On Wednesday October 26, we hosted our Del Río Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Members Annual Meeting 2022! At the @ramadadelriotx sunblossom room. In this important activity we had the installation of officers ceremony:  INSTALLING NEW OFFICERS IS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS OF ANY ORGANIZATION AND HAS A VERY SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO BOTH, THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS AND TO THE MEMBERS. Judge Hilda Lopez, was in charge of officiate this ceremony. Our new elected officers were: Mr Isidro Valdez Fernandez @isidrovalfer as President - Former Mayor Dora Alcala as Secretary - Director of International Trade Mario Esquivel - Director of Legislative/Governmental Affairs, Mr Joel Langton - Director of Public Relations, Mrs Lisa Flores - Director of Education, Councilwoman Ernestina Martinez - Ms Maria De La Luz Lichlyter as Director of Women Issues. We also would like to thank Consul Paloma Villaseñor from The Mexican Consulate in Del Río and Vice-consul Carlos Quiló from The Guatemalan Consulate in Del Río for for being our special guests and for keep our friendship bonds and cooperation. A special thanks to all of our members who joined us on this special day! We are working on our upcoming events! ​

Thank you Del Rio! Hundreds of Del Rioans
enjoyed our first Amistad Music fest 2022 on October 15.

Our guests: Grupo Yahari, Ram Herrera, Mariachi Campanas de America, Garcia Brothers,
and Grupo Alto Voltaje, who delighted us with their music and made our audience dance!
We hope to see you there next year!

The Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is committed to continue furthering the interest of local businesses and promote tourism. We are a group of fifteen volunteers working together to make the local economy prosperous, working along the City of Del Rio and Val Verde County, building opportunities for businesses to grow.  Two years ago, when I was elected President for this organization, I stated that we are privileged in our community to have elected officials, business owners, educators and citizens who understand that we all share the responsibility of creating economic success and well-being of our community and I was right.  The entire community as a whole came together to overcome all the challenges we faced.  Del Rio was resilient and now we see the investment in our community, with new businesses that have opened and others that are opening in the near future.

In the last two years as President, I have learned the potential in our community, the future projects that are on the planning stages, and I have met many great people.  We have welcomed more than twenty new members, we did our first 5K/fitness event, we celebrated our 15th year anniversary, the first Dia de los Muertos Catrina Contest, the first annual Women’s Entrepreneurship recognition social, the first and very successful breakfast network and the first annual Amistad Music Fest.  In addition, we adopted a new logo, marking 15 years of dedication and the future commitment of our organization.

During our Annual Meeting, I was re-elected as the 2022-2024 President.  I am thankful for the trust placed on me to lead this organization.  I am honored to continue supporting our local economy and tourism along with 14 great individuals of our community.  I would like to express my appreciation to the previous, current and new Board of Directors for all of their work.

Gracias por esta nueva oportunidad de representar a esta organización y confío en que trabajando juntos seguiremos haciendo cosas buenas y creando oportunidades para Del Rio.

Del Rio, TX – August 30, 2022 – LEVCOR, a commercial real estate owner, operator and developer with a growing national footprint, announced the addition of new restaurants and retailers at Plaza Del Sol—a bustling shopping center with a mix of shops, restaurants and services located off of Veterans Boulevard and Braddie Drive in Del RIo.

“We know Plaza Del Sol serves as a central gathering and shopping space for the valley community,” said Sasha Levine, Vice President of LEVCOR. “We are thrilled to bring new concepts to the greater valley area and expand the city’s options in our evolving shopping and dining destination.”

New retail and restaurants recently opened or joining Plaza Del Sol include
ULTA Beauty, a national store combining all things beauty into one shopping experience. The 5,789 square foot space, the first location in Del Rio, opened on Friday, August 18 and carries a broad variety of beauty product categories including makeup, nails, skin care, hair, fragrance and more.
Burlington, a nationally recognized off-price retailer operating 832 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico. The 36,258 square foot space, the first location in Del Rio, will carry an extensive selection of in-season, fashion-focused merchandise at up to 60% off other retailers’ prices, including women’s ready-to-wear apparel, menswear, youth apparel, baby, beauty, footwear, accessories, home, toys, gifts and coats.
McAlister’s Deli, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its genuine hospitality, sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister’s Famous Sweet Tea™. The 2,882 square foot space, the first location in Del Rio, will offer dine-in and take-out service and catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more.
Papa John’s, an international pizza chain, with more than 5,500 restaurants worldwide, that uses high-quality ingredients to create superior quality pizzas. The 1,432 square foot space will offer take-out and delivery of its fresh pizza made with no artificial flavors or synthetic colors.
Arby’s, an international sandwich chain, with more than 3,500 restaurants worldwide, that serves high-quality proteins and innovative sides. The 2,252 square foot space will offer a unique blend of quick-serve speed combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual restaurants.
“We are always looking to introduce new and exciting restaurant and retail concepts at Plaza Del Sol that enhance our customer’s experience. Paired with our commitment to enriching the valley, we are excited to continue bringing concepts that reflect the communities evolving tastes,” continued Levine.
Other retail, restaurants and services open at Plaza Del Sol include Applebee’s, Bath & Body Works, By Edward, Boots ‘N Jeans, Chick-fil-A, Cinemark Movies 8, El Rincon Sunglasses & Perfume, GNC, Goodies Snack Bar, Hibbett Sports, IBC Bank, IHOP, JCP, JE’s Music, Jewelry Box, Le Nails, Marshalls, Merle Norman, Rack Room Shoes, Ross Dress For Less, Starbucks, Wendy’s and Zales.

