Texas Border Business
Pharr, Texas – At its regular meeting held on October 15, 2018, the Pharr city commission approved the advertising of an employment opportunity for a city manager after the resignation of former city manager, Juan Guerra.
The city commission also authorized Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. to negotiate and enter into city manager employment agreements. Deputy City Manager Ed Wylie was appointed interim city manager until the permanent position was filled. After deliberation and review of interested applicants, Pharr has selected Alejandro “Alex” Meade as its new city manager.
Meade carries a wealth of government and managerial experience, most notably serving as the first CEO for Mission Economic Development Corporation (EDC). During his tenure, Meade helped attract projects that offered significant job creation and capital investment in excess of $300 million and more than 1,000 jobs. Meade also established the Center for Education and Economic Development (CEED) in Mission, which fosters entrepreneurial and creative co-working, training opportunities, and workforce development.
Meade implemented workforce development programs that have been recognized at the local, state and federal levels, and was the recipient of a special “Innovation Award” from the Progress Times newspaper’s annual citizenship awards.
Prior to his tenure with Mission EDC, Meade was principal at P3 Economics, wherein he consulted multiple communities across South Texas, providing strategic planning, site selection, and business development services.
He also worked with communities, local officials, and business and industry leaders to develop strategies to create partnerships in response to challenges, and helped organizations access and negotiate funding from federal, state and local agencies.
Meade has also been recognized for his leadership at the state level, having been recently appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents and previously appointed by Governor Abbott to the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
Meade boasts two master’s degrees – a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Public Administration (MPA). He is also certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) and a Certified Public Manager (CPM).
Meade plans to utilize the combination of financial expertise and public governance experience to help meet Pharr’s vision for responsible management and high-quality delivery of government services. “Alex’s energy, experience, and innovative ideas are an ideal fit for Pharr,” noted Mayor Hernandez.
“We look forward to having him implement our vision for growth and prosperity in Pharr, while looking out for the best interest of our constituents,” he added. A true innovator, Meade plans to implement governing strategies, such as Lean Six Sigma, that are meant to streamline services, eliminate waste in governance, and increase operational efficiency.
In addition, he plans to help Pharr transition into a “smart city,” integrating information and communications technologies to improve the quality of government services and citizen welfare.
Meade’s goals also include continuing to work to improve the quality of life for citizens and families and remaining focused on economic and workforce development.
“I am excited at this opportunity to help lead Pharr into the future and beyond, and look forward to fostering innovation, education, and overall opportunities for success for our community and its citizens, Meade stated. “I appreciate the support and confidence of the Mayor and commissioners, and I am ready to get to work,” he added. The city will host a welcoming event for the community to meet and greet its new city manager. The community event will be held at 4:30 pm on Monday, December 10, 2018, at the Pharr Events Center (3000 N. Cage in Pharr). All media and the public are invited to attend.
