ORIANA FERNANDEZ

A word from the Director of Economic Development & Small Business
Serving the City of Del Rio collectively for the past five years as the economic development director has afforded me the opportunity to work closely with the public and the business community.  Overall, despite the devastating impacts of COVID-19, I do feel that our business community is resilient, innovative, and tenacious enough to pivot and overcome this tumultuous time.   
Many times, when someone hears the phrase “economic development,” they automatically think it is synonymous with business attraction or recruitment.  However, most people do not know that 80% of job creation in a community comes solely from the expansion of small businesses that are already there.  This is why taking care of and fostering our relationships with the many small businesses within our community is vital to our economic vitality.  In order to improve these efforts, it was not enough to rely solely on CARES funding to help implement a small business grant program to help alleviate the financial stress over the past year or so.  
The City has recently introduced a BRE (Business Retention & Expansion) survey that all business owners/managers can fill out to better inform the City’s economic development department on what we can do to improve our resources, help modify existing incentives for businesses, and promote trainings that will better prepare our workforce.  The survey takes approximately ten minutes to answer and it allows business owners/managers to express their concerns with current resources within Del Rio, plans for possible expansion, and workforce needs.  This survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/873FSK9 or you can contact me at [email protected] or at (830) 488-3023 for a direct link or hard copy of the survey if you prefer.  
I tip my hat to all of our hardworking and resilient business owners in Del Rio, and I am always open to any feedback, discussions, or concerns that the City can help address.