast year that has passed since Susan and I were warmly welcomed to the Valley. And yes, we are glad that when we came to that fork in the road, we took it. As we celebrate our first RGV year, we have been blessed with many blessings. Lets count them

We begin with the hospi-tals in the Valleys cities - all


We have experts in molecular genetics, stem

cell biology, and statistical genetics-we are focusing a wide range of expertise on

the health crisis associated with diabetes and obesity facing the Valley.. ..........

achieve instantaneous national and international recognition for our health sciences research capa-bilities, says Francisco Fernandez, M.D., Founding Dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs.

The research team she has brought together boasts an impressive background - including work in large-scale population studies focused on the ge-netic factors behind infectious and cardiovascular diseases all over the world.

Its a really unique group that will apply the full range of available genetic tools to understanding diabetes, obesity and related disorders, explained Williams-Blangero. We have experts in molecular genetics, stem cell biology, and statistical genet-ics-we are focusing a wide range of expertise on the health crisis associated with diabetes and obesity facing the Valley.

The Rio Grande Valleys huge diabetic population and the opening of the UTRGV School of Med-icine presented an unparalleled opportunity for William-Blangeros team to develop an innovative research program. We wanted to come here be-cause it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a world-class research program from the ground-up, explained Dr. Williams-Blangero. The program will allow researchers and medical students to work closely together to understand the root cause be-hind diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and other chronic and infectious illnesses.

The diabetes epidemic continues to be one of the biggest health problems facing the nation today. According to the 2014 National Diabetes Statis-

tics Report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 29.1 mil-lion Americans suffer from this disease, while an estimated 8.1 million remain undiagnosed. Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States although it is believed to account for more deaths than those reported.

As UTRGV and the School of Medi-cine come to fruition, we are focusing on connecting science and research with the South Texas community, said UTRGV President, Dr. Guy Bailey. We are working to create the best possible out-comes for our patients through research, clinical care and education.

CONT. ON PAGE 33


EDUCATION

According to the South Texas Diabetes Initiative, an estimated 76,000 Rio Grande Valley residents have diabetes. Its prevalence rate of 26 percent is one of the highest in the nation. Every year, approx-imately $720 million are spent on diabetes-related health care services in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy County alone, although a big percentage of the population is uninsured.

The premiere research team at the South Tex-as Diabetes & Obesity Institute has raised over

$200 million dollars in grants from the National Institute of Health over the past fifteen years. The scientists plan to continue their aggressive search for NIH funding to support research in the Valley. H-E-B already is supporting the Institutes work on diabetes in the Valley, an area where 7% of the population is living with the disease. The research teams goal is to develop long-term collaborative studies to identify the role of genetics in this dis-ease and related disorders to hopefully develop new, more effective interventions.

Valley residents will have a unique opportunity to participate in these studies and become familiar with the research process, while obtaining access to educational materials and support for managing their disease. The team hopes that these studies will lower the prevalence of diabetes for future genera-tions in this area. As we progress in our research, we will find genetic characteristics that place peo-ple at high risk for developing diabetes and obesity. That will allow us to target dietary interventions and exercise regimes, explained Williams-Blange-ro. Ultimately, the research will lead to identifica-tion of targets and pathways that can lead to drug development for diabetes and obesity.

Although the Institutes main focus will be diabe-tes and obesity, it will have an impact on the entire medical landscape of the Valley and even the Unit-ed States. Former UT System Chancellor, Francis-co G. Cigarroa, M.D. said that the research team will completely change education and healthcare in South Texas. They will bring substantial federally funded research and expertise-in the genetics of many disorders, not only diabetes, but also heart disease and infectious disease, explained Cigarroa. They will do their research across the Valley and interact with many other research, public health and community programs.

As the Valley moves towards innovation and growth, the arrival of the South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute will ensure that it is up to par in medical advancements and health care. The presence of this research center, along with the UTRGV School of Medicine, will not only bring highly competent health care providers and in-vestigators to the area, but will also create a more health-oriented culture among its residents. There will be plenty of opportunities for residents to par-ticipate in the Institutes research initiatives and they will be posted regularly on its website.


working with us to establish on-site training and residency programs for our first cohort of 50 med-ical students, who will begin classes in fall 2016. They joined us in our efforts to attain accreditation of our undergraduate medical education program by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, our MD degree program by the Texas Higher Edu-cation Coordinating Board, our residency programs by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and our continuing professional edu-cation initiatives also have to have approval from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education You get the picture. With their sup-port, they are part of the new culture of excellence in medical education in the Valley.

