Eagle Pass Represented at TEX-21 Transportation Meeting
(Press Release) The City of Eagle Pass, through its Business & Economic Development (BEDC), participated at the TEX-21 quarterly meeting in Austin, TX, on August 23, 2017.
TEX-21 or Transportation Excellence for the 21st Century, is a statewide Transportation and Infrastructure public policy group that provides important updates to the Office of the Governor, and the state and federal legislature.
The City of Eagle Pass Delegation included: Eagle Pass Bridge Director Placido Madera, and Business & Economic Development and Government Relations Consultants Janice and Ernie Gonzalez of EMC Strategy Group, LLC.
Bridge Director Placido Madera was asked to present over the TEX-21 governing board and highlight the city’s successes tied to the Eagle Pass Bridge System and the recent $5 million expansion to bridge #2. TEX-21 Executive Director, David Dean, asked that Eagle Pass become permanent members of the key statewide transportation public policy group.
Presentations were also provided by TXDOT Chief Engineer Bill Hale, Chiefs of Staff for State Representatives Ryan Guillen and Armando Martinez, and Anne Idsal, of the Office of Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
The delegation was able to get TXDOT Chief Engineer Bill Hale to agree to visit Eagle Pass this fall to meet with city officials and the Eagle Pass BEDC Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to address transportation issues and opportunities for future TXDOT projects.
“I am glad that City Manager Art Rodriguez supported our participation at the TEX-21 transportation meeting, which is an important step to building key statewide relationships that will help Eagle Pass get greater access to transportation and infrastructure funding,” says Eagle Pass Bridge Director Placido Madera.
This was the first time that the City of Eagle Pass participated in the TEX-21 meeting. The city’s consulting firm, EMC Strategy Group, LLC, are regular attendees at these meetings and will continue to represent the city at all future TEX-21 meetings.
“I am in almost daily contact with EMC Strategy Group and we are working together to make sure that we are represented at key statewide meetings, like TEX-21,” says Eagle Pass City Manager Art Rodriguez. “Half of the job is showing up and making sure that we have a seat around the table and that are concerns and priorities are shared to key state and federal officials,” adds Rodriguez.
EMC Strategy Group also represented Eagle Pass this month at the Eagle Ford Consortium Regional Meeting in Corpus Christi, NAFTA Free Trade Alliance Luncheon, and AEM Energy Industry Luncheon in San Antonio. EMC will also attend the Ports to Plains conference in Lubbock on September 12-14.