Texas Border Business
LAREDO, TX— The City of Laredo’s Interim City Manager, Samuel Keith Selman, has announced the appointment of two key positions within the City of Laredo. Ms. Linda Teniente has been appointed as Human Resources Director, effective Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Additionally, Ms. Miriam Castillo has been appointed as Interim Economic Development Director.
Ms. Teniente has been employed with the City of Laredo for 26 years, from which 21 years have been within the Human Resources Department. She has also worked in other positions within the Laredo Fire Department and Parks & Recreation Department. Ms. Teniente’s background includes experience in HR divisions such as Risk Management and Health & Benefits. Her focus will be to attract and retain a quality workforce for the City.
“As I start on this journey as the HR Director, one of my primary goals is to establish and maintain open communication and transparency with all City of Laredo departments and stakeholders. Know that I am here to support each and every one of you and that my door is always open to help in any way possible. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the City of Laredo in this capacity,” said Linda Teniente.
Furthermore, Ms. Miriam Castillo has been appointed temporarily as Interim Economic Development Director. Ms. Castillo joined the City of Laredo as Programs Administrator for the Economic Development Department. Before joining the City of Laredo, Ms. Castillo performed as Vice President of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce since 2014, among other positions throughout her 16-year tenure.
“I am thankful for this opportunity of serving as Interim Director for the Economic Development Department. I look forward to continue working in the development and enhancement of programs that promote and facilitate economic growth and vitality for our city,” said Miriam Castillo.
Linda Teniente
Linda Teniente, an accomplished, dynamic human resources professional, with a strong background in guiding organizational growth and success, was recently appointed Human Resources Director for the City of Laredo. A skilled interpersonal communicator able to interact with all levels of the organization from new employees to executive leadership, Linda is a professional focused on continuous growth and improvement and using actionable data insights to guide decisions.
Linda Teniente has been with the City of Laredo for 26 years, having spent 21 years in the Human Resources Department. Linda also held positions within the Fire, Parks, and Community Development Real Estate departments during her tenure with the City. Linda brings a solid background in HR, especially risk management, and health and benefits. As she steps into this new role, Linda is focused on “attracting and retaining a quality workforce for the city and succession planning for the city’s next generation of leaders.” Linda holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management from TAMIU.
Miriam Castillo
Born in Laredo, TX and raised in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Castillo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M International University, where she later obtained a Master’s Degree in International Business.
She started her professional career in the banking industry working in the accounting department, and later in the logistics and import/export field where she held upper-management positions serving as the liaison and project manager for international customers in the manufacturing industry.
Prior to joining the City of Laredo, she worked for the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, where she served for 16 years and held various positions, each of which required particular expertise. Given her ability to perform and deliver within the various departments, she was promoted to Vice President in 2014. Under her guidance, the Chamber launched and expanded numerous successful programs, projects, and initiatives, including the first-ever Business Development Certification Program, which reached over 2,000 business owners and employees since its inception in 2016.
With the support of board members and volunteers, she was also instrumental in the Chamber’s 5-star accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a prestigious distinction that was achieved by the organization for the first time ever in 2017, which at the time only 116 of the more than 7,000 chambers in the United States carried.
She is certified by the Institute for Organization Management, a 4-year professional development program for association and chamber professionals by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