Another blessing is our faculty. I could not have asked for a better cadre of scholars than those at UTRGV. The accreditation work is grueling yet all agree, it is equally, if not more, invigorating. All the faculty is committed to our goal of providing education that is state-of-the-art in terms of the advancing the science of medicine with technology in concert with a humanistic approach.

An added blessing is all the individual invest-ments and philanthropic foundation support we have been the beneficiaries of. Within weeks of my arrival, Dr. William C. Head, M.D., a distinguished orthopedic surgeon from Dallas, granted the medi-cal school its first major contribution a $600,000 gift to establish the Jean Marie Rodriguez-Ayers Scholarship to benefit UTRGVs inaugural class of medical students. Others followed and in one year, we are 40% to our goal for a debt-free inau-gural class.

With a combined $4,523,342 in grants from Val-ley Baptist Legacy Foundation, Methodist Health-care Ministries, H-E-B, United Health Foundation fostering interprofessional, team based care and our research initiatives, we are off to a great start. Now add the $4,750,000 from Hidalgo County, and the cities of McAllen, Edinburg, Mission and Pharr to support our medical school programs to maintain its high level of excellence and expand promising programs to build the medical school of the future, our learning environment will be second to none.

On the day I was announced, I said what I saidand meant what I said.

I am excited and humbled by this tremendous opportunity to build the UTRGV School of Med-icine into a world-class educational center. The chance to build a medical school from the ground up in a region as richly diverse and wonderful as South Texas is a dream come true

Thank you for the honor of serving you. Dr. Francisco Fernandez is the inagural dean of

of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He was introduced to the valley in February of 2014.


BUSINESS


THE

AIRPORT RACE

By Joey Gomez

An interesting conundrum about airports in gen-eral is that it comprises a business model that often doesnt make sense, according to some leaders of the Rio Grande Valleys major airports.

At McAllen International Airport, production is growing, but costs are doubling. Revenues are dipping, but enplanements, the number of people physically boarding,are forecasted to be the highest they have been in years.

The city-run airport continuesto see service like it has never seen, according to McAllens newly mint-ed aviation director, Elizabeth Suarez. She credits McAllens business community and aneed for con-stant connectivity as a driving force for the airport, but the delicate balance needed in the business requires that enplanementsbe sustained in order to pay off debt.

McAllens airport garnered nearly $13 million in total revenue in FY 2011, according to a passenger

facility charge schedule of revenues and expendi-tures released by the city.

If the airports service threshold changes, and if those enplanement patterns start to decline, that means less money, Suarez said.

At the end of the day, high enplanements means higher aeronautical revenue, it should. In an admin-istrative airport, it should mean higher aeronauti-cal revenue and non-aeronautical revenue. So, that enplanement threshold is just a very intricate bal-ance,Suarez said.

McAllen International currently has about $30 million worth of construction projects taking place. The airport has its terminal expansion, a runway safety area project, a lighting project in the parking lot that is just about finished, as well as landscape project currently in its final stages.

The airport is currently undergoing a CBP exten-sion on its general aviation said of the house. That

With three major airports within roughly 70 miles,are competing cities choking the future of air travel in the Rio Grande Valley? This isaglimpse into the race for business, and the competitive world within theValleys top airports.

by Joey Gomez

36

BUSINESS


section is expanding as the agencyincreases its pro-tection on the border, Suarez said.

McAllen International houses American Airlines, United Airlines, Allegiant Air, andAeromar.

Coming in, we are supposed to make an import-ant impact in our economy and if we are not doing that, we are notdoing a good job, she said.Its a crazy business. I know, because I come from transit, I know transit well and I know the federal agen-cies well,butI have never had sleepless nights like when I got here because its an intricate balance.

