BCIC Names Daniel Silva Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

BROWNSVILLE, TX — April 28, 2026 — The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) announced the hire of Daniel Silva as Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, effective April 27, 2026. Silva joins BCIC after more than two decades of senior leadership in Rio Grande Valley economic development, workforce, and entrepreneurship.

Silva most recently served as Executive Director of the South Texas Vocational Technical Institute, Brownsville campus, under Ancora Education, a member of the Lindenwood Education System, where he led campus operations, faculty management, and student outcomes. Before that, he served as President and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, the advocacy entity for the entire RGV, leading regional initiatives across healthcare, manufacturing, education, and commerce.

Silva spent eighteen years at the Mission Economic Development Corporation, four as Chief Executive Officer, seven as Chief Operating Officer, and seven as Project Manager while concurrently serving nine years as Executive Director of the Mission Redevelopment Authority and its Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ). During his tenure with Mission EDC, Silva oversaw operations of the 55,000 square foot Center for Education and Economic Development and contributed to the creation and retention of more than 15,000 jobs and over $200 million in capital investment across the city of Mission.

In his new role, Silva will lead BCIC’s entrepreneurship and innovation portfolio, including Startup Texas, the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization, and BCIC’s expanding early-stage funding pathway. The position aligns directly with the entrepreneurship and innovation goals of BCIC’s Strategic Plan 2025–2029.

“Daniel has spent two decades leading economic development across the Rio Grande Valley, and his work at Mission EDC and the RGV Partnership consistently produced what we want more of in Brownsville: jobs, capital, and a stronger ecosystem for entrepreneurs,” said Cori Peña, BCIC President and CEO. “As Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he’ll lead BCIC’s work with Startup Texas, the eBridge Center, and the early-stage funding pathway we’re scaling under our 2025–2029 Strategic Plan.”

Silva holds a Master of Public Administration (2015) and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods (2004). He is a Certified Public Manager (CPM, 2015), an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP, 2013), and a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED, 2009).

“Brownsville is doing something the rest of the Valley is paying attention to, and BCIC is a major force at the center of it,” said Silva. “I’ve spent my career working to bring jobs, capital, and opportunity to this region, and joining BCIC is a chance to do that work at the pace and scale Brownsville’s growth demands. I’m grateful to Cori, the board, and the team for the opportunity.”