Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Marie Salazar Garcia said her work is guided by service, mentorship, and a long-term vision for community impact. She shared those remarks during a Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Rio Grande Valley event honoring women leaders.
Salazar Garcia, known as a vision coach, serves as executive director of the Heart, Mind, and Money Foundation and is the founder of Latina Empire RGV. According to her introduction at the event, she is also a certified coach, speaker, and trainer with Maxwell Leadership and has received honors including the Yellow Rose of Texas and the Estrella de Tejas Award.
During her remarks, she described the recognition as “a full circle moment,” noting her previous service with the organization, including four years as chair. She credited mentors and colleagues for her development, saying, “I received this award not on personal achievements, but as a reflection of the mentors, collaborators, the sisters, the leaders who have walked and continue to walk beside me.”
Salazar Garcia emphasized civic engagement as a responsibility rather than an option. “Civic engagement is not something we have to do. It is our responsibility,” she said. She added that leadership should focus on creating opportunities that extend beyond individual success.
She framed her work through what she called a “100-year plan,” a personal approach to evaluating long-term impact. “Will what I am doing today matter a hundred years from now? Will it strengthen families? Will it open doors for women?” she said, describing the questions that guide her decisions.
Salazar Garcia distinguished between personal achievement and broader influence. “My goal has never been to simply be successful, but to be of significance,” she said, adding that long-term impact requires building efforts that continue beyond one’s lifetime. “Success builds a resume, but significance builds generations.”
She also highlighted the role of mentorship and collaboration in leadership. Salazar Garcia said her work has been shaped by others who supported her and by her own commitment to supporting future leaders. She said individuals have “the power of influence, the power of opportunity, the power of education, the power of our voice,” and encouraged using those resources to benefit others.
Her remarks reflected a consistent focus on service, faith, and community. She said her efforts are grounded in a purpose-driven approach aimed at strengthening families, supporting women, and preparing future generations.
Salazar Garcia’s comments positioned leadership as a long-term commitment tied to responsibility and impact. Through her work in nonprofit leadership, coaching, and community development, she described a model centered on mentorship, collaboration, and sustained contribution to the Rio Grande Valley.
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