Mike Allen

McALLEN, Aug. 27 - Tributes have been pouring in for Mike Allen, the legendary former president and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.

Allen died Wednesday evening aged 72, after a long battle against chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

“Mike Allen tenía el corazón de un toro (Mike Allen had the heart of a bull),” said Blas Castaneda, chief development officer for Laredo Community College and chair of the workforce development committee of the Texas Border Coalition.

“If ever you wanted to get something done, you wanted Mike Allen on your team. He cared about everybody and made an immense contribution to our border region. He was a great and gentle man. God bless him. He did a lot for us.”

Allen co-founded the Texas Border Coalition, or the Texas Border Infrastructure Coalition as it was previously known. Another stalwart of the TBC, Wanda Garza, said Allen had been a friend and mentor for over 20 years.

“I admired Mike’s intolerance for mediocrity. If you knew him the last thing he ever wanted to hear from his team was ‘that can't be done’,” said Garza, executive officer for workforce development and external affairs at South Texas College.

“Mike’s legacy will be lived through his family and friends. He is a giant in our community and will be the voice in my head telling me to be a leader and advocate for the families in our community. He would tell me to ‘stay focused and get the job done.’ He will be in our hearts forever.”

U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, said he had known Allen since his days as a priest in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1970s. He said he was a good friend who would be greatly missed.

“Mike was a tireless advocate for economic development and higher education. Mike Allen was one of my best contributors to help us reduce the double digit jobless rate to six percent over a ten year period. He was a tireless and energetic force of nature who gave so much to the Rio Grande Valley and to the people he loved,” Hinojosa said.

Hidalgo County Judge Rene Ramirez pointed out that Allen was recently awarded the Road Hand Award by the Texas Department of Transportation in recognition of his many efforts to get the Rio Grande Valley the funding for highway projects it had historically never received.

“Mike Allen did so many positive things for the residents of Hidalgo County, the Rio Grande Valley and the entire border region. He spent his entire life advocating for the education, transportation and economic development needs of our region,” Ramirez said.

 “In his mission to grow a vibrant region, Mike fought hard for our community.
I’m honored to have worked with him over the years. We have lost a relentless leader.”

Pat Townsend, president and CEO of Mission Economic Development Authority, was a close friend of Allen’s for many years.

“Mike Allen was a unique individual, at one moment a person of amazing compassion and the next, focused totally on a goal for the good of all and willing to take no prisoners,” Townsend said.

“I was sad to see him leave his position with McAllen EDC but watched him transition to new goals in his life, particularly trying to beat the disease that eventually took his life. His wife, Theresa, was his rudder, more than people ever knew. It was fun watching both of them campaign recently on his re-election to the STC board of trustees. I will miss his advice and his friendship.”

Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia said Allen was “in large part” responsible for what McAllen is today. “I doubt that those shoes can ever be filled or that debt repaid by any of us. The good Lord is probably the only person with that capability. I have no doubt that his reward will be huge,” Garcia said.

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez agreed.

“Mike helped define this region as a vibrant economic area with great opportunity. He recognized the importance of education and worked hard to provide necessary job training for our citizens, as well as provide access to higher education. We will miss him dearly but his spirit will always be part of our community,” Cortez said.

Like others, state Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, spoke about the strength of character Allen possessed.

“Mike Allen was a man that stood up for what was right without backing down, regardless of popularity. Even illness was unable to stop him from working for the betterment of our community. With Mike's passing, we have all lost a good friend, but all of his hard work and accomplishments will continue to have a positive affect for generations to come,” Gonzales said.

State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, said the Valley had lost a “giant” whose legacy can be seen through the growth of the region.

“I was saddened to hear that Mike Allen has passed away. Mike was a good person with a good heart whose life was committed to public service,” Peña said. “His work took him from the clergy to a long career at the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and South Texas College. That service left a positive impact in our larger South Texas community.”

Jake Fuller, a Valley-based public affairs consultant, said Allen was a leader for the border region during a time of transition.

“Mike Allen had the heart of Christian, leadership abilities and a grand vision for the border. He understood early on that the border region was in a constant state of change and transition and how South Texas and the border has and will continue to impact Texas and the nation,” Fuller said.

“Economic, social, political, business, education, religion… virtually every part of the configuration of society was touched by Mike Allen. This includes almost every level of the social-economic structure of life on our great southern border. He was a 'frontera' man and for that he enjoyed the respect of all of whom he touched. That is a genuine legacy and we are all blessed to have had him care, to deliver tangible results with passion for our region.”

Hidalgo Mayor John David Franz is the current chair of the Texas Border Coalition. On behalf of the TBC, he paid this tribute to the group’s co-founder:

“Mike dedicated his career to ensuring a brighter economic future for the Texas border region. He was the indispensable leader of TBC and MEDC when both organizations were still in their infancy, and he remained a tireless advocate for better education, health care, transportation and workforce training programs across the border region.

“Whether he was in a company boardroom or in a legislative committee room, Mike Allen was a strong voice for Texas border economic interests – a voice that will be deeply missed.”

Write Steve Taylor

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