Events

Bio: Ernest Espinoza, Executive Director, Children’s Bereavement Center RGV

Ernest Espinoza was born in Chicago, Illinois and has one sister. But his parents quickly moved to Houston, Texas where his father, Ernesto Espinoza took a job with NASA as a space engineer. Ernest enjoyed working out, playing sports and was on many swim teams as a youth. He was a top swimmer in High School. Ernest graduated in 1995 with a degree in Business Management and math minor from the University of Houston.

In 1997 Ernest started working for the non-profit Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America in Houston, Texas. Since then, he worked for 25 years in various Boy Scout Councils across the nation from Houston, Dallas, Chicago, California and Harlingen, Texas. Ernest has also volunteered in Quito, Ecuador in the Scouts of Ecuador. He has enjoyed working on all operations of the company from fundraising, strategic planning, cultivating donors, managing employees and thousands of volunteers, accounting, budgeting and much more.

In 2021 Ernest was given the position of Regional Director for the Children’s Bereavement Center RGV with San Antonio and in April 2022 became the first Executive Director for the newly formed 501 C3 Children’s Bereavement center Rio Grande Valley.  Ernest is married and has three wonderful children, Matthew, Michael and Nathania and another one on the way. He enjoys spending time with his family.

Contact information: Ernest Espinoza, cell 214-907-9759 or email at ernestespinoza1807@gmail.com

Fundraiser- Event breakdown and Club planning

Javier Villalobos graduated from Southwest Texas State University in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, concentration in accounting.  He worked as an auditor for the Texas Railroad Commission before going to law school where he graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in May 1995.   Villalobos has represented schools, municipalities, and other governmental entities for more than twenty years.  He has a general practice that includes both civil and criminal representation. Javier Villalobos is currently Mayor of McAllen and a former member of the McAllen City Commission, the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board (Appointed by Gov. Abbott), McAllen‐  Hidalgo International Bridge Board, Anzaldúas International Bridge Board, Border Trade Alliance, and Texas Border Coalition.  He has formerly served under Gov. Perry as an appointee, and as the Hidalgo County Republican Chairman

Justice Leticia Hinojosa was born in Brownsville, Texas and graduated from Homer Hanna High School in 1975. After graduation from High School, she attended the University of Texas at Austin graduating Magna Cum Laude with Bachelor of Arts in Government in December of 1978. Justice Hinojosa also attended University of Texas Law School where she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in May of 1981. She was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in November 1981 at the age of twenty-three.

Justice Hinojosa began her legal career as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow doing public interest litigation for two years in Austin, Texas. Upon completion of the Fellowship, she moved back to South Texas and was a partner at various law firms heading up the firms’ litigation divisions. In 1989, Justice Hinojosa was appointed and subsequently elected Judge of County Court at Law #4, becoming the first woman elected Judge in South Texas and the third Hispanic woman elected Judge in the State of Texas. In 1996, she was elected Judge for the 139th Judicial District Court. She served two terms as District Judge and then stepped down to practice law. In 2016 she was elected Justice of the 13th Court of Appeals, Place 3 and took office on January 1, 2017.

Justice Hinojosa has served as a member and on boards of numerous legal and community organizations. She is especially proud of her work with Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), where she served as a member of the State Board of CASA and instrumental in the establishment of CASA in Hidalgo County. By the age of thirty-five she was recognized by Governor Ann Richards for her lifetime commitment to her community by receiving the Governor’s "Back to the People" Award.

DHR Health wants to educate the McAllen Rotary Club and community on the dangers of prostate, ovarian and breast cancer. Detection and prevention are KEY to saving lives. 

The Program is Cancer Prevention By DHR.    Please come out and support our Rotary Club of McAllen.

The Salvation Army
of McAllen, Texas

1600 N. 23rd Street
McAllen, TX 78501

12:00 pm

$16.00/ Lunch  

Please get back to me ASAP.

The McAllen Rotary honors all Veterans. Please join us for a celebration this November 9th. 

Very special Veteran's Day Tribute

District Governor Visit Kent Grier.

We have a very special guest this week.  District Governor Kent Grier will be visiting all the Clubs in the area.    It is important that everyone help us welcome him. 

Kent was at the District Assembly on Saturday.  The event was a great success.   He is now visiting clubs in the area to share the future "Vision" for District 5930.  Please come prepared with questions, suggestions, and comments.

Kent's Bio is attached. 

RSVP due by Monday, November 14th @ noon.  (Please help us with this.   The food order has to be submitted to the Salvation Army)

The McAllen Rotary Club is partnership with Buckner Family Hope Center will be helping serve over 400 people for a Thanksgiving Feast. 

The Rotary Club of McAllen is so thankful for our Community.  It is a pleasure serving the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley.

The Salvation Army is asking for volunteers for their annual Thanksgiving Dinner.  

3 Shifts Available

The Rotary Club of McAllen is committed to promoting higher education and the spirit of Rotary in the community.  The McAllen club grants scholarships to 3 McAllen ISD high schools.  It is an investment in the future of our community. 

Please continue to support us in our fundraising efforts. 

Welcome back everyone!! The Thanksgiving holiday was amazing!  Rotarians at work throughout the Valley.

Please plan on attending this week's program - Student of the Month.

Majors Gabriel & Candee Elias will be sharing the many holiday projects underway in the Rio Grande Valley community. 

ROTARIANS AT WORK! 

The Rotary Club of McAllen is scheduled for a service project in partnership with the Salvation Army this weekend.

ROTARIANS AT WORK! 

Stop by and visit us..... 

Please come join us for a gift wrapping service project.  Such an important time of the year

Angel Tree Gift Wrapping

12pm- 1pm  

1800 S. Main Place, McAllen

(Old Kirklands)

December 14th - Service Project at Regular Meeting Time

Angel Tree Gift Wrapping

(Lunch menu will be in another email)

12pm- 1pm  

1800 S. Main Place, McAllen

(Old Kirklands)

December 23rd - Rotary Christmas Party

La Bahia  

4620 N 10th St, McAllen Friday, December 23rd

7pm – 10pm

Please join us for an informative presenation from the McAllen Fire Department - 

Come enjoy a very interesting and informative presenation on the beautiful country of India.  Presented by one of our very own Rotarians.  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A trendsetting leader with years of experience directing military units and educational activities in the preservation of the American way of life. Passionate about helping the economically and socially disadvantaged in our society to achieve their educational goals to improve their quality of life. Strong communication skills with the ability to exert influence to support programs needed in the community.  Leading with impact using the latest business strategies to improve business effectiveness and efficiencies to achieve the institutional goals.  Demonstrated salesmanship abilities to gain support for collective impact ideas.

Please join us as we support students through scholarships

Fernando Gonzalez is the Director of Technology Commercialization at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He has spent 30 years involved in copyright and patent licensing, software development, telecommunications, and supporting start-ups. Before joining the university, he was the Executive Director of the Rio Tech Fund, Inc., administering 17 counties for the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.

A special Christmas tradition of the Jewish Santa visting children homes and other events in the RGV for the last 20 years.  He brings joy and laughter to many. 

Michael (Mike) Blum is a Partner and Managing Broker for NAI Rio Grande Valley. He provides leadership to the brokerage team and provides direction on marketing and business strategies. Mike is an aggregator and interpreter of market data regarding strategic regional economic information. His real estate focus is on land, industrial sales and leasing, lease and sale of office and retail space.

Mike has resided in the Rio Grande Valley since 1972, is a former City Planner, Assistant City Manager and elected official in McAllen, Texas. For more than four decades he has been at the leading edge of critical thinking, envisioning the future and bringing to fruition major projects throughout the Rio Grande Valley – Cimarron Country Club, Sharyland Plantation, Anzalduas International Bridge, Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, and Valencia MarketPlace. Mike is a strategic planner, and active in promoting development of the South Texas Border Region.

John R. Garza is a passionate advocate for education, performing arts, and creating opportunities that improve lives. He has worked tirelessly to help transform the theatre-scape in the Rio Grande Valley, expanding student/community engagement through vocational preparation and professional development in the field of performing arts. He currently serves as the President and Managing Director of the Palm Awards, a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of a love and appreciation for the arts and to recognize student accomplishment through scholarship opportunities.

Prior to leading the Palm Awards, he served as the Director of the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance within the DHR Health System for a decade. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. John’s unique background in the arts—as a patron, volunteer, and business administrator—has afforded him a multitude of successes in philanthropy, marketing, and nonprofit work. He is a lifelong resident of the Rio Grande Valley. He and his wife of over 24 years, Veronica, were high school sweethearts at PSJA High School in Pharr, TX, where they both graduated. They share two children, Emily (19) and Elijah (17), who were both active in the PSJA school district arts programs. Both continue to amaze John every day.