With a packed audience at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, City Manager Isaac J. “Ike” Tawil set the tone from the first minutes: approachable, energetic, and focused. He opened with thanks, humor about “buying food and hiring a clown,” and a heartfelt shout-out to a 101-year-old community supporter. It was vintage Ike—warm and unscripted—but his message was clear: McAllen is building a “community of opportunity and excitement,” and City Hall’s job is to be the fuel for that engine.