Border Texan Chairs

Joining the City of McAllen in 2014 as an Assistant City Manager, Joe Vera brings close to 40 years of public service to his current leadership role overseeing the Convention Center Facilities, McAllen Public Library, Palm View Golf Course and the Parks and Recreation departments. Positioning McAllen as a regional destination city, Mr. Vera is responsible for the coordination and production of the City’s major events, including the annual McAllen Holiday Parade. In 2014, International Festivals and Events Association named the inaugural McAllen Holiday Parade the Best New Event. In 2015, the largest illuminated parade in Texas attracted over 240,000 attendees from Texas and Northern Mexico.

Prior to joining McAllen’s management team, Mr. Vera previously served as the City Manager of the City of Hidalgo and led the Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Vera is active in various local, state and national professional trade organizations and is past president of the Texas Festivals and Events Association and Texas Association of Fairs and Events. His honors include the International Festivals and Events Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement; Texas Festivals and Events Association Hall of Honor, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Professional of the Year Award; and United Way Volunteer Leader of Texas.

Mr. Vera attended Pan American University, Southern Methodist University Institute for Organization Management, and is a Certified Economic and Community Developer and Certified Festival & Event Executive.

Outside of work, Mr. Vera has dedicated decades of his life to community service organizations such as United Way, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Lions Club, Boy Scouts and 4-H. Among his numerous distinctions, he is especially proud to be an Eagle Scout. Mr. Vera is married and has two children, one grandson and one granddaughter.

Owner & Managing Partner

L&F Distributors LLC

Favorite Brands LLC

 Val LaMantia is recognized for her business leadership as a partner of a family-owned beverage distribution company, her service to the McAllen community and her role as a founding member of the STARS Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $39.5 million in scholarships since 2002, furthering education for nearly 20,000 students in South and West Texas. A well-known entrepreneur, community leader and philanthropist in the Rio Grande Valley, Val has been an active member of the Texas business community for over 35 years. She is the first women to serve as a partner of L&F Distributors LLC and Favorite Brands. Both companies currently distribute throughout Texas and New Mexico and employ over 1,400 employees across more than 170 counties in both states. Over the years, Val has been committed to serving on many boards and organizations. She currently sits as a Trustee and Chair for the Center of Alcohol Policy, Board member of the National & Texas Beer Wholesalers Association, Governing Board Driscoll Childrens Hospital and Texas 2036. A major supporter of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Val is a champion for improving one’s quality of life through education. As chairperson of the Friends of Quinta Mazatlán Board of Directors, Val played a leadership role in creating new fundraising strategies for the $60 million development of the Center for Urban Ecology, which will become a premier research lab on urban ecological sciences and its application towards sustainable urban development. Val has been honored with several prestigious accolades including Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, McAllen Chamber Woman of the year, Hispanic Chamber Businesswoman of the Year, South Texas Literacy Champion and Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas. 

 To hear John David Franz’s story, one gets the impression that he has always been in a hurry – completing high school in three years at age 16, becoming a municipal judge in Hidalgo at 18, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Pan American University at 20, graduating from the University of Texas Law School at 23, being elected mayor of his hometown at 29 and appointed by the Governor of Texas to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Board at 34. Though he admits to being quite ambitious as a young man, he says that his parents and the example they set for him and his younger sister were the real driving forces in his developing a résumé of achievement. Border Texan of the Year honoree in 2009.   

Isaac Tawil is a proven community

leader with over 25 years of dedicated

service to Texas municipalities. His

extensive experience and expertise span

multiple facets of municipal governance,

making him an invaluable asset to the

communities he serves.

On September 13, 2024, Mr. Tawil was

appointed as the City Manager of McAllen, where he currently

oversees the City’s $650 million budget and is responsible for

the daily management of the City’s international airport, two

international ports of entry, cultural arts facilities and golf

course among 36 city departments. Prior to serving as City

Manager, Tawil served in the City Attorney’s Office for nearly

13 years, most recently as City Attorney, where he provided

McAllen with practical legal and management advice on a wide

array of issues. His role in negotiating and composing first-of-

their-kind economic development agreements and fostering

international relationships designed to stimulate local economic

growth has been instrumental in McAllen’s continued

prosperity.

Mr. Tawil has significant experience working with airports,

public safety, code compliance, human resources, public

infrastructure development, land acquisition, real estate, cultural

arts, complex construction management, municipal finance,

public utilities, and capital improvement procurement. His

experience with intergovernmental federal and state

cooperation, community and social services, grant compliance,

emergency management, and healthcare systems further

underscore his comprehensive understanding of municipal

operations.

Mr. Tawil holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University

of Texas at Austin and a law degree from St. Mary’s University

School of Law. He is an active member of Temple Emanuel and

enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.