- School District Places 1st in It’s Time Texas Community Challenge
- Students of the Month
- The First Jiu-Jitsu Gym in La Feria!
- La Feria Native Soon To Retire From The Military This Summer
- Senior Eneece Avila Takes Pride in her State Title
- Dr. Noemi Infante, Harlingen Medical Center Open New Women’s Clinic
- Santa Rosa Cameron County Park Partially Reopens
- Santa Rosa Takes to Regionals Meet in Kingsville, Tx
- Long-Standing Nexstar Tower in La Feria Decommissioned
- Lionettes Powerlifting Meet
The Progress Continues in La Feria
- Updated: October 23, 2015
John Rigney, President of Rigney Construction; Jose Lino, Project Manager for Rigney Construction; Sunny Philip, City Manager La Feria.
Bill Keltner
Ground Breaking for New Technology Center
City officials and dignitaries joined local citizens who turned out to share in the ground breaking ceremony for the new 11,500 square feet Technology and Success Center located at 1650 South Main Street. The facility, when finished, will be the future home of Our Lady of the Lake University-RGV and the RGV Empowerment Zone Corporation.
The historic event drew guests from the La Feria city administration and Our Lady of the Lake University from San Antonio (OLLU). Our Lady of the Lake established the La Feria Campus in 2013. The University offers doctoral, master and bachelor programs to the Rio Grande Valley. The vision of the RGV Empowerment Zone Corporation is to “promote a better ‘quality of life’ for our communities.”
Valley colleges support the new OLLU La Feria campus: (l-r) Dr. Stella Garcia, TSTC Provost; Dr. Diane Melby, OLLU President; Dr. Shirley Reed, President South Texas College; Dr. Lily Tercero, President, Texas Southmost College; Ms. Wanda Garcza, STC Vice-President of Student Affairs.
City Manager Sunny K. Philip served double-duty as Master of Ceremonies and the administrative official who made the project presentation. “On behalf of the city of La Feria,“ he said, “we welcome this wonderful expansion of the university to our city and the Rio Grande Valley. After the invocation by Rev. Rodolfo Franco of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Mr. Philip recognized the many local citizens, professionals and supporters who made the project a reality.
OLLU officers attend the ground breaking ceremony. (l-r) Dr. Dwayne Banks, OLLU Chief Operating Officer; Dr. Diane Melby, President; Ms. Linda Doubrava, Board of Trustees member; Mr. Michael S. Edelmann, Board of Trustees Member Past Chair.
He recognized Megamorphosis, Inc for their role as designer of the new facility, SWG Engineering, LLC and Green Rubiano and Associates for their work as structural engineers; ETHOS Engineering for the Mechanical work: Rigney Construction and Development, LLC; as general contractor, and Reyna & Associates for their invaluable assistance in securing a federal grant.
OLLU President, Dr. Diane Melby cuts the grand opening cake as La Feria city commissioners look on.
Next on the program was the President of Our Lady of the Lake University, Diane E. Melby, EdD. She stressed how happy the University is to have this expansion of the school into the Rio Grande Valley. She said, “Nothing is more important for our families than a good education. Now our students won’t have to travel to San Antonio to attend a top-rated Catholic university.”
Dan Yoxall, ULLO spokesperson, related how pleased the university administration is to have this new location for their people. “It began” he said, “when City Manager Sunny Philip and former Mayor Steve Brewer approached the university in San Antonio with a proposition to bring our campus to La Feria as a “stand-alone” campus for our Catholic and other denomination students.”
Betty Jo Dunlap, President of the LFEDC (center) welcomes OLLU-Office Manager, Ms. Cynthia Olvera (left) and Ms. Mary Scotka, OLLU-Vice President of enrollment Management.
“Our OLLU administration was interested in the proposition from the very beginning as La Feria is a strategic location with a very supportive city administration,” he said. “La Feria is almost like a microcosm of the whole Rio Grande Valley.”
Olga H. Maldonado, Commissioner, welcomed the attendees for the Mayor and expressed appreciation for the large crowd present. Other elected officials present were: John Edward Betancourt and John Hernandez. The festive atmosphere for the guests was provided by the exciting sounds of El MariachiMundial. Refreshments were served as the ceremony ended with promises by the City Manager of more ground breaking events in the near future.
Diane E. Melby, EdD, President of Our Lady of the Lake University
City Manager Sunny K. Philip concluded the ceremony by saying, “the City of La Feria is proud to be home to a great University and looks forward to the educational and economic opportunities this facility will bring to the residents of La Feria and the Rio Grande Valley.”
For additional information, contact Mr. Sunny K. Philip, City Manager at La Feria City Hall located at 115 East Commercial Avenue. For an appointment call 956 797 2261.