Its a constant struggle. As the airport she runs starts looking at aeronautical revenues and begins to approach the major airlines, administrators are very conscious to show them that the airport is looking for ways to reduce its overhead and its costs.

The last thing airports want is to give the im-pression that they are passing costs to them, Su-arez said.Her biggest concernis making sure that the airports financial snapshot changes so that the trends are changing when they sit down and talk to airlines.

The airport has to show upward growth on the non-aeronautical side, and at the same has to show a decline in expenditures, as well as an increase in enplanements, she said.

We have to keep the airlines happy. We have to keep them here. We have to keep costs competitive to sustainusandto grow, she said. I think if its important for that community willing to make the investment, we have nothing negative to say about that. At the end of the day, I think we do need to work together as a region. I know that our leaders in McAllen have really pushed that notion forward.

McAllen International is only one of three Part 139 commercial service airports within close prox-imity to each other. If you count airports in Reyno-sa and Matamoros in Mexico, there are five major airports within striking distance to each other in the Rio Grande Valley region including those in Harlingen and Brownsville.

Valley International Airports new director of aviation MarvEsterlydoesntagree with a regional approach when it comes to air service.

Esterly, a former Marine Corps Air-Traffic controller whose career spans nearly three decades in aviation managementsaid hedoesnt buy intothat philosophy because no one benefits from the competition.


Valley International Airport garnered $2.4 mil-lion in aeronautical revenue in 2008, and nearly $5 million in non-aeronautical revenue, according to online source city-data.com.

I dont want to say theyre wrong. Obvious-ly, there is a market share if you want three non-hub airports. Thats common sense, Esterly said. If you want to have one small hub or medium hub airport like Austin and San Antonio,you are going to have one facility that everybody will utilize. That definitely helps for that facility to be profitable.

Careful to say that he is not advocating shutting down any airports in the region by any means,Es-terlysays he is merely supportinga common sense question with a common sense answer.

I understand that every city is entitled to an air-port. It just so happens that these cities are so close together,Esterlysaid. You can look upnorth,in a lotof cities up thereyou will see there are cities that are a lot larger than all three of these cities(McAl-len, Harlingen and Brownsville)put together that have very small airports. Often, you will drive to a majormetroplexarea in order to get to the larger or medium hub airports or service that you want.

Esterly acknowledged that airlines have signifi-cantly contracted over the years, pulling a lot of capacity out of the market, and have a more busi-ness-oriented mindset which is driving their profits.

Because of this mindset, airlines have pulled ca-pacity back out of markets. These days, if airlines have 150 total people waiting for a flight, but have a plane that seats 100, gone are they days when they would employ a second plane to seat the other 50 andhave it half full,Esterlysaid.

In other words, they would rather go with one plane and fill it to capacity. It helps their bot-tom-line revenue numbers and helps them be more profitable,Esterlysaid. They are running tighter ships and so airports of this size and even larger airports have suffered because of the cutbacks. Air service is definitely a bigchallenge,and something where I intend to take the bull by the horns and be more aggressive in seeking new air service and retention of our current air service.

The airport in Harlingen is currently looking at the potential for mixed-use development on the airports east side that would incorporate air-type businesses and also other types of business-es, including support for the upcoming Space-X

launch facility in Brownsville or support for United Launch Alliance.

The key is supporting businesses that can attract jobs to the community and to the area. The formula according toEsterlyincludes diversifying the econ-omy of the airport, diversify the revenue stream and also assist in the diversification in the economics of the region and the city.

Since an airport is a business, putting it in the hands of city government isalso problematic,Es-terlysaid.Because all decisions for Valley Interna-tional are considered by a board of directors, there is no need to tap into city tax dollars.

The airport is self-sustaining as required by the FAA, and there arefederal dollars that are paidon ticket taxes. The airport, he said, isa self-sustained airport that utilizes all the revenue that comes in to pay its expenses. Because of that, the city doesnt have to worry about it. It doesnt have to subsidize the airport.

That should be a big thing for taxpayers. Its a benefit to having oneregionalized airport if it ever happens,Esterlysaid.

