HARLINGEN, Texas - The Council for South Texas Economic Progress has always claimed it covers Laredo as well as the Rio Grande Valley. Well, now the group has a staff member that lives there and will operate there - Alma Saldaña Cruz.
Saldaña Cruz has joined COSTEP as assistant director of economic development. Her main task will be to oversee regional business attraction efforts and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Her main beat will be Webb, Jim Hogg, and Zapata counties.
All of her colleagues are based in the Valley.
“Alma is out of Laredo but she will be helping us cover the whole region,” said COSTEP CEO Adam González, at a RFI Best Practices event held at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen recently. “The seven county region (in the U.S.) and the ten municipos on the north Tamaulipas side.”
Saldaña Cruz was at the Harlingen event. “Please help me welcome her to COSTEP,” Gonzalez said. There was warm applause.
COSTEP is a nongovernmental organization that advocates for regional economic development. The group aims to be a strategic partner for business expansion in the Rio South Texas region, which, on the U.S. side, includes the counties of Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties.
On the Mexico side, the ten municipios included in its catchment area are Nuevo Laredo, Guerrero, Mier, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa, Río Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and Matamoros.
COSTEP’s work includes focusing on business recruitment services and providing regional market data to host site selector tours, regional familiarization tours, and area economic development enrichment sessions.
In a press release announcing her appointment, COSTEP described Saldaña Cruz as “a creative strategist and award-winning marketing professional. The release said she brings over a decade of cross-border experience in economic development, branding, and public sector outreach.
A native of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Saldaña Cruz holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from Universidad Valle de México and a Certification in Public Management from Texas A&M International University.
“Her binational perspective and deep understanding of the South Texas–Northern Mexico region uniquely position her to advance COSTEP’s mission of economic collaboration and regional growth,” the news release states.
The release continued:
“During her impactful tenure as Marketing Manager for Port Laredo, Mrs. Saldaña Cruz launched the “We Keep the World Moving” campaign, which was recently awarded 1st Place in the 2025 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Excellence in Economic Development Awards under the Printed Promotional Category, a prestigious international recognition of innovation and impact.
“Prior to her work in the public sector, she led marketing, branding, editorial, and promotional design initiatives for organizations across the medical, retail, and news/communications industries. Her career is defined by results-driven strategy, creative leadership, and a passion for regional development.”
Saldaña Cruz said: “I am honored to join COSTEP and continue working to elevate our region’s economic potential. As someone raised along the border, I understand the power of binational collaboration and creative strategy to drive real progress. I look forward to building stronger connections and opening new opportunities for South Texas.”
Saldaña Cruz’s first Laredo event is an Auto Cluster Initiative. Here is a flyer for the event:
The event at TSTC in Harlingen was COSTEP’s latest Lunch & Learn session. Focused on RFI Best Practices it was organized by COSTEP’s director of economic development, Ric Carrera.
Carrera said RFI Best Practices is a crucial for driving smart growth and meaningful investment across the Rio South Texas region.
“We were thrilled to welcome a full house of regional economic development professionals to our latest Lunch & Learn session,” Carrera said after the event had concluded.
“Special thanks to Mr. Sean Ferguson, from the Texas Office of Economic Development & Tourism, for his clear and valuable perspective, and to Mr. Michael Camden from Ryan, for making the trip south and offering a sharp view from the site selector’s seat,” Carrera said.
“Our sincere gratitude to Harlingen EDC for hosting us in their space, and as always, to our Board of Directors and generous Sponsors, whose continued support powers everything we do.”
