Being the regional chamber of commerce, we're biased. We believe the Rio Grande Valley is the best place to live in Texas and the best place to do business in the United States. And we spent the last year convincing others of the same.

The Partnership Brings Them Here
As a direct consequence, over the past year we spent your membership investment making the issues more accountable to you and the decision-makers more accessible to you. Because when we introduce corporate and legislative leadership to the extraordinary potential of the Rio Grande Valley, we introduce them face-to-face to the most extraordinary people of the Rio Grande Valley-our members. Perhaps most notably, this year the Partnership facilitated a visit to the Rio Grande Valley by Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. During a luncheon with Partnership members, he addressed international trade and learned from members the local benefit of it. Soon after, when U.S. Representatives Solomon Ortiz and Ruben Hinojosa defended their decision to cross party lines, giving Congressional approval to the Central American Free Trade Agreement by a close vote of 217 to 215, both publicly referenced the work of the Partnership.

Similarly, as the Partnership has done at the start of every legislative session since 1975, we invited all state senators and representatives on a long weekend here. During a four-day whirlwind tour, we shared with twenty-one state elected officials the sites and attractions in the Rio Grande Valley, showing them firsthand how our members live and earn a living along the border. Later, when they reviewed policy options and formulated their arguments back in the Capitol, those Texas legislators understood more intimately this area and the issues relevant to it.

While influencing legislative debate at both the federal and state levels, the Partnership continues to promote international relations. Accordingly, the Partnership also brought to the Rio Grande Valley eleven "diputados," state legislators from Tamaulipas, Mexico, including their House Speaker. Through this goodwill delegation, members of the Tamaulipas legislature and members of the Partnership shared concerns and built consensus on issues that transcend the River, particularly security and commerce.

The Partnership Brings You Together
Simultaneously, to complement our success advocating these programs, the Partnership commits itself to advancing the business success of each member. So as the Partnership makes available opportunities to meet corporate and legislative leadership, the Partnership also makes available opportunities for members to meet each other. In the past year alone, the Partnership offered educational events, such as the marketing workshop, tax seminar, etiquette program, legislative update, and contracting conference, as well as social occasions, such as the golf tournament, networking mixers, and even the reception with U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza at the United States Embassy in Mexico City.

The Partnership Pledges Even More, Even Better As a member of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, you are a partner in our diverse program of work that promises to expand every year. We invite you to partner with us in these many programs-past, present, and planned-that advance this region and maximize your business.

Valley Partnership Organizations