I think its more common for an airport to be run

38

BUSINESS


by a city. Its becoming more and more the thing to do. I couldnt tell you if the exact figures are 50/50, but an airportthis size aretypically run through a city government, Esterly said. An airport under the city will tend to compete with other depart-ments in order to get the management to look at things. It takes longer to make decisions, and air-ports will tend to miss windows of opportunity be-cause of the delays.

With it run under an airport commission, an airport board or authority, those decisions can be made within 30 days,he said.

Larry A. Brown, currently the director of Aviation at the Brownsville South Padre Island Internation-al Airport since2002 believes that airports in the Valley are necessary to support the dynamic growth happening in the region.

Brown, who has been employed with the City of Brownsville for 42 years, and has served in various capacities, said he was called upon by the city to provide leadership to the airport.

Whats the population of the region? Define the region, Brown said. In other words, you have Matamoros, Reynosa, McAllen and Brownsville. Those are the major population sectors that exist.Thats where the growth is occurring. Thats also where the key airports are. Thats the reason. Those airports willcontinue to grow along with the pop-ulation we have in the Valley,Brownsville, Matam-oros, McAllen and Reynosa.

The Brownsville airport brings in close to $4 mil-lion in combined aeronautical and non-aeronauti-cal revenue. The airport carries American Airlines and United Airlines.

American increased it number of daily flights from three to four in February, Brown said. More are possibly slated for March.

The airport also currently has more than $9 mil-lion worth of taxiway construction taking place, as well as new ramp construction. The airport is also about to start construction ona 20,000 square foot hangar. It has just completed one, and is leasing the hangars as itbuildsthem.

The passenger service we offer out of this airport is very important in terms of the growth and de-velopment of not just Brownsville, but the region as well, Brown said. Take American Airlines for example. You can fly from here and be off the plane at Ellis in an hour and twenty minutes. That al-

lows people to have a connection that comes to and from the Valley, not just Brownsville, quickly from Dallas. Or from Dallas to any point on the planet. Its the same thing in terms of United. United can get you any place you need to go and back again. We provide those things. Thats aviation. But this airport also has two industrial parks. We have an industrial park coming into the airport, and a for-eign trade zone over there. When you start looking at what we provide, with proximity to the site for Space-X, we are 18 miles from the launch site. We provide a key location that helps support Space-X in its launch activities.

The airport in Brownsville is one of the most his-toric of the region, and was the first airport to be established in the Valley. Inaugurated by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, who were present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony in March of 1929, the airport thrived when people in the community saw an opportunity to develop air service to various communities.

At that time, it was very important because there was propeller-driven aircraft and so forth that had fuel links and fuel stops before flying into Mexi-co and clearing Customs coming out of Mexico, according to Brown. More than 80 years later, the airport still provides Customs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Before you fly a plane in from overseas, you have to clear customs. This is the only airport in the Val-ley that you can into and land at any point in time, walk over to customs, clear customs, andthen go on to your destination, Brown said. If you are going to do that at any other airport, you have to pay for it. Here, you dont do that. The other airports dont have it 24/7. You cant do that. Thats one key fea-ture about this airport.

In order to operate an airport, you need a whole range of state, federal, local and private sector. You need private sector to invest in the facilities that you have to help create the jobs, to put fuel in the planes, etc. The airports dont do that, Brown said.

The airport also brandishes a Foreign Trade Zone on one side with 200 acres, and another 200 acres in the front, where it is looking to provide space and amenities that will help support Space-X in its efforts.

You need have those partners if you will to grow the airport. At the same time, you need to have the


funding that is necessary to put in the infrastruc-ture to support that private sector investment. The runway, the taxiwaysthe communities do that. The airport does that. The private sector doesnt do that. You have to have the access to the capital to be able to do that. Its just part of the job to be able to go out and get grant funds from the feds to find a way to make those work so your airport can grow.

Its sort of like a garden. You have to fertilize it every once in awhile in order to get it to grow, Brown said.

Not a chanceWhen asked about the possibility of a merger of

the airports in the Valley, Brown said there is no chance of that happening.

While administrators at Harlingen may look at that situation more favorably, and directors in McAllen taking a middle of the road approach to the question, Brown says airports are meant to serve the populations where they are located.

