Good news, everybody.
Sure, people are dying, and the economy’s in the pits, but our mayor has a plan.
Dee Margo has assembled a blue-ribbon task force of El Paso’s heavy hitters to fix El Paso’s economy.
Here’s the list of the task force members, as reported by KTSM:
- Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force
- Rick Francis, Chair – Economic Recovery Task Force, WestStar
- Ray Aduato, El Paso Association of Builders
- Gabriel Ayub, El Paso Hotel and Lodging Association
- Jon Barela, Borderplex Alliance
- John Balliew, El Paso Water Utilities
- Bill Burton, Burton Mithoff Partners
- Alvaro Bustillos, Vaquero Trading
- Richard Castro, McDonalds
- JJ Childress, Microsoft
- Julio Chiu, Seisa Medical
- Roberto Coronado, Federal Reserve Bank
- Alejandra de la Vega Foster, Gobierno del Estado de Chihuahua
- Leo Duran, L&J Café – Restaurant Association
- Edward Escudero, Sierra Finance
- Miguel Fernandez, Transtelco
- Joe Gudenrath, Downtown Management District
- Jessica Herrera, City of El Paso Economic Development
- Josh Hunt, Hunt Companies
- Andrea Hutchins, El Paso County Economic Development
- David Jerome, Greater EP Chamber of Commerce
- Renard Johnson, Meti
- Matt Keats, Keats Southwest
- William Kell, Franklin Mountain Management
- Rick Lange, MD, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Crystal Long, GECU
- Don Margo, HUB International
- Mando Martinez, North East Business Association/Mimbela Contractors,
- Leila Melendez, Workforce Solutions Borderplex
- Ricardo Mora, Technology Hub
- Madhi Nair, Esperanto Developments
- Jared Nieman, Abundant Living Faith Center
- Elizabeth O’Hara, Texas Gas Service
- Dan Olivas, El Paso Realtors Association
- Shawn Ollis, Prudential
- Raymond Palacios, Bravo Auto
- Eric Pearson, El Paso Community Foundation
- Christian Perez Giese, CBRE
- Cindy Ramos Davidson, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Adrian Rodriguez, El Paso Electric
- Allen Russell, TECMA
- Michelle Savage, Savage Goods
- Bishop Mark Seitz, Catholic Diocese of El Paso
- Dr. William Serrata, El Paso Community College
- VJ Smith, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
- Brad Taylor, El Paso Chihuahuas
- Nico Tejeda, Tenet Healthcare
- Cary Westin, City of El Paso
- Dr. Heather Wilson, The University of Texas at El Paso
- Bob Wingo, Sanders\Wingo Advertising Inc.
- Gene Wolf, Kemp Smith LLP.
- Tracy Yellen, Paso del Norte Community Foundation
- Marco Zaragoza, Windstar
That’s a lot of people. I can’t wait to see the Zoom gallery. Including that many people makes it certain that nothing will get done.
If they all chipped in a million bucks or two for economic stimulus checks, that’d be a first step. It would for sure be a more effective tool for economic development than the Quality of Life bond projects, or that $40 million we were going to give to Great Wolf Lodge.
The mayor made sure to include the parasites who have been sucking the life out of the local economy for the last several years, or their surrogates.
Running about ten percent of these visionaries out of town might be a positive first step.
Curious, isn’t it, that our landlord class isn’t represented? They’ll probably have more direct influence on our local economy than most of vampires on the list.
I can’t wait to see what solutions they come up with.
The mayor found his campaign agenda? Many names are predictable, but how could some allow themselves to be co-opted/tainted with his administration?
I was wondering the same thing.
People like the Bishop…or GECU head…might actually think they would contribute to revival of the city….they’ll figure it out pretty soon… But yeah, this is his re-election team, and don’t kid yourselves that his dreadful performance to date means he can’t grab another term…and the same for The Donald…
Can you say, “clusterf__k?”
What was the membership fee?
Here you go.
52 members on the list. 17 are on the Board of the Borderplex Alliance, 6 others were members of the old Paso del Norte Group, and I saw only one name on there that could probably be considered a small business owner, Leo Duran of L&J Cafe.
Here’s a partial list of the old Paso del Norte Group. https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/2701267#Leadership
And here’s the board for the Borderplex Alliance. https://borderplexalliance.org/about-us/board-of-directors
It’s Rancho El Paso. Those are the patrones.
This is all orchestrated by Cary Westin, Tommy Gonzalez’s good soldier, and not the Mayor, in case you are wondering. The Mayor is a puppet.
Col. (Ret.) Westin worked for the Borderplex Alliance, and, before that, REDCo, before he got on with the city. He has a long history of failing at economic development.
El Paso has and will always be the “3 F’s”. Family, friends and favors. Does anyone actually think their motives will be to help legal residents?? No, because we would vote them out!!
L & J Cafe? I love eating there when I escape Devin Nunes farm….but I don’t quite get the L & J being on this list…..?
Mr. Duran is VP of the Texas Restaurant Association
Dee’s campaign team alright!
Mostly westsiders? Mostly “business leaders.” Supporters of taxpayer-supported boondoggles. The glitterati of economic development. Looking forward to their recommendations!
The only news from this task group of clowns is when they are able to meet as one group. The mayor was smoking Robert’s (aka Beto) private stash when he appointed this group. Unrealistic number, and unrealistic goals.