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Opinion: Texas can learn a lot for El Paso [1]

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Date: 2024-10-28

By David Leebron

As the new president and CEO of Texas 2036, I’ve been fortunate to visit many parts of our diverse state over the past few months. Although I have lived in Texas for 20 years, I hadn’t visited El Paso until September. I was so taken by the city and the remarkable community of civic leaders I met that I was excited to return just four weeks later for Texas 2036’s board of directors meeting.

David Leebron

The incredible asset that El Paso is for Texas was front of mind as our board members discussed opportunities in the upcoming legislative session and beyond to ensure a prosperous future for the state.

What excites me most about El Paso are the unique strengths that set it apart and help fuel the success of our state. El Paso sits at the heart of the Borderplex, a vibrant area that includes Las Cruces, New Mexico, and is deeply connected to Ciudad Juárez across the border with Mexico.

Together, these cities form the largest bilingual, binational workforce in the Western Hemisphere — a powerful economic force. El Paso is also the second-largest port of entry between the United States and Mexico, making it a key hub for international trade.

El Paso’s strategic location, strong workforce and rich cultural diversity make it a critical part of Texas’ future. My visit to El Paso, as well as trips to Laredo and Corpus Christi, made clear the central role international trade plays for Texas and, indeed, Texas’ leading role in such trade for our nation.

But beyond these impressive attributes, we saw the extraordinary commitment to bringing people together to solve the big challenges we face to assure prosperity and opportunity for all Texans as we approach our bicentennial in 2036.

As we look to the future, the question of how to secure our state’s future water supply comes up in almost every conversation. El Paso’s innovation in water management — from the world’s largest inland desalination facility to cutting-edge groundwater recharge projects and aggressive water conservation measures — provides important lessons for state leaders.

These efforts should be replicated using a long-term strategy for dedicated funding that will provide El Paso and other regions of the state with the resources necessary to strengthen and scale our state’s water infrastructure.

Similarly, I hear concerns about students struggling with math from communities across the state.

Here, too, we can learn from El Paso’s innovative initiatives aimed at preparing students for college and career success . Programs like the eighth-grade algebra initiatives at the Socorro, Ysleta and El Paso school districts reflect the community’s dedication to giving students early access to advanced coursework, which is stronglycorrelated with better college outcomes and higher wages and is another area where El Paso is ahead of the curve.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic spurred many to rethink how to effectively support students on their journey from classroom to career, El Paso Community College had begun expanding its career and technical education and STEM-related programs to better align with the needs of local employers.

As Texas moves toward more outcome-based funding for community colleges, El Paso Community College, which plays such a vital role in the region’s workforce development, can serve as an example for both state leaders and institutions in other regions looking to modernize their own offerings.

My conversations with community and business leaders in El Paso have been inspiring, not only for the examples of innovation and forward thinking, but the willingness to take on big, long-term challenges with a spirit of optimism, confidence and an unshakable belief in the future.

At Texas 2036, we share this spirit and determination. As our board gathered in El Paso to discuss how we plan to tackle Texas’ biggest challenges — from water and education to how to most effectively equip Texans with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the modern workforce — we took lessons and encouragement from what we see getting done in El Paso.

El Paso may be a hub of global trade, but one of its most impactful exports is the example it sets by bringing Texans together to think strategically and implement solutions for the future of this region and the state.

David Leebron, who served as Rice University president, is president and CEO of Texas 2036.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/10/28/opinion-why-el-paso-is-important-to-texas-future/

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