What is the possibility of getting everyone to merge the population centers? What is the possibil-ity of the populations of McAllen and Brownsville just abandoning their cities and moving together? Its not going to happen, Brown said. The air-ports serve a certain population called anencatch-ment area. Its the market area. They provide ser-vices for people who are coming into that area and who are potentially going to invest, as well people who are leaving that area to go and do business with another company, wherever it is. That is what drives the location of where the airports are.The idea of putting in one big airport? Maybe 100 years from now? That is something that could be considered when the populations all grow together in one big population. But you are a long ways away from that.

In the meantime, you haveprovideairservicewhere people are living to get them where they need to go.

We are incredibly optimisticAcknowledging that there has been a history of

inability among Valley communities to work to-gether for a common goal, Valley International Air-port board chairman Tito Resendez says he favors the idea of the regions major airports collaborating for the common good of the valley traveler.

Resendez said the first step could possibly include the leaders from Valley airports forming some kind of coalition, or at the very least begin a dialogue to see what challenges each has and opportunities they can each take advantage of.

Before we can start talking mergers, we should better understand each other and try to work more in collaboration with each other. We can celebrate each others success because that should be the south Texas way, the Rio Grande Valley way, Re-sendez said.

Unfortunately, sometimes personal egos have be-come more important than what makes sense and what would benefit the citizens of the Valley. So absolutely yeah, I think that could be an obstacle, Resendez said However, I am optimistic consid-ering some of the mergers and multi city collaber-ations that have beenoccurringthe past couple of years. More fiscally sound decision making if you will amongst the cities and their airports needs to play a larger role in decision making. The winner would be the flying public as well as the tax-paying public. In the end, we at VIA will continue to work hard to be the first and best choice for valley travelers of South Texas because thats what makes the most sense to those we serve.

Before we can start talking mergers, we should

better understand each other and try to work more in

collaboration with each other. We can celebrate each

others success because that should be the south

Texas way, the Rio Grande Valley way,

Resendez said.


BUSINESS

A ll the inspiration David Armstrong needed to start a company helping businesses be-come more productive and efficient came from what he observed as a business counselor and later as director of the UT-PanAm Small Business Development Center.

During that time, he worked with nearly 1,000 businesses annually helping entrepreneurs/small business owners obtain SBA and bank financing, and deal with business problems. He also wrote business plans and coached people in areas they

were weak. Many businesses used outdated technology and

struggled with lots of inefficiencies due to a lack of processes and poor business practices, Armstrong says.

Later, as CFO and general sales manager for a vehicle dealership, he got to practice what he preached as a business counselor.

It was then that Armstrong decided to start a business to help local businesses identify and elim-inate their office chaos.

by Joe Lilli | Photo by Clark Terrell


He partnered with three colleagues each with his own area of expertise. Using his experience helping others with financing, Armstrong and his partners financed the entire business without hav-ing to spend a dime.

Their objective was wildly optimistic Core Busi-ness Solutions would become the premier office solutions company in South Texas.

Today, nearly 12 years since startup and after buying out his partners, Armstrong believes hes achieved that objective.

We are the largest local company offering this type of service. And, in my opinion, we are the most capable of meeting all of the needs of a small to me-dium-sized business located in our territory.All-in-One Solutions Company

So what sets Core Business Solutions apart from its competitors?

The answer can be found in its motto: Solutions That Work. Armstrong and his entire staff strive to ensure each solution provides measurable benefits to their customers.

We are an all-in-one solution company. We spend time understanding what our customer needs to accomplish, then offering the best solution, he stresses.

To make that happen, we have all the technology and office equipment a business would ever need to

We are an

all-in-one solution company.

We spend time understanding

what our customer needs to accomplish,

then offering the best solution..

DAVID ARMSTRONGCEO OF CORE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

42

BUSINESS


remake their office or open a new one. For example, it might be a faster copier with bet-

ter scanning capabilities, a phone system linking their offices in five different countries, or a work-flow and document management software that moves documents through their organization more smoothly, then retains them so they can be located in seconds from anywhere in the world.

