YEAR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1944

Received state charter from state treasurer (Lower Rio Grande Valley Planning Board)

1945

Advocated causeway construction to South Padre Island

1947

Changed name to Lower Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce

1948

Aided in establishment of Texas A&I Experiment Station for the Valley Compiled more accurate weather forecasting for Valley through U.S. and Mexico cooperation Improved mail service among Valley cities and brought airmail service to Valley

1949

Aided in the prevention of closing the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros Produced "Opportunity in the Magic Valley, a 24-page booklet presenting the natural beauty of the region through a national distribution Contributed towards the successful completion of the Inter-Coastal Canal Produced the first Valley street map

1951

Secured Port Isabel Lighthouse state park designation Sponsored conference that created a multiple-crossing visa for Mexican citizens Campaigned to improve the Mexico highways between Matamoros and Victoria as well as Reynosa and Monterrey

1952

United listings into one Valley-wide phone directory Relocated Weaver H. Baker Tuberculosis Hospital (600 beds) to keep medical facility in Valley (approved by Texas Board of State Hospitals and Special Schools with $2,700,000 appropriation) Successfully advocated reactivation of Moore Field ($11,000,000 appropriation) After Southern Pacific Railroad discontinued service, developed highway post office service between Valley and San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, and other intermediate points Hosted Valley-wide Highway Conference, surveying future infrastructure needs and submitting them to the State Highway Department Developed Waste Disposal Program to safely remove citrus canning refuse from 50 Valley plants unaccepted by municipal plants because of high acidity content Distributed Anti-Polio Publicity Campaign Compiled first Valley Manufacturers' Directory With Pan American College, prepared the first survey ever of winter tourist business in Valley

1953

Conducted underground water survey of four counties, financed with matching grants from U.S. Geological Survey

1956

Secured $325,000 in federal funds for USDA Horticultural Laboratory

1958

Financed research and tools to combat blackfly and whitefly agricultural infestations

1963

Promoted Valley to 80 million listeners through "Radio Free Europe broadcast segment

1964

Secured 1.5 million bushel export grain elevator at Port of Brownsville so that Valley farmers no longer have to pay shipping to and from and storage in Corpus Christi, then back to Valley feedlots Helped Pan American College secure four-year status

1965

Facilitated screwworm eradication Printed first Tip-O-Texan magazine

1966

Produced first Business Barometer, which every month ever since compiles regional economic indicators Founded Lower Rio Grande Water Committee, which spearheaded bi-national resolution then fundraised total Valley share of El Morillo Drain construction ($345,000 in less than one month)

1967

Secured first international flight from Valley (TTA now flies into Mexico)

1968

Included Valley as part of the Texas Tropical Trail, one of ten scenic routes in the Texas Trail Program

1969

Established Valley Agricultural Research and Development Corporation (VARDC) when 100 investors each contributed $1,000 to make a revolving fund available for land purchases and research projects

1972

Secured Federal Sugar Cane Act, awarding 100,000 ton quota to RGV Sugar Growers Coop

1974

Advocated Queen Isabella causeway construction

1975

Hosted first legislative "Visit to the Valley, costing $17,000, continues to present with every Texas Legislature in order to introduce state officials to the unique problems, potential, and people of the Valley Launched "seek and search project, introducing young medical doctors in search of a place to practice to the Valley Secured more accurate weather information for Valley through satellite read-out service by National Weather Service

1977

Successfully advocated Department of Highways and Public Transportation in Austin for a Tourist Information Center in the Valley

1979

Adopted name Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce Initiated Winter Texan Appreciation program, which continues through present with each season

1980

Unveiled "Auntie Litter whistler-blower ad campaign as part of Valley Pride Beautification program

1981

During its first year, Tourist Information Center tops traffic of all facilities in state

1982

Planted palms as mile-markers along 67 miles of highway in Valley for "Memorial Mile program

1983

After 18-months of research, published "Valley Goals 2000, a 148-page master plan for the region; all goals for Valley, including a medical school, are realized

1984

Opened Bid Resources Center, serving area manufacturers interested in doing business with the federal government, funded by the Department of Defense

1986

Created Commercial Zone covering four Valley counties so that Mexican trucks can travel freely, facilitating Maquilia work which had been limited to only 20 of 80 packing sheds

1987

Bill Summers assumes duties of "executive vice president of the RGVCC Published first comprehensive RGV Calendar of Events, now available in print and online

1989

Hosted eight Medal of Honor recipients for 3 days, highlighting need for increased veterans services in Valley Campaigned to keep Confederate Air Force in the Valley Compiled and published first Metro Facts, as a follow-up to Valley Goals 2000; updated annually

1990

Established Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) to help reduce excessive jury awards and frivolous or fraudulent lawsuits; soon expanded with active charters in 28 states Established Valley Proud Environmental Council Opened annex office in Monterrey Organized first Valley Proud Honors Banquet, which every May since, recognizes each valedictorian and salutatorian from every high school, public and private, in the RGV

1991

Published "Valley Proud Pioneer History Cookbook documenting recipes and tales of many families who arrived in Valley before 1950

1992

1992 (cont.)

Assembled Regional Mobility Plan, 200-pages demonstrated "a new level of cooperation, requesting $1.6 billion from Texas Transportation Commission to meet regional infrastructure needs for next 30-years, including highways, international bridges, airports, and ports CALA, represented by Bill Summers, met with Vice President Dan Quayle to discuss tort reform legislation

1993

Anticipating NAFTA, opened the first office established by any U.S. chamber or economic development agency in the state of Tamaulipas, named "Camara de Comercio del Valle de Texas in Ciudad Victoria

1994

Facilitated Empowerment Zone application, 35 pounds of documentation crammed into four notebooks, resulted in $40 million federal investment in infrastructure and job development over 2 years; anticipated $250 million economic impact; one of only three rural empowerment zones in nation Opened USDA-ARS Honey Bee Research Unit laboratory on land purchased through VARDC Facilitated second Mobility Task Force, advocating I-69 project

1995

RGVCC reorganized as Rio Grande Valley Partnership Saved the U.S. Consulate at Matamoros from closure by going to DC "with one voice, then inviting Ambassador Wolf to visit the Valley

2001

Published Historic Rio Grande Valley, a comprehensive table book by Marjorie Johnson (sold-out)

2003

Presented third Mobility Plan, requesting $3.5 billion from Texas Department of Transportation for regional infrastructure projects; currently, more than $500 million in ongoing construction because of Mobility Plan Advocated creation of Rio Grande Regional Water Authority, until its enactment, Rio Grande was only river in Texas without such a state-authorized regional management entity CALA credited with language and passage of Proposition 12, limiting jury awards in Texas

2004

Championed "Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative, first ever national study of health among any Mexican-American population Submitted Position Statement on behalf of school districts and business community to Texas Legislative Special Session on Education; Governor Rick Perry responds personally with a visit to the Partnership

2005

Hosted three receptions, one in Austin, one in Brownsville, one in Ciudad Victoria, so that Tamaulipas Diputados and Texas Legislators may be more familiar with their neighbors Hosted Carlos Gutierrez, recent presidential appointee as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, introducing him directly to international trade and other economic issues affecting this border community