showcases the endeavors led

by the LCC Economic Development Center and its

dynamic partners to spur

economic growth, global competitiveness and other

quality of life issues in Laredo

and the south Texas region.

For queries or

change of address

please send to

Laredo Community College

Economic Development Center

West End Washington Street

Laredo, Texas 78040-4395

Telephone: 956.721.5110

Facsimile: 956.721.5478

E-mail: edc@laredo.edu

ONWARD! Volume 01 Issue 09 June-July 2015

The Laredo Community College Econom-

ic Development Center (LCCEDC) was the

recipient of the 2015 Spring Semester Golden

Palomino Award. The Laredo Community

College “Golden Palomino Team Award”

program is to recognize an outstanding team

or department for their work performances,

achievements, or improvements in making

LCC a better place. The team must demon-

strate a combination of creating new ways to

promote efficiency and customer service,

excel beyond required expectations, and col-

laborate with other departments and commu-

nity to improve quality of service.

During the past year, LCCEDC has under-

taken an aggressive approach in developing

and promoting critical economic develop-

ment initiatives including the annual IM-

PACT Economic Development Forum, work-

force training for small businesses through

the Texas Workforce Commission Skills for

Small Business Grant, offering online course

modules in the import/export transportation

industry, and partnering with TMAC to offer

an array of workshops including Spanish

workshops for manufacturing companies in

Mexico to mention a few. “This recognition

is indeed a great honor for the hard work our

team has committed in working with LCC

and the community to promote our economic

development initiatives”, said Rodney H.

Rodriguez, LCC Economic Development

Center Director. “We will continue to sup-

port our transportation industry and work-

force to ensure all available resources are

utilized for the betterment of our college dis-

trict and the south Texas region”.

If you would like to learn more of the initiatives

currently being offered through LCCEDC, please

visit our website at www.laredo.edu/edc or call us at

956-721-5110.

LCCEDC IN ACTION

LCCEDC-TMAC ISO-9001 Training Teacher Externship Program Employers

Diocese of Laredo Computer Training LCCEDC-TMAC Lean Supply Chain Training

Rheem Industries, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

Heartfelt welcome to all our

newsletter readers. I am so proud

to provide our newsletter readers

with our publication of ONWARD!

T o f u r t h e r d e v e l o p o u r

commitment to ec ono mic

development in our college district

and the south Texas region, we

have added more topics to our

2015 Workshop Series providing

valuable workshops with updated

industry regulations for local

companies; moreover, we have

expanded our market and are now

providing workshops in Spanish to

manufacturing companies in

Mexico requesting such trainings.

This is a prime example of the

need for quality training programs

in our area and LCCEDC has

answered that call. Additionally,

we collaborated in a Teacher

E x t e r n s h i p P r o g r a m w i t h

Workforce Solutions for South

Texas that will prove very

beneficial for students in UISD,

LISD, and ZISD to prepare them for

the workforce. LCCEDC is

currently working on more

initiatives that we are excited to

announce in the next couple of

months so stay tuned!

We invite you to learn more about

the LCCEDC by visiting our website

at www.laredo.edu/edc . Let us

know if there are ways that we

may collaborate and be of

assistance to you.

Rodney Rodriguez earned his AA

Degree from LCC and BA/MA

Degree from TAMIU and is currently

pursuing a PhD in Leadership

Studies from Our Lady of the Lake

University in San Antonio, Texas.

Mr. Rodriguez has over 15 years of

experience in community and

economic development including

e c o n o m i c a n d w o r k f o r c e

development, community relations,

management and bus iness

administration.

PARTNERS/CALLOBORATIONS

Department of Homeland

Security-U.S. Customs and

Border Protection

U.S. Border Patrol-Laredo

Sector

Laredo Licensed U.S. Custom

Brokers Association

(LLUSCBA)

Association of Laredo

Forwarding Agents (ALFA)

NCBFAA Educational

Institute (NEI)

Laredo Development

Foundation (LDF)

Workforce Solutions for South

Texas

Region 1 Education Services

Laredo Chamber of

Commerce

Webb County

City of Laredo

Goodwill Industries

Holding Institute

Middle Rio Grande Eagle Ford

Shale Consortium

UTSA Institute for Economic

Development

Texas Department of Assistive

and Rehabilitative Services

(DARS)

Texas Health and Human

Services Commission-Office of

Border Affairs (HHSC)

Workplace Literacy

Committee of Laredo

Literacy Volunteers of Laredo

Laredo Job Corps

Casa Misericordia

Fabiola Rodriguez

Project and Planning Specialist

Ms. Rodriguez joined the LCCEDC in 2012. She earned a BBA with

concentration in Management from TAMIU in 2010. Ms. Rodriguez

supports the Director in planning and managing all LCCEDC projects.

Maricela Morales

Administrative Assistant

Ms. Morales joined the LCCEDC in 2006 to provide overall

administrative support to the Center. She has the longest tenure of

LCCEDC staff members.

The Teacher Externship Program allows

teachers from United Independent School Dis-

trict, Laredo Independent School District, and

Zapata Independent School District to go out

to the business community and be onsite to

integrate proposed best practices into curricu-

lum development to prepare students in the

classroom. Workforce Solutions South Texas

in partnership with the Laredo Community

College Economic Development Center imple-

mented the Texas Workforce Commission

Teacher Externship Program to help bridge the

gap between the classroom and the world of

work by bringing teachers into the workplace

for one week. At the end of the program,

teachers will have the opportunity to incorpo-

rate this knowledge into lesson plans for their

students to prepare them for the workforce.

From a small organization espoused by the

8 custom brokers in Laredo in 1955, the Lare-

do Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Associa-

tion (LLUSCBA) has evolved into the present

-day non-profit organization that is comprised

of more than one hundred registered mem-

bers. Under the leadership of its officers and

governing board, LLUSCBA awards scholar-

ships annually to several deserving Laredo

youths who wish to pursue careers in interna-

tional trade.

LCCEDC is very appreciative to have

LLUSCBA as its partner to provide scholar-

ships to LCC students who are in the Logis-

tics/Distribution Management program and/or

considering training in the transportation in-

dustry through the import/export online mod-

ules presently being offered. LCCEDC ap-

plauds the efforts of LLUSCBA and their

commitment to the students of LCC pursing

careers in international trade.

For more information regarding

LLUSCBA or scholarships in international

trade, please contact Ms. Fabiola Rodriguez at

956-721-5110.