A Message from Olivia Varela:
“The March 16 article was written just as COVID-19 was really starting to have a serious impact on business and the community as a whole.COVID-19 presented the business community with some new unprecedented challenges that hampered my initial timeline for retirement. Handing the load over to a newcomer didn’t seem like the responsible thing to do.We have been busier than ever and our ability to bring someone new was impacted by restrictions on travel and face to face meetings. All of our interviews have been zoom teleconference meetings.On the positive, we have some great candidates who are excited at the opportunity they see in Laredo. I feel really good about that!Barring any more delays, the end of May seems to be the goal line fir my departure as President/CEO of the LEDC. It has been quite an adventure up to the very end!”
Laredo Morning Times, Monday, March 16, 2020-. By Jorge A. Vela- President and Chief Executive Officer of the Laredo Economic Development Corporation, Olivia Varela is set to retire by the end or the month.
After seven years serving as the director and then President/CEO of the Laredo EDC, having been involved in many projects and business decisions for the community, Varela is set on a new course.
During her recent tenure, she focused primarily on business development in the industrial and commercial sectors. The work allowed her to network, learn and create relationships with businesses and people all throughout northern Mexico and throughout Texas. Her involvement in the industry dates to longer than 20 years in the field.
“In my prior work, I walked into almost every single manufacturing facility from Brownsville to Eagle Pass, Piedras Negras, Matamoros, Reynosa, and of course Nuevo Laredo and learned the manufacturing industry from various aspects from operational management to warehousing. It definitely grave me a unique perspective of the industry”, said Varela.
In terms terms or her legacy, she believes that her hard work will speak for itself. She came in during a difficult time to help change the vision of an organization, and with it a city that depends on business immensely.
