
Building momentum for the Rio South Texas Region at SelectUSA.
May 6, 2026On May 5, Adam Gonzalez, CEO of COSTEP / RSTEF, and Rafael Tapia, RSTEF Grant Manager, participated in the RGV LEAD Superintendent Annual Meeting held at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council offices in Weslaco, Texas.
During the meeting, RGV LEAD Board President Eloy Garza and Executive Director Maricela de Leon presented current and upcoming initiatives focused on strengthening collaboration between education leaders, workforce organizations, and regional stakeholders.
As part of the program, Adam Gonzalez shared the mission and regional impact of COSTEP and RSTEF with Valley superintendents, emphasizing the importance of aligning workforce development strategies with the evolving needs of industry.
For the past six years, COSTEP has proudly partnered with RGV LEAD in the development of the bi-annual Labor Market Report, a key resource used to identify high-demand occupations and guide workforce investment priorities across the region. The report also plays an important role in shaping target career clusters and occupations within the RSTEF Fund Grant Program.
Collaboration between education, workforce development, and economic development organizations remains essential to building the talent pipeline that supports long-term regional competitiveness and business growth in the Rio South Texas Region.
Discover the initiatives helping connect talent, education, and industry for the future of our region.
Rio South Texas Region. One Region. Two Countries. One Future.





