Josh Mejia, McAllen Chamber of Commerce

McAllen Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, Josh Mejia

By Dr. Kimberly Selber Photography by Bronson delRio

Josh Mejia’s first 100 days were starkly silent. Not because he didn’t have anything to say, but because he spent his first three months intensely listening to stakeholders, board members, and community members and crafting a collective vision for the chamber.

“We are a resource-rich community,” Mejia stated. “There is a beautiful sense of . collective impact in McAllen, and the city has a way of making everyone shine.” But to grow, a plan has to be in place.

Meeting with the staff and moving to the board members and other stakeholders, Mejia began to piece together the picture of the McAllen Chamber—specifically its strengths and opportunities. The result? A collective vision focusing on tourism, government affairs, and economic development. Every step, Mejia stressed, must be intentional toward those objectives. And the framework for the pillars of tourism, government affairs, and economic development is the expectation for members to engage fully. “I want folks to feel as though they are advocating for the business community by providing a small investment in the form of a membership,” Mejia stated. “Every dollar that’s invested is going back to the community in a variety of ways. And, if the city grows economically, then there are far more opportunities for everyone in the fabric of what creates our business community. We want to be the ultimate advocate and catalyst for that growth.”

This, Mejia stresses, is just the beginning. “I kept hearing folks saying, you know, the Chamber does so much for the community,” Mejia said. “And I kept thinking to myself, oh, there’s way more that we can do.”