About LEVCOR
A commercial real estate developer based in Houston, Texas since 1980, LEVCOR has developed, owned and managed over 25 million square feet of real estate across the United States. For over 40 years, the company has built its business by fostering relationships with financial institutions and developing real estate that resonates with retail, entertainment, office and restaurant partners. The entrepreneurial spirit of LEVCOR positions the company to quickly capitalize on emerging trends in real estate that enhance the local communities.
For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, visit www.levcor.com or follow @WeAreLevcor.

  The month of October resonates with La Fiesta De  Amistad in the Del Rio community! Our celebration this  year will focus on the reason Fiesta De Amistad was created, which was the signing of the treaty to construct Amistad Dam.  On October 24, 1960, US President  Dwight D. Eisenhower and  Mexico’s President Adolfo Lopez Mateos met in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila Mexico to sign the treaty to construct Amistad Dam.   Since our modern day Fiesta celebration, has its origin in this 1960 meeting,  this will be the focus of our celebration this year.   We have heard the saying “Go Big or Go Home”!   At IGNC’s first meeting this year, we made grand plans for Fiesta De Amistad commemorating the 62nd  Anniversary of the signing of the treaty to construct Amistad Dam.  This grand celebration calls for all guests of honor to be none other than our citizens.  We have all been through so much with the Pandemic taking loved ones and our having to shelter in place, that now it is time to celebrate responsibly as we recall the importance of this traditional and cultural event that has brought past Presidents  to our community:   In 1960 President Eisenhower visited Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna to sign the treaty;  in 1965 President Lyndon Baines  Johnson came to check on the Progress and in 1969 President Richard Nixon came to dedicate and officially open Amistad Dam and reservoir for business!  The International Good Neighbor Council has been commemorating and celebrating this momentous occasion year after year with the traditional Abrazo on the beautiful Amistad Dam with its Eagles and national flags gleaming in the sunshine.  No other venue could give this event justice.  This year we will again be holding our Abrazo on October 21st!  Viva la Fiesta De Amistad!
​DORA G. ALCALA’, Vice-President IGNC & Abrazo Event Chair

Education: 
1969 Graduate of San Felipe High School
San Antonio Trade School- Legal Secretary/Business
SWTJC- Studied Business Administration 2 years
​
Employment History:
 Texas Apparel Jean Factory 1970-1979
Del Rio Loan Company 1979-1980
Border Federal Credit Union- 1980-1981
Lacks Furniture- 12 years sales associate
San Felipe Del Rio CISD-20 Yrs. Retire 2016
Quad County/Val Verde County Women
Shelter 3 years to present

Professional Organizations
IGNC Members 20 plus years served
as Secretary and President
San Felipe Amistad Lions Women Chapter- 7 years
American G. I. Forum Fermin Calderon Women Chapter Present Member/President
San Felipe Exes Association-Board of Director 3 years plus
Del Rio Host Lions- 15 years/Served as President 2021-2022
Del Rio Chamber of Commerce- Red Ribbon Committee 2 years
Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce- Served as
Director of Membership/Director of Culture & Events 3 years
Christmas Around The World- Coordinator for 8 years

Awards Del Rio Hispanic Chamber Businesswomen 2021
SFDRCID- Recognition for Christmas Around the World for 2020-2022


Personal: 
Married to Pablo Roberto Mota Jr for 33 years.
Mother of (2) Sons Arturo III and Rudy Paniagua
Daughters: Nadia Gloria & Dulce Mota
Grandma to 9 Grandkids: Daphne, Sophia and Rudy Florencio Paniagua
Aria & Mia Gloria, Nissa, Rayne, Adilyn and Ileana Marie Terrazas

