County, city veterans apply for La Joya city manager opening

La Joya’s soon-to-be vacant city manager position received this month mostly applications from individuals with Rio Grande Valley city or Hidalgo County work experience on their resumes.

 

Current La Joya City Manager Leo Olivares announced this month his impending resignation.

 

Olivares said the council was slated to review candidates earlier this month, and said Monday that the city had extended an offer to one of them, but hadn’t announced which one or finalized a contract with them.

 

According to the job posting for the position, La Joya wants a city manager with a bachelor’s degree in government, business or a related field — preferably one with a masters degree as well.

 

La Joya’s looking for someone who’s worked at a management or administrative level in local government for at least three years, including one year of “senior executive level management experience.”

 

The city prefers a hire who’s credentialed through the International City/County Management Association and a member of a city management association.

 

By last week, nine people had applied for the job, according to a public information act request filed with the city.

 

Those individuals include:

 

• Jaime Sandoval
• Magda “Lisa” Rivera
• Patricio Rene “P.R.” Avila
• Andrew Munoz
•  Paul Vazaldua
•  L. David Flores
• Omar Rodriguez
• Sofia Pena
• Marcelo Garcia

 

According to his resume, Sandoval worked as La Feria’s city manager for about seven years.

 

Before that he was an assistant city manager in Mercedes and held other municipal posts in Alamo and Donna.

 

Sandoval holds a bachelor’s degree from what’s now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

 

Another former city manager to apply is Rivera, who applied just two days before Sullivan City abruptly terminated her this month with little explanation.

 

Rivera held that position for less than a year.

 

Before that, she spent about four years as the executive director of Texas Citrus Fiesta after a career as a librarian in Mission.

 

The third former city manager to apply was Avila, who led Donna in that capacity from 2006 to 2009.

 

 

Avila spent most of the time since then working for Hidalgo County, including as its Urban County Program’s executive director, but began working for McAllen engineering firm SAMES, Inc. last year.

 

He holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin.

 

Munoz served as interim city manager in Weslaco in 2022.

 

According to his application, Munoz served as an assistant city manager in Weslaco for eight years before resigning this May and taking a job as the Kerr County Airport’s aviation director in July — though he now wants to return to the Valley.

 

“I am passionate about public service and have made it my life’s mission to close gaps in service that exist within poor communities,” he wrote in a cover letter. “While I am proud of the efforts I have led and the many accomplishments I have helped to achieve, I am interested in pursuing other opportunities for public service.”

 

Munoz holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

 

Vazaldua, a business consultant from McAllen previously served as acting city manager in Elsa.

 

Vazaldua’s resume includes experience in grant writing, the healthcare industry and legislative affairs.

 

He holds a bachelor’s degree from what’s now UTRGV and a master’s degree from Texas State University.

 

Flores, is an assistant city manager in Mission whose impending departure the city recently announced as part of a reduction in force aimed at saving money.

 

He previously worked as an administrator with the city of Falfurrias after a career in the United States Army.

 

Flores holds a bachelor’s degree from South Texas College and a master’s degree from Excelsior College.

 

The application Flores submitted includes recommendation letters from Mission’s city manager and its police chief, along with a cover letter.

 

 

“I am an experienced and educated executive level professional in the public administration industry,” he wrote. “I am familiar with initiating, fostering, and maintaining key leader relationships at the highest levels. However, I also am willing to [be] sweeping a floor, taking out the trash, or jump into a ditch with our men and women on the front lines.”

 

Rodriguez currently works for the city of Weslaco as its director of parks and recreation. He spent his municipal career before that working for the city of McAllen, as a deputy parks and recreation department director and as its convention center’s director.

 

“This position included, most notably, the planning, construction and opening of the McAllen Performing Arts Center; developing policies and managing the McAllen Convention Center; and overseeing Quinta Mazatlán – World Birding Center,” he wrote in a cover letter.

 

Rodriguez holds a bachelor’s degree from what’s now UTRGV.

 

Pena has worked as Hidalgo County Precinct 2’s director of programs since 2022.

 

Prior to that, she spent a few years in leadership positions for local non-profits after working at STC as its director of early college high schools for about 15 years.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree from what’s now UTRGV, a master’s degree from Concordia University Portland at Oregon and is a PhD candidate.

 

Finally, Garcia works as a T/A planner for UPS Industrial Services in Corpus Christi.

 

He holds an associate’s degree from STC.