Patridge: Friday Night Football mentality is holding back the Rio Grande Valley

Published: July 9, 2023, 2 p.m.

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MCALLEN, Texas - McAllen Economic Development Corporation President Keith Patridge let rip during a recent webinar.

He said the the Rio Grande Valley\\u2019s international bridges are not in competition with each other. \\u201cWe are not competing. We have got to get over that,\\u201d he said.\\xa0

Patridge also said a lack of regional cooperation has hampered economic development opportunities.\\xa0

\\u201cOne of the big things that has held back the Valley, in my opinion, is the Friday Night Football mentality.\\u201d

The webinar was hosted by Greater McAllen Area Chapter of the Asociaci\\xf3n de Empresarios Mexicanos. It focused on the impact of near-shoring and whether the Upper Valley could benefit from it.\\xa0

Francisco J. Pe\\xf1a-Vald\\xe9s, president of AEM\\u2019s McAllen chapter, moderated the discussion. The other guest speakers were Raudel Garza, executive director of Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, and Teclo Garcia, CEO of Mission Economic Development Corporation.\\xa0

Here are a couple of excerpts from Patridge\\u2019s remarks.

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