By DAVID LOPEZ
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Chamber of Commerce welcomed its new director last December. Phoebe Paz, 20, is a Texas Southmost College Junior studying Economics & Finance. She will be transferring to UTRGV next fall and plans to graduate in 2023.
Paz has been with the Chamber since last August, when she worked as an intern sent by Texas Workforce. She became the Interim Executive Director when the previous director, Dafne Maldonado left the position last fall. Paz became the official Chamber Executive Director in December.
Originally from Brownsville, Paz transferred to high school in California her sophomore year, eventually graduating in the Golden State.
She returned to the Valley because she missed her home, culture, and community.
Despite being only 20 years old, Paz has prior experience working in business management: she previously worked as the business director of Tru Fit Athletic Clubs in Brownsville, but before then she was a regular college student working at a cafe.
“What I want to do is rebrand the Chamber,” she said. “I’m Gen Z, so I feel that the traditional ways of marketing are gone and everything out there is beyond word of mouth, and I want to take the Chamber to the next level and create more exposure for them on social media.”
Paz says working with the Chamber aligns well with her current goals.
“When I was first with the Chamber, I was learning a lot about the community and the city and the business side of it, and now I really see how this can benefit my career in the future,” she said. “There is so much I’m learning that even my professors ask me for my opinion on business.”
The Chamber of Commerce is currently planning its largest fundraiser, the Resaca City Bike Tour, for April 2. Paz said they are considering holding their annual golf tournament in May and their Casino Night in October.
Apart from their established events, Paz said she would like to hold a banquet to recognize Chamber members, which would include dinner and awards. Paz said the Chamber continues to grow, as they had 82 members when Maldonado left last fall, and currently, they have 100.
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