But we not only provide equipment, we know how to use it. Everything we offer, we use in our own business to make it better. So our customers can take full advantage of our knowledge and ex-pertise.

In addition, we repair and maintain all their equipment, manage network services where we act as their IT department, and offer variable data bulk mail services. We dont sell customers something, then walk away. We become their technology part-ner, he says.

Armstrongs customers include banks, insurance companies, furniture stores, and medical and legal offices. Each had a unique efficiency challenge, but thanks to Core Business Solutions is now operating in a highly productive environment.Eliminating Office Chaos Equals Success

As the number of success stories accumulated, Core Business Solutions grew and prospered. It added offices in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, besides its Pharr headquarters. The company

currently serves customers across 17 South Tex-as counties and the Maquila business in parts of Northern Mexico.

There are several reasons for his companys suc-cess. Armstrong is quick to acknowledge the hard work of his 42 full-time employees and the out-standing service they provide their customers.

Their level of service brings to mind the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I believe its a major reason why weve retained 94 percent of our customers, he says.

Another success factor is Armstrongs business mindset. He understands that every business deci-sion he makes today can affect his business today, tomorrow, and well into the future.

So he looks at all facets of his business today in context of where hes trying to go. He reacts quick-ly with the unexpected. And, he says he welcomes change and turns it into opportunity.

Its really hard to gain market share and grow if everything remains the same. Fortunately, were in an industry in which technology is constantly evolving and changing day to day. So we subscribe to many forums and magazines, and attend nu-merous vendor meetings across the country. Were willing to put in the time to keep up with it, while many of our competitors havent, he says.

One might say Armstrong lives by the old Chi-nese proverb, Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

For many South Texas business owners, this means that Core Business Solutions gives them the systems and processes for creating sustainable pro-ductivity for their business and their life.


For more information, call 956-430-9500

or visit www.HCISD.org

Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability, or any other legally protected status in employment or provision of services, programs, or activities.

Harlingen School ofHealth Professions

Dr. Abraham P. CanoFreshman Academy

Early CollegeHigh School

Learn more at www.hcisd.org/HSHP

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Learn more at www.hcisd.org/ECHS

Schools of Choice

BUSINESS

Although Brownsville has ranked for decades as one of the poorest cities in America, theres hope this will soon change.

This hope flourishes thanks to a partnership of public and private sector members working in col-laboration to address the root cause of this crip-pling poverty a local economy unable to grow and attract enough high paying jobs in exporting industries.

The partnership originated in 2009 with the cre-ation of the Imagine Brownsville Comprehensive Plan. It was Brownsvilles first major effort to bring substantial improvement to multiple sectors eco-nomic development, transportation, education, in-frastructure, wellness, the environment, and more.

Because of the vast scope of this plan, the city re-alized it couldnt do it alone. This led to the creation of United Brownsville in 2010, a public non-profit organization comprised initially of seven Browns-ville public institutions representing government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector.

While Imagine Brownsville outlined the vision or blueprint of how the city could create a more sus-tainable, competitive community, United Browns-ville became the backbone organization charged with executing that plan.

United Brownsville Executive Director Mike Gonzalez explains, We were created to implement and monitor the plan, to help everyone work to-gether on a shared agenda of economic improve-ment, and to capitalize on game-changing oppor-tunities.

SpaceX: A Potential Game ChangerGonzalez says a good example of a game-chang-

ing opportunity is Elon Musks decision to build a SpaceX launch complex at Boca Chica beach.

I believe United Brownsville and the community can leverage this opportunity by building an entire aerospace-support cluster industry here to support SpaceX. Look what happened with San Antonios Toyota plant. The city aggressively pursued and convinced suppliers and parts makers to relocate to the area.

The city made it happen. They put it on their agenda. They got everyone to back it. Its what we need to do with SpaceX, he says.

The payoff is significant. SpaceX alone can create hundreds of high-tech jobs. But it can also open additional jobs as space cluster suppliers move into the area plus attract tourists and even inspire stu-dents.

