Everything TWC commissioners Treviño and Esparza said at STC Workforce Summit

Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

MCALLEN, Texas - Two of the three leaders of the Texas Workforce Commission attended South Texas College’s 2024 Workforce Summit.

They were Joe Esparza, who serves as the commissioner representing employers on the TWC board, and Alberto Treviño III, who serves as the commissioner representing labor on the board.

The two workforce development experts spoke on a panel titled: Microcredentials, Credentials of Value, Industry-Recognized Credentials and What They Mean for Employability and Living Wages. The moderator was Lone Star National Bank Executive Vice President Julian Alvarez, himself a former TWC commissioner.

After the panel discussion had ended one question was taken from the audience. It came from Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez but it was more of a statement. Cortez said he wished the local workforce commissions had more leeway in how they were allowed to spend their money. He said the Rio Grande Valley is unique and as a result, the local workforce groups should have more discretion on what can do with the funds sent down by the state.

Here are the biographies of the two commissioners that spoke:

Alberto Treviño III

Alberto Treviño III serves as the Commissioner Representing Labor for the Texas Workforce Commission. Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the three-member Commission on January 9, 2023.

Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Treviño of Harlingen served as a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent. Treviño has nearly 33 years of combined law enforcement and border patrol experience, with 21 years of service to Local 3307 of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), where he served as executive vice president, and later, as treasurer.

Prior to NBPC, Commissioner Treviño served as a police instructor, background investigator, and patrol officer for the Harlingen Police Department. He is a 3rd degree knight of the Knights of Columbus, former member of the City of Harlingen Tennis Advisory Board, and former volunteer for Little League Baseball.

Treviño received an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Texas Southmost College.

Joe Esparza

Joe Esparza currently serves as the Commissioner Representing Employers for the Texas Workforce Commission. Governor Abbott appointed him to the three-member commission on November 7, 2023.

In his role, Commissioner Esparza serves as an advocate for over 660,000 Texas employers and over 3 million small businesses. He and his team serve as a key resource for all Texas employers to help businesses grow and thrive in Texas.

Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Esparza was sworn in as Texas Deputy Secretary of State on December 14, 2018. In addition, Esparza previously served as a Senior Appointments Manager in the office of the Governor, overseeing numerous gubernatorial appointments during Governor Abbott's first term.
A graduate of Texas Tech University, Esparza earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications. Esparza received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Marine Corps and is a Veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, having served in Iraq.

South Texas College’s 2024 Workforce Summit was held in the Student Union Building of STC’s Pecan Campus in McAllen.

Here is an audio recording of everything the two workforce commissioners said on the panel.

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