News
MAR 7, 2025
Mayor Renard Johnson gave his first State of the City address at the El Paso convention center — and, in a new twist, he shared the spotlight with the eight other City Council members.
The newly elected mayor took the stage for the "fireside chat" as the 1980 song "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang blasted from the speakers Thursday, March 6.
The event coincides with his 60th day in office.
MAR 6, 2025
El Pasoans can get the feeling of skydiving indoors once again.
On Wednesday, at 430 Vin Rambla, iFly CEO Matthew Ryan joined city Rep. Chris Canales and El Paso Chamber CEO Ricardo Mora to cut the ribbon to celebrate the reopening of the indoor skydiving venue.
After the ceremony, Canales, Mora, Ryan and other officials donned iFly branded jumpsuits and helmets and took turns in the vertical tunnel that propelled them into the air.
MAR 2, 2025
With gifts in hand, a group of El Pasoans spent a couple of days in Austin meeting with the state’s legislators and department heads.
The El Paso Chamber this month wrapped up its El Paso Days in Austin initiative, where about 110 El Pasoans from the business, nonprofit and public sectors head to the state capital to advocate for issues affecting the region.
Manny Rodriguez, government affairs manager at the El Paso Chamber, said the chamber set up 24 meetings with state legislators, department heads and top aides and focused on several issues, including aerospace, health care, transportation, military and veterans affairs, workforce development and sustainability.
FEB 24, 2025
As Ricardo Mora rounds out the first six months of his tenure as El Paso Chamber CEO, the binational entrepreneur has big plans for the organization.
He took the reins of the El Paso Chamber last year, leading the business group as it marches on past its 125th anniversary.
Mora said his cross-border business experience has prepared him for the role.
“Companies here are mostly cross-border. They have either offices in Juárez or El Paso, and they cross every day,” Mora said. “I think it was meant to be because that kind of led me into what I’m doing now, which I feel very comfortable in.”
FEB 19, 2025
En el marco de “El Paso Days in Austin,” una delegación encabezada por Ricardo Mora, representante de la Cámara de Comercio de El Paso, presentó ante legisladores y líderes empresariales de Texas una agenda clara y ambiciosa: transformar a la región fronteriza en el motor de crecimiento más importante del estado. Este encuentro, que también contó con la presencia de la secretaria de Estado de Texas, Jane Nelson, el senador estatal César Blanco, y otros líderes destacados, reafirmó el rol crucial de Texas como líder en relaciones comerciales con México bajo el Tratado de Libre Comercio.
FEB 16, 2025
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – As first reported in the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, the Texas Association of Business has launched Texas Leads Trade, a coalition uniting business leaders to strengthen North America’s economic ties.
Among the members of the new coalition from South Texas are Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, CIL, IBC Bank, Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Rio Grande Valley Partnership, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mission-based Texas International Produce Association, and United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, and the El Paso Chamber.
“As the top exporting state for 23 consecutive years, Texas thrives on robust trade relationships that fuel job creation, economic growth, and global competitiveness,” said TAB President & CEO Glenn Hamer. “Through Texas Leads Trade, we are bringing together industry leaders to safeguard and expand these vital partnerships.”
FEB 13, 2025
AUSTIN – With the Texas Legislature’s 89th regular session underway, state Sen. César Blanco, D-El Paso, said he intends to use a quartet of new committee assignments to tackle key issues for El Paso and West Texas, including expanding child care access, easing restrictions on nurses to improve health care availability and boosting economic growth.
Blanco, who has served as a state senator since 2021, said his four new committee assignments include Business and Commerce; Health and Human Services; Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs; and Natural Resources and Economic Development.
Manuel Rodriguez, government affairs manager for the El Paso Chamber, said Blanco’s role on the committee will be instrumental in advocating for economic growth and job creation.
FEB 4, 2025
El Paso Chamber urges policymakers to pursue solutions that strengthen our trading relationships, rather than policies that create barriers to economic growth. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has fostered innovation, job creation, and regional competitiveness for decades. Policies that threaten this progress undermine not just economic prosperity but also the trust and cooperation that have made North America a global trade leader.
El Paso Chamber urges policymakers to pursue solutions that strengthen our trading relationships, rather than policies that create barriers to economic growth. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has fostered innovation, job creation, and regional competitiveness for decades. Policies that threaten this progress undermine not just economic prosperity but also the trust and cooperation that have made North America a global trade leader.