United Brownsville also is encouraging each of its charter members to be more proactive in the way they operate in order to open the door to other promising opportunities. The Public Utilities Board

is a good example. To offset the fact that Brownsville didnt have

UNITED BROWNSVILLE LEADS THE WAY TO A STRONGER REGIONALECONOMY By Joe Lilli



the electricity to attract major manufacturers, the Utilities Board made it a priority to increase the areas electrical transmission. They partnered with Sharyland Utilities, a private utility, to double the transmission capacity. They also partnered with the Nebraska-based energy company Tenska to develop an 800-megawatt power plant.

These two partnerships will boost the Browns-ville economy and help it maintain a competitive edge in recruiting new companies, Gonzalez re-marks.

But getting more electricity is just one piece of the economic puzzle. You have to add other pieces as well, he adds.

The BiNED InitiativePossibly an even larger job-creating opportunity is

the United Brownsville-led BiNational Economic Development Zone (BiNED) initiative. It involves several government and private entities throughout the Rio Grande Valley and the Mexican cities of Matamoros and Reynosa collaborating to create an advanced regional manufacturing strategy that will benefit both sides of the border.

Our goal of working together with the maquila-dora industry in Matamoros is to see how we can combine an advanced manufacturing infrastructure on the Matamoros side with research, development, and capital resources on the U.S. side, Gonzalez says.

The maquiladora industry is current-ly comprised of 117 manufacturing firms, which export more than $8.4 billion annual-ly into the U.S. through Brownsville. But $6.4 billion comes from materials produced outside the region. Gonzalez wants to see the Rio Grande Val-ley capture a much greater slice of the supply chain activity that supports the maquiladora plants in Matamoros and Reynosa.

As a strong endorsement of this initiative, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) re-cently issued United Brownsville a $300,000 grant for a BiNED supply chain analysis.

We believe this grant was a seal of approval for us. It tells us this is the way to rebuild a poor econ-omy, Gonzalez says.

While visiting Brownsville recently, U.S. Assis-tant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Devel-opment Jay Williams commented that the EDAs

investment in United Brownsville will ultimately encourage trade and export in the U.S. border re-gion. This will help make the region more compet-itive, strengthen its supply chain strategy to meet global demand, and spur economic growth along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez also sees the BiNED strat-egy as an alternative to controlling illegal immigra-tion and reducing security on our borders. How? By creating legitimate economic development op-portunities and jobs for citizens on both sides of border.

This economic development strategy also helps us avoid alienating Mexico, Gonzalez remarks.

Instead of wasting additional funds on the mil-itarization of the border and the construction of additional fences, it gives us an opportunity to rec-ognize Mexicos importance as this countrys third largest trading partner and our strategic, economic and political ally.

Everyone Has To Pull TogetherThe key to Brownsvilles success is having the

community come together in partnership. If not, the alternative is more of the same poverty and economic stagnation thats continued for decades.

When asked if United Brownsville is close to meeting its objectives of shoring up the economy and re-ducing poverty, Gonzalez says, Weve made Brownsville more competitive over the last several years. Were responding faster to opportunities. Were seeing more partnering and collabora-tion among both public and pri-vate entities.

And, for certain, were working hard in the right direction.


By Lauri Revilla | Photos by James Hord

Lower Valley Dental

Associates


The moment Dr. Melissa Uriegas walked through the door at Lower Valley Dental Associates in Browns-ville, Texas; she knew she had to be part of that team. While completing her General Practice Residency Program at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, Uriegas was scouting dental practices in the Rio Grande Valley to continue her career as a dentist. The search was over when a mentor recommended Lower Valley Dental Associates and she drove down to Brownsville to meet the staff. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew this was a special place and I would be so lucky to work with these people, recalls Uriegas.

After growing up in Edinburg, Dr. Melissa Uriegas left the Rio Grande Valley to attend dental school at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston, Texas. She always knew that she wanted to come back to South Texas and serve the people in her community. When the time came to settle down

Not Just Youre Regular Dental Clinic

BUSINESS

Dr. J. Patrick Pirtle, Dr. Claudia Rodriguez, and Dr. Melissa Uriegas


in the Valley last summer, Lower Valley Dental As-sociates became the obvious choice for her. She was immediately drawn to the clinics high energy and wellness-oriented environment. The environment is really happy and active, explained Uriegas. The LVDA team is motivated to do their best in every-thing that we do.

