When people think about leadership in their communities, they often think first of mayors, commissioners, school board members, or other elected officials.
Public office is an important form of service, but it is far from the only one.
Across the Rio Grande Valley, some of the most meaningful work is carried out by people who never appear on a ballot. They serve on local boards, volunteer with nonprofits, support small businesses, preserve regional history, mentor young people, organize neighborhoods, and help residents better understand their government.
You do not need to hold elected office to make a difference. You simply need to identify where your interests, experience, and time can be useful.
One place to begin is your local chamber of commerce.
Chambers help promote local businesses, connect community leaders, celebrate economic progress, and strengthen civic pride. Becoming a member, volunteering at events, or participating in chamber programs can provide a direct way to support the people and businesses that contribute to a community’s success.
Residents can also explore opportunities to serve on municipal boards and commissions.
Depending on the city, these may include planning and zoning commissions, library boards, parks boards, beautification committees, historic preservation boards, economic development corporations, and other advisory bodies.
These boards give residents a formal opportunity to contribute their expertise and perspectives to local decision-making. Members may review development proposals, study community needs, make recommendations, and help guide decisions that affect a city’s growth and quality of life.
Some positions require appointment by a city council or another governing body, but residents should not assume these opportunities are inaccessible. Cities depend on community members who are willing to apply, attend meetings, study the issues, and accept the responsibility that comes with public service.
Another option is becoming involved with a nonprofit or grassroots organization.
The Rio Grande Valley has organizations working in areas such as education, poverty, immigration, civil rights, public health, hunger, youth development, historical preservation, the arts, and environmental protection.
Organizations such as La Unión del Pueblo Entero provide opportunities for residents to engage with issues affecting working families. Regional groups such as the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce connect people and businesses across city boundaries. Organizations such as Museo956 show how residents can also serve by preserving historic places and telling the stories of the Rio Grande Valley.
There are also food banks, veterans’ groups, service clubs, faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, professional groups, and youth programs throughout the region. Each offers a different pathway into community service.
Political participation is another way to become involved, and it does not require becoming a candidate.
Residents can volunteer for campaigns, join local political organizations, register voters, serve as election workers, attend public meetings, or help their neighbors understand the issues and candidates appearing on the ballot.
Healthy democracy depends not only on the people who run for office, but also on the people who inform voters, organize communities, recruit volunteers, and encourage participation.
Community leadership can also begin through everyday actions.
It may mean checking on an elderly neighbor, mentoring a student, assisting a family in finding available resources, supporting a local business, reporting a dangerous road condition, participating in a community cleanup, or helping organize a local fundraiser.
Not every act of service needs to be attached to an organization. Sometimes leadership begins when someone recognizes a problem and decides to help address it.
For residents who want to become involved but do not know where to start, the first step can be simple.
Visit your city’s website and review its boards and commissions. Contact your local chamber of commerce. Search for nonprofits working on an issue you care about. Attend a city council, county commissioners court, or school board meeting. Ask a community leader how they became involved. Volunteer for one event or one project.
You do not have to begin with a leadership position. Begin by showing up, listening, learning, and being willing to help.
Leadership is not defined only by the office someone holds. It is reflected in the responsibility a person accepts, the relationships they build, and the people they are willing to serve.
Elected officials play an essential role in our communities, but they cannot build strong cities and regions alone.
That responsibility also belongs to us.
You do not need a title to lead. You need the willingness to take the first step.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Skyler Howell, a member of the board of the Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation. The column appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with the permission of the author.
