Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TX – The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) recently recognized the City of Brownsville for their continuous efforts in helping develop their employees’ soft skills, ranging from emotional intelligence to managing conflict. UTRGV, through the Office of Professional Education and Workplace Development (PEWD) is a key partner in helping the organization develop a professional development program and presented Brownsville City Manager, Noel Bernal, with the Innovation in Professional Education Award, following the City’s 1st Annual Employee Leadership Conference – Exploring the Total Alignment Galaxy. The award acknowledges employers who cultivate a culture of learning, while continuously working towards improving the workplace and valuing its employees.
The conference, the first of its kind, was an opportunity for all city employees to experience an environment that promoted their leadership development while exploring topics that are related to the city’s organizational culture. It was held at the Brownsville Events Center with 553 employees participating in person and virtually throughout the three-day event.
Ms. Jayshree Bhat, Assistant Vice President for the Office of Professional Education and Workforce Development stated, “This is the first time that the Office of PEWD has launched this type of recognition and your organization has earned this by meeting the criteria we developed for this award. We hope that other cities around the region adopt the same mindset and core values.” Bhat added, “It’s been a pleasure to work with the City of Brownsville administration team for the past year to develop and provide customized training on professional soft skills that are becoming more important than ever in the highly competitive workforce.”
City Manager Noel Bernal said, “We value our partnership with UTRGV as we develop our employees’ leadership skills at all levels of the organization for success in a 21st-century environment. This award is a validation of our efforts.” The City Manager’s persistent efforts to ensure that all employees within the organization receive progressive professional education is an initiative that was implemented three years ago with the Total Alignment Model, which promotes a culture of innovation and leadership at all levels of professional development.
