Texas Border Business
The Texas City Managers Association (TCMA) recognized not one, but two City of McAllen administrators as recipients of two 2023 TCMA Professional Awards at the TCMA Annual Conference Awards Luncheon held at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center in Allen, Texas.
McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E., received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the 2023 TCMA Professional Awards, which recognizes city management professionals who have made significant contributions to the field of local government management for more than 20 years. Assistant City Manager Joe Vera was honored with the Mentoring Award in Memory of Gary Gwyn which recognizes a city management professional who has made significant contributions in the development of new talent and who has designed and implemented outstanding career development programs for local government employees.
“What impresses me most about both City Manager Rodriguez and Assistant City Manager Vera are that their management and mentorship style helps make everyone around them better because they believe in their talent and skills,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos. “They are able to motivate employees and commissioners alike to help make the entire City of McAllen the example by which other municipalities measure themselves against.”
With a state and municipal government career that spans over 30 years, Rodriguez has consistently embodied the highest standards of governance, service, leadership and ethics. Equally important, throughout his career, he has led with a spirit of inclusivity and diversity. He is highly regarded for his visionary leadership and enthusiasm for building strong teams. This is especially evident whenever Rodriguez reaches out to other communities to offer support, share ideas and promote the profession of city management.
Vera, with an equally long and impressive career in municipal, economic development, event management, has always served the community in ways that created an impact for both residents and most especially, those he worked with by developing talents, partnerships and opportunities for professional growth for employees and staff, ensuring that his leadership, experience and institutional knowledge was shared.
“McAllen City Manager Rodriguez was selected for the vast accomplishments the City of McAllen has made under his leadership for the benefit of its residents, businesses as well as its own employees; for the strides he made in other communities he worked in; and for serving as an example and a leader, including providing support, to neighboring cities in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond,” said Jay Stokes, president of TCMA and City Manager for the City of Deer Park.
“Equally deserving is McAllen Assistant City Manager Vera,” Stokes continued. “Throughout his career, whether it was in municipal leadership roles or the countless industry and community organizations he served, his leadership philosophy is his commitment to developing new talent and building top level performing teams, with a strategic mentorship approach.”
Both Rodriguez and Vera were nominated by TCMA Region 10, the region to which the City of McAllen is a part of through the Texas Municipal League (TML).
