Valley advocate Summers dies at 71

The Rio Grande Valley lost one of its biggest advocates Monday.

Bill Summers, who spent two decades promoting this area as president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, a regional Chamber of Commerce, died Monday after battling lung cancer this year. He was 71.

Friends and colleagues credited Summers with encouraging local governments, economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce to work together to promote the region as a whole.

But as someone who also promoted the Valley to the rest of the state and northern Mexico, he was seen as the area’s chief ambassador, said State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg. His death is not only a loss to the Valley, but to the entire state.

“Not too long ago, the Valley (localities) were a series of islands. Bill fostered a Valleywide — not just a Valleywide, but a northern Mexico/Valleywide — communication,” Peña said. “He had a heart of gold.”

Summers served for two decades as the president and chief executive officer of the partnership, a regional chamber of commerce that promotes Starr, Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo Counties.

Through the partnership, he brought legislators from all over the state to the Valley to educate them about the area at the beginning of each legislative session, a practice that several Valley legislators said resulted in increased funding and awareness of the vital role South Texas plays in the state’s economic engine.

He was also a key figure behind the creation of the Rio Grande Valley Mobility Task Force, which resulted in increased transportation funding for the region and was the first group to lobby for an interstate highway. Summers also fought for fair litigation through the Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, a grassroots organization he founded that now advocates nationwide.

And he established the first office of any Texas chamber of commerce in Tamaulipas, Mexico, to build relationships with business leaders and elected officials in the border state.

Summers realized Mexico’s importance to the Valley and always encouraged the partnership’s members to embrace their neighbors to the south, said Sergio Contreras, chairman of the board of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and an external affairs officer with AT&T.

“He was an influencer to be able to have people work together for a common goal: he cared about a better life for all,” Contreras said. “His ultimate goal was for one end of the Valley to work with the other end.”

Summers was recognized on numerous occasions for his work, garnering top awards from the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Civil Justice League and the City of Weslaco.

He was also honored this summer when Farm-to-Market Road 1015 between U.S. Highway 83 and the Progreso International Bridge was designated as Bill Summers International Boulevard.

The designation highlighted Summers’ work in tying the Valley and Mexico together, said State Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco, who filed the bill to change the highway’s name. Summers worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in communities on both sides of the border.

“No matter how much work it was, you could always count on him to be on the forefront to promote the valley and make it a success,” Martinez said. “That was Bill Summers.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.