COSTEP leads a binational effort to map talent and boost economic development in the Rio South Texas Region

In a conversation marked by clarity and strategic intent, Adam Gonzalez, COSTEP CEO – Rio South Texas Region outlined a new initiative designed to reshape how the Texas–Tamaulipas region attracts investment, develops talent, and aligns its education systems with industry demands. The Binational Higher Education Advisory Council emerges as a strategic initiative to consolidate and showcase a unified, accurate, and up-to-date picture of the region’s educational capacity—positioning the Texas–Tamaulipas corridor to better support investment, workforce planning, and industrial growth.

“This data collection will allow us to sell the region more effectively. Companies need to know what talent we have before choosing to invest here,” he noted.

The Advisory Council seeks to change that dynamic. This dynamic is developing a consolidated information system that brings together data from high schools, colleges, universities, and technical institutions on both sides of the border. Updated quarterly and validated through a coordinated binational committee, the system will provide economic development organizations, industrial developers, and investors with a reliable, evidence-based understanding of the region’s talent pool. At a time when nearshoring continues to draw manufacturing and logistics operations toward the Rio South Texas Region, this type of visibility is increasingly essential.

But the initiative goes beyond gathering information—it seeks true alignment between industry and academia. The Binational Higher Education Advisory Council plans to pair this educational map with a detailed industrial map, identifying which careers offer the strongest demand, wages, and long-term growth. That insight will be shared directly with school districts, ensuring students receive guidance based on real regional needs rather than guesswork. At the same time, the council will serve as the formal bridge connecting employers with universities, allowing companies to clearly communicate the profiles they need and enabling institutions to adjust their programs accordingly.

“We’re bringing companies and universities together so industry can directly say which programs are needed,” 

Gonzalez explained, underscoring the council’s mission to create a synchronized, future-ready workforce.

Attendees represented a wide range of regional institutions, including The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), with Blanca Davila, and Lesly Orozco; South Texas College (STC), with Andrew Fish, Brett Millan, Fernando Chapa, Leonel García, Marcus Silva, Matthew Hebbard, and Rodney H. Rodriguez; Texas Southmost College, represented by Richard Mesquias; Texas State Technical College (TSTC), represented by Cledia Hernandez, and Luke Lucio; Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), represented by Daniel Covarrubias and Luis Pérez-Batres; Texas A&M University, represented by Ernie Aliseda; Universidad Tamaulipeca, with Orlando Aguilera, Oscar W. Aguilera Rodríguez, Pedro Ollervides Cuevas and Asael De la Cruz; Universidad del Valle de Bravo (UVB), with Elizabeth Martina Magaña Arredondo, and Melissa Cuéllar; TecNM / Tecnológico Nacional de México, represented by Teresa de Jesús Sánchez Pérez, and Gloria L. Bello García; TecMilenio University, represented by Roberto Durán Medellín; Instituto de Estudios Superiores (IIES), represented by Ramiro Reyna and José Eduardo Martínez McDonald; CBTIS / DGETI institutions, represented by Alejandro Muñiz Ojeda, Hilze Zamora Reyes, and Mayra Castillo; CECATI 105, represented by Rosendo Martínez McDonald, and Heriberto Hernandez; RGV Partnership, represented by  Universidad Tecnológica de Tamaulipas (UTT), represented by Edgar Garza Hernández; and ITCC / Instituto Tecnológico de Camargo, represented by Gerardo Contreras Piña. 

To capture the regional perspective and the immediate impact of COSTEP’s initiative, Pro Texas Industry gathered insights from higher-education leaders across South Texas and northern Mexico. Their comments reflect a shared enthusiasm for a more coordinated, data-driven approach to talent development and cross-border collaboration—highlighting how this effort strengthens the region’s ability to attract investment, align academic programs with industry needs, and create clearer opportunities for students on both sides of the border.

“COSTEP’s event today was really driven by developing a repository of data from all the colleges and universities so that industry knows exactly where it can draw its workforce from.” — Richard Mesquias, Vice President for External Relations and Workforce Development, Texas Southmost College (Brownsville)

“I think it’s a great initiative because mapping the capabilities of educational institutions on both sides of the border is going to be gold for the companies looking to establish in this region.” — Daniel Covarrubias, Director, Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, Texas A&M International University (Laredo)

“I think this is a huge and amazing event; having everyone from higher ed from both the U.S. and Mexico side together is going to bring a lot of opportunity for the whole region.” — Leslie Orozco, Director of Special Programs, Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, UTRGV

“I loved being here because this initiative speaks directly to our mission: connecting the academic side with industry, which benefits students and creates a positive impact in the community.” — Luis Antonio Pérez, Dean, A.R. Sanchez School of Business, Texas A&M International University

“I think today’s meeting was a true representation of the regional impact we’ve been talking about for years, with COSTEP bringing all the key higher ed stakeholders together to show the full picture of training and development in South Texas and northern Mexico.” — Cledia Hernandez, Vice Chancellor and Chief External Relations Officer, Texas State Technical College

“The importance of this event is that we get to collaborate with institutions from northern Mexico and the U.S. and better understand the workforce needs of the community so we can align our degree programs with those needs.” — Ernest Aliseda, Chief Operating Officer and Associate Vice President, Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen

“This is an event where we all walk away with something we need to improve, especially in the area of industry linkages, so our students and graduates can access greater employment opportunities.” — Elizabeth Magaña, Director of Admissions, Universidad Valle del Bravo (Reynosa)

“This is an important moment for the development of both countries along the border region, because the companies coming here will require well-prepared people, and the universities are going to be responsible for forming them.”— Dr. Óscar Aguilera, Rector, Universidad Tamaulipeca

The Binational Higher Education Advisory Council stands to become one of the most relevant tools for long-term development in the Texas–Tamaulipas corridor. If COSTEP Binational Higher Education Advisory Council initiative succeeds in consolidating this information system and sustaining active collaboration across institutions, the region will gain one of Rio South Texas Region most advanced frameworks for aligning education, workforce preparation and industrial growth.