Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas — Four Rio Grande Valley community and business leaders stepped forward to serve VAMOS in a different capacity during its 30th anniversary celebration, volunteering as auction spotters and helping keep the fundraising portion of the evening moving in support of scholarships for local students.
Julian Alvarez III, Richard “Richie” Cantu, José Gonzalez and Sergio Contreras worked throughout the live auction, watching the audience for bids, signaling activity and helping ensure participants were recognized.
For VAMOS — the Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships — that service was especially fitting during an evening devoted to celebrating 30 years of educational opportunity in the Rio Grande Valley.
Julian Alvarez III serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Community Relations at Lone Star National Bank. He also serves as president of the La Joya ISD Board of Managers and previously served as the Commissioner Representing Labor on the Texas Workforce Commission.
Richard A. “Richie” Cantu is an attorney and leads the Law Office of Richard A. Cantu, P.C. His practice areas include business, government and administrative law, real estate and contracts.
Cantu’s participation carried additional significance because he serves as President of the VAMOS Board of Directors. Rather than limiting his role to organizational leadership, he joined the other volunteers on the floor and personally helped with the fundraising effort.
José Gonzalez, General Manager of North Park Lexus Rio Grande Valley in San Juan, also served as one of the evening’s spotters. From his position in the room, Gonzalez helped identify bids and encourage participation as guests competed for auction items, contributing his time to the scholarship mission being celebrated that evening.
Sergio Contreras serves as CEO of Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP. In that position, he provides financial and operational leadership and supports the firm’s long- and short-term strategic planning.
Contreras’ service during the auction was another example of the community involvement that has accompanied his professional career. He currently serves in several regional and statewide leadership capacities, including as a regional chair representative for the Texas Association of Business.
Together, Alvarez, Cantu, Gonzalez, and Contreras provided something VAMOS has depended on throughout its three decades of work: people willing to contribute their time and energy to help students succeed.
The evening had already demonstrated what that involvement can accomplish. VAMOS alumni spoke about becoming educators, physicians, dentists, and other professionals after receiving scholarships and mentorship. A video presentation showed how educational opportunity can change the direction of individual lives and, in turn, families and communities.
Against that backdrop, the work of the four spotters represented another part of the VAMOS story.
For 30 years, the organization has relied on board members, donors, sponsors, mentors, volunteers, and community partners to help create opportunities for Rio Grande Valley students. On this anniversary night, Alvarez, Cantu, Gonzalez, and Contreras answered that call through service — helping VAMOS raise support for the students whose achievements will define its next generation.
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