By Haley Herzog
TFB Communications Intern

The University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development will host its ninth annual Texas Rural Challenge conference in New Braunfels on July 16 -17.

This year’s conference will focus on trending themes among today’s rural communities, including technology, trade and regionalism.

The conference will also promote best practices and offer collaborative opportunities to express ideas and professional relationships that can help Texas rural communities thrive.

“Our focus is really to bring practitioners, rural communities, government from the federal and state perspective, to really come and have a dialogue about our rural communities and how to grow our communities,” Al Salgado, executive director of UTSA Southwest Texas Border Small Business Development Center Network, said.

The Texas Rural Challenge is set to attract local, state and federal partners, along with rural community leaders and the general public. Attendees from more than 90 Texas cities are expected to attend this year’s event.

“We are bringing together many of the government officials, and we hope to look at best practices and some of the success stories that these federal agencies, state agencies and rural communities have actually completed, so that we can learn from them,” Salgado said. “I think that when we look at the new rural America, it’s really about collaboration. It’s about connecting with not only larger communities, but with federal government and other local regional communities, so we can work together.”

Keynote speakers will include Texas Secretary of State Rolando B. Pablos and industry experts representing the governor’s office, U.S. Economic Development administration, Texas Workforce Commission, councils of government, VTX1 Companies, higher education and more.

TV personality Chet Garner, host of The Daytripper, will also be one of this year’s keynote speakers.

“I think if you look at his show and the history of his coverage around rural Texas, it really goes to the heart of what this conference is about: regionalism, the stories about rural America, the stories about our communities and the stories about personalities and individuals who work so hard to grow our communities,” Salgado said.

The 2018 statewide conference will give communities the ability to consider successful policy tools to help them in the context of regional economic development.

“The Texas Rural Challenge is key to assisting and helping our rural communities and that connectivity that we need to bring together, and I just want to emphasize that,” Salgado said. “I invite all the economic developers, rural communities, the resources, state and federal to come to this conference, and let’s share some of the things that we’re doing to grow our rural communities.”

The upcoming Texas Rural Challenge will be held at the New Braunfels Civic Center.

To register for the Texas Rural Challenge, visit texasruralchallenge.org.