PHARR, Texas - In a recent podcast, seasoned journalist and advocate Eddie Aldrete said the late, great Mike Allen preached regional cooperation in South Texas long before it was fashionable.
Aldrete cited the former McAllen Economic Development Corporation CEO’s leadership and vision in establishing the Texas Border Coalition, a group that included elected officials from Brownsville to El Paso.
However, Juanita “Janie” Cavazos, a longtime former colleague of Allen at McAllen EDC says her mentor was working to bring cities together long before TBC was formed.
The Rio Grande Guardian interviewed Cavazos recently to ask her opinion of RioPlex, a new alliance formed to market the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Tamaulipas throughout the world. The driving force behind RioPlex is South Texas businessman Joaquin Spamer, founder of CIL Group.
“Joaquin was not the first to think regionally,” Cavazos said. “You know, back in the day Mike Allen did that. He's the one that created the South Texas Border Partnership and then the McAllen Alliance, and then the Texas Border Coalition. It was him.”
Cavazos said the South Texas Border Partnership comprised the Valley cities of McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, and Weslaco.
“It then became the McAllen Alliance. The McAllen Alliance had the same membership but there were mayors from some of the other cities that did not like having McAllen in the title. So then Mike formed the Texas Border Coalition,” Cavazos said. “The Texas Border Coalition was comprised of leaders from Brownsville all the way to El Paso. Mike was in charge of McAllen EDC when he formed the coalition.”
Cavazos is now property and business development manager for Pharr Economic Development Corporation. However, before taking on this role she was vice president of McAllen EDC.
“Mike was the founding president and CEO of McAllen EDC and I worked with him for 23, years. So, he was my mentor. I learned a lot from him. MEDC started in 1988 and I came in like eight months later, in 1989.”
Cavazos said she started out as office manger for MEDC. However, she said Allen saw leadership qualities in her early on.
“Mike would say, Janie, you have a niche. I want you to do this, this, and this. And I was like, I can’t, my kids are real small. My daughter was only two years old, and my son was five. And I was like, no, I can't, because it required a lot of traveling,” Cavazos recalled.
“And at that time, Mike was traveling to Europe, to Korea, to Mexico, to Japan. Mike kept insisting, Janie, you gotta do this. So, when my kids started growing, I finally said, okay. So, I traveled with the team to all those places, Korea, Japan, China, Mexico, Canada, Germany. MEDC was really focused on overseas investment.
“Then, Keith (Patridge) came in. He used to do what I did, industrial development. After a few years, Mike had to step down because he got leukemia. Keith took over as CEO and he was very supportive, too, continuing the legacy of Mike. The only difference was, Keith was not interested in politics.”
Asked for an example of Allen’s interest in politics, Cavazos said: “Mike and I used to go to Austin, to the Capito. I was like his protege, right? So I used to travel with him every two weeks to Austin. He was looking to pass legislation on education, health care, transportation issues. We fought against the border wall.”
Cavazos said when Allen could not go to the state Capitol he would send her solo.
“I was his proxy when he couldn't go. I would go to Austin without him to lobby for or against certain bits of legislation. I was really involved in that. I liked it.”
Editor's Note: Here is a video the City of McAllen created to honor Mike Allen:
