Hector Rocha is a Millennial-aged business owner whois representative of a new generation of leadership in Mercedes.

The owner of Brighthill Insurance is also the newpresident of the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. He succeedsFred Gonzalez, a longtime community leader who led chamber efforts for years aswell as presiding over the board of the Mercedes Economic DevelopmentCorporation. Gonzalez saw the need for a younger generation to step up and takethe lead of local civic organizations such as the chamber.

In Rocha, Gonzalez and the other chamber board memberssaw a local business owner who was ready to engage in those efforts.

“It wasn’t something I was aiming for,” Rocha said. “Therewas a call and I was willing to do it.”

From his insurance offices on Vermont Avenue inMercedes, Rocha outlined the chamber’s priorities and the importance of connectingMillennials and younger generations to community life in a Mid-Valley city onthe rise.

“We’re seeing the older generations retiring and theywere more likely to participate (in the community),” he said. “There is a needfor a younger demographic to participate and learn more about the community.”

Making An Impact

Rocha became a chamber director in 2020 and over thelast five years saw the level of engagement by the organization in thecommunity.

The Mercedes chamber is an active organization and itsboard officers are often seen around town wearing blue coats at groundbreakingsand at ribbon cuttings for new businesses. The chamber organizes majorcommunity projects like the Texas Street Festival on Labor Day weekend and theMiss Mercedes Pageant. Both events raise funds for the chamber’s operations asit does not receive city funding.

Another major chamber endeavor yearly is providingscholarships for the graduating seniors of Mercedes-area high schools. It allgoes to show, Rocha said, the varied activities the Mercedes chamber isinvolved in sponsoring and organizing.

“You get involved in an organization like the chamberand you see the impact it has in the community,” he said. “The fundraising forscholarships, promoting local businesses, and all of the events in Mercedes. Weattempt to bring awareness in the community as to what we do and promote thecity in helping to see the kind of growth Mercedes is experiencing.”

Seeing Opportunities

Rocha like other Mercedes community leaders is bullishon the city’s growth and potential.

The open land along Expressway 83 is a key element in thatgrowth as is the city’s willingness to work with developers. The effectivenessthe economic development corporation has shown to tell the city’s story and itsideal location in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley has been demonstrated manytimes in recent years. The most recent example was the recent announcement of amajor retail development to be built adjacent to the Rio Grande Valley PremiumOutlets.

“The Mid-Valley with all of the undeveloped land alongthe expressway is seeing new opportunities,” Rocha said. “Mercedes is in aprime position to take advantage of it. The growth we have been seeing issomething that we will continue to experience and more of it is coming prettyquickly.”

Meanwhile, with an eye toward encouraging volunteerismamong youth, Rocha expressed interest in working with area high schools todevelop ambassador programs where students can get involved in communityactivities. It will be a challenge, he said, to do so since younger generationshave become attached to electronic devices and interacting via social media andless toward in-person communication.

With a younger generation coming forward to lead inMercedes, that endeavor will hopefully get a new focus as Rocha and othersreach out to connect the city’s youth to their community.

-         Ric Cavazos