As the publisher of the 830 Times website, newspaper and the voice of the 830 Hour on KTDR 96.3 Monday through Friday from 7 to 8 a.m., the thing to do on an article about marketing tips is say, “Just call me, we’ll take care of you.”
However, I”m going to offer you five free marketing tips that will help your business, and they aren’t based on print or radio.
1 -- Audit yourself constantly! If you have a business with a location, you probably have a Google ad. If you’re part of a franchise, your company has a website designed to represent you. When is the last time you checked to see if the information is correct?
I was recently stalking one niche of business people in Del Rio. Everyone in this industry has a web presence, thanks to the national headquarters. However, when I checked 10 local members, none of their website links connected to their webpage. They all connected to a page in Cleveland, Ohio.
Easy solution, visit your sites, visit your social media and ensure it’s all current at least twice a year.
2 -- Know your audience? Who is it that typically comes through your door and buys from you? What is their age, gender, etc! This will drive so much of what you do.
This may be simply a matter of keeping a yellow legal pad near you and monitor who is coming through your door. Put their age, gender and other data points you think might be important down with a slash. You might be surprised by what the data shows. Hint: Don’t ask how old people are, just estimate.
This information will drive much of your marketing.
3 -- Know your social media.  This one is following “Know your audience” for a reason because they are interwoven. If you don’t know your audience, you can’t find the right social media mix for your business.
More than 71 percent of Instagram users are between 18 and 44-years-old while Facebook users are a bit more spread out and have 10 million advertisers. Bottom line, you need to combine your audience data with social media demographics.
How do you find the social media demographic and other helpful data? Visit my friend Mr. Google (www.Google.com) and simply put your question in.
If you need help, call me. I’d be honored to help you figure it out and translate.
4 -- Maintain your social media. If you have Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok or any of the other myriad of social media sites out there, maintain it and keep it going! If you’re not updating it at least several times per week, delete it. In my opinion, a badly maintained social media site is worse than no social media site.
Don’t be intimidated, it’s not that hard. Call me, there’s lots of tricks we can show you that will make this easy!
5 -- Always evaluate. Know what’s working,  know what’s not. If you visit Sanchez Roofing, they can pull up on their computer a pie chart that shows where EVERY customer heard about them from. “When something is working, I pay it more attention,” Raul Sanchez, Sanchez Roofing’s owner, told me. However, if he wasn’t keeping track of the data, he’d never know what’s working.
Bonus Tip. What are you trying to do with your social media? If you follow 830 Times’ Facebook page, we’ve never tried to sell you a thing. We use our social media to build our presence, not sales.  However, by building our presence, we are able to sell more ads and most importantly, keep our community informed.
If you need help with any of this, give me a call and I will help you analyze what’s working, what’s not. I’ll also help you set up a plan to meet your needs. My personal cell phone is 618-593-2285 and my email is joelalangton@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!

In 2003, a small startup firm opened its doors for the first time in Del Rio. What started as a dream to build a business has turned into the reality of helping others improve their quality of life through financial education, awareness and implementation of sound financial practices. What started as Amistad Taxes Plus, which focused on providing tax preparation, bookkeeping and business services has developed into a firm specializing in holistic financial services.
Today that firm is known as Money Link Financial Services Inc. and Gilbert Mercado Financial Services Inc. Under their corporate structures, they offer services under the brand names of Money Concepts Wealth Management and Financial Planning, Liberty Tax and Money Link Financial Services. Each brand offers distinct services; however, to the clients and community they serve, the distinction is solely on paper. With a team of 15 plus employees, each with varying responsibilities and areas of expertise, clients are afforded services which include bookkeeping, payroll and business consultation, tax preparation and planning, representation before the Internal Revenue Service and financial planning, investments, and retirement planning!
The firm’s President and CEO, Gilbert Mercado, oversees the overall operations and provides guidance for the future growth and direction of the company. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree along with multiple securities licenses and designations including a series 7, 65 and 22, as well as the Master Registered Financial Consultant (MRFC) and Certified Fund Specialist (CFS). Irmarie Mercado, the firms COO and Executive Vice President, oversees day to day operations and also holds multiple industry designations, including the NTPI Fellow and Certified Bookkeeper (CB). Gilbert and Irmarie are also Enrolled Agents (EA). This is the highest credential offered by the Internal Revenue Service and are experts in the field of taxation. This license also allows them the same rights of representation as a CPA or Tax Attorney before the IRS.
The organization believes in educating their clients and community in financial matters so that they are empowered to reach the level of financial success they are seeking. This is evident in the firm’s motto, “We help transform people to achieve life’s freedoms!” The passion to help others is deep rooted in lessons Mr. Mercado learned from his mother and father.