New Institute for Economic Development Center for Community and Business Research Director Announced

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Dominique Halaby has recently joined UTSA's Institute for Economic Development Team as the new Director of the Center for Community and Business Research.

Dr. Halaby spent most of his recent career building a non-profit organization in the Rio Grande Valley dealing with workforce and economic development, as Executive Director of the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA). In 7 years leading VIDA as Executive Director, funded project activity grew from $900K to $4M annually, from a variety of sponsors including federal grants, municipal 4a/4b funding, Texas Workforce Commission and area industry. He was successful in achieving broad collaboration in the Valley among healthcare providers and educators to strengthen home-growing approaches to meet their skilled workforce needs, and in several community planning and anti-poverty initiatives. These projects won awards as national finalists for EDA Best Practices recognition in 2003 & 2006, from TWC in 2004, and VIDA was selected One of the Best Places to Work in 2006 by the Hidalgo Human Resources Society. This past year he also served as Interim Director of the Valley Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization during it's getting-organized phase (RCIC -similar role as SATAI to screen Texas Emerging Tech Fund projects). He holds a Doctor of Public Administration degree, as well as an MBA, and a B.A. in Sociology, is a member of the Southwestern Economics Association, the Association for Research on Non-profit Organizations and Voluntary Action, and the American Society for Public Administration.

A new Economic Impact Study for UTSA will be one of Dr. Halaby's initial assignments in addition to on-going EDF projects.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Halaby to the university.

Robert M. McKinley
Associate Vice President, UTSA