Lower Valley Dental Associates is not your typi-cal dental office. The practices founders, Dr. Clau-dia Rodriguez and Dr. J. Patrick Pirtle, met while in dental school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. They decided to es-tablish a dental clinic in an area that had a great need for highly trained and experienced dentists.

Everybody here is a step above and beyond...

Lower Valley Dental Associates are located at: 4920 N. Expressway, Suite E Brownsville, TX 78256. For more information, contact: (956) 350-0059 or [email protected]

When they met Dr. Uriegas, they felt she would be a great fit with the team because of her positive attitude and extensive training. One of the reasons we chose her was because everyone in our office doesnt have just a dental degree, but also has some advanced training in an academic setting post den-tal school, said Rodriguez.

Dr. Rodriguez is one of the very few Board-cer-tified pediatric dentists in Brownsville and is the only one that can practice sedation dentistry in the area. Dr. Pirtle completed post dental school training in prosthodontics and specializes in the restoration and replacement of teeth. Lower Valley Dental Associates is the only practice in the area that practices hospital dentistry and is able to pro-vide dental treatment for medically compromised patients. Everybody here is a step above and be-yond, explains Dr. Rodriguez. Everybody is very motivated and wants to take it a step further than just your regular dental visit.

The entire team has a strong commitment to not only providing quality dental care, but also promot-ing prevention and a healthy lifestyle with their pa-tients. The office offers state-of-the art equipment and technology with digital X-rays, to reduce the effects of radiation by up to 70 percent, and 17-inch monitors in all operatories. Services offered by the clinic range from basic procedures, such as clean-ings and examinations, to more complex procedures like root canal therapy, extractions, periodontal therapy and orthodontics.

Lower Valley Dental Associates commitment to the Rio Grande Valley doesnt just stop there. The clinics staff regularly participates in numerous community activities and charities throughout the year. Patients can expect to run into their dentists at local marathons, walks and other wellness events. Every staff member at the clinic understands that its not just about providing quality dental care, but about encouraging a holistic approach to health in every single one of their patients.

Dr. J. Patrick Pirtle, Dr. Claudia Rodriguez, and Dr. Melissa Uriegas

50

BUSINESS


By Bill Martin

To encourage Americans to save for retirement, Uncle Sam offers tax incentives in the form of IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and other qualified retirement sav-ings plans. These accounts provide the opportunity to defer paying tax on contributions and earnings or to avoid paying taxes altogether on earnings, de-pending on the type of vehicle you choose.

By contributing as much as possible to these ac-counts, you can realize significant savings over time. For instance, contributing $400 per month to a tra-ditional IRA (assuming deductibility rules apply) will save you nearly $22,000 in taxes over 20 years, assuming a 5% annual return and 25% tax rate.1 (Taxes, however, will be due on distributions at the time you make withdrawals.)

For 2014, you can contribute up to $5,500 to a traditional or Roth IRA. And if youre over 50, you

can contribute an extra $1,000. For employer-spon-sored retirement savings vehicles such as 401(k) or 403(b) plans, you can contribute up to $17,500 in 2014 and an additional $5,500 if youre over 50.

But keep in mind that most withdrawals prior to age 59 from a qualified retirement plan or IRA may be subject to a 10% federal penalty in addition to any taxes owed on contributions and accumulat-ed earnings.

In todays low-rate environment, finding yield can be a challenge. Rates on high-quality corporate bonds have hovered at historical lows, and the yield on US Treasuries has not topped 4% since 2008. While municipal bonds, or munis, are no excep-tion, they carry one significant advantage: Interest

With higher top tax rates now in effect, it may be time to ask yourself: Are you doing everything possible to improve your portfolios bottom line through

tax-efficient investing? Here are five tried-and-true strategies to help lower your tax bill while improving your net return.

1

2

Take Advantage of Tax-Sheltered Accounts

Turn to Municipal Bonds for After-Tax Yield

Article by Wealth Management Systems, Inc. and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor. The author(s) are not employees of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC ("Morgan Stanley"). The opinions expressed by the authors are solely their ow

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