Leadership & Board of Directors

Elsa M. Galvan Serves as the Executive Director of Business Development Fund of Texas, where she oversees the program and staff in delivering quality advisement and assistance to the business community. Elsa has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, business development and operations, marketing, event planning, and economic development. Elsa holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She has also earned a Certified Public Manager Certification from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Professional Development Academy Leadership Certificate, and a Yale School of Management Executive Education Women's Leadership Program Certificate. An active community leader, Elsa is a Leadership Brownsville Class XXXVII alumna. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Historic Brownsville where she is a Ride for Rotary Committee Member, Youth and Leadership Chair for 2026-2027. Elsa also serves as the Board Secretary and Gala Co-Chair for BiG HEROES. Elsa is a committee member for the RGV Food Bank's Empty Bowls in Cameron County. She is a Care Partner for BISD Yturria Elementary and is a Lifetime Member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Through strategic planning and key stakeholder relationships, Ms. Galvan guides the Business Development Fund of Texas team to meet and exceed goals in the areas of business development to impact the economic climate of the southern portion of Texas.

Serves as the BLDC dba Business Development Fund of Texas board chair with expertise in commercial lending. With more than 45 years of experience in consumer and commercial banking, he holds the position of Business Relationship Manager IV at Lone Star National Bank. His extensive leadership background includes roles at esteemed institutions such as JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo Bank, and BBVA Compass. He holds a BBA and MBA from the University of Texas Brownsville and has earned a Graduate School of Banking certificate from South Louisiana State University.

Secretary of BLDC dba Business Development Fund of Texas, specializes in internal controls. Moises Gomez, CPA is a certified public accountant registered with the state of Texas. Mr. Gomez has extensive experience in accounting for local, mid-sized and large companies as well as aiding those same size companies with tax preparation, audits, consulting, and software implementation. He graduated from Texas A&M Kingsville University with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting. He has almost 50 years of accounting and tax experience.

Acts as the Treasurer for BLDC, also known as Business Development Fund of Texas, specializing in commercial lending. With 19 years in consumer and commercial banking, he's held significant positions at Texas State Bank (Compass), Rio Bank, Regional Management, and International Bank. Mr. Molina earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Schreiner University.

Ibrahim Garza is a strategy and operations professional specializing in healthcare, legal operations, and advanced analytics. He currently serves as a Strategy & Operations Consultant for the Legal Division at DHR Health. Previously, he worked as a data scientist at Lone Star National Bank and as a business analyst at DHR. Ibrahim attended HCC, UTRGV, and is currently a 2L in the JD program at Monterey College of Law. Beyond his professional work, Ibrahim chairs the Border Business Prosperity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to small business education and financial literacy along the Texas border. Under his leadership, the Foundation regularly partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration to deliver lectures for entrepreneurs and has collaborated with the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office to promote fraud awareness among local business owners. He is a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Lifetime Achievement) and multiple Congressional Awards for economic development and patent research. Ibrahim also serves as Chairman of the Starr County Small Business Education Advisory Council and has represented at international forums including the U.N. ECOSOC and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Lizzy de la Garza Putegnat is Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Titan Fuel, where she leads government affairs, marketing, and community outreach initiatives. A Duke University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, Lizzy brings extensive experience in energy management, consulting, business recruitment, retention, and expansion. She is also a Maxwell Leadership Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer.

A passionate community servant leader, Lizzy has served on 16 boards and numerous councils and committees throughout the State of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Her leadership experience includes serving as Board President of Rio Grande Valley Linking Economic and Academic Development and the Children's Advocacy Centers of Cameron and Willacy Counties, as well as Board Chairwoman of Leadership Brownsville. She has also co-founded several community-focused organizations and initiatives.

Currently, Lizzy serves on the Texas State Technical College Board of Regents, Texas Lyceum, Business Development Fund of Texas, RGV Partnership, Greater Chamber of Harlingen, Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, United Way of Northern Cameron County, RGV Philanthropic Foundation, Children's Museum of Brownsville, Duke University Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Council, and Texas Campaign for Mothers.

Lizzy has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership and commitment to community service. As a speaker and mentor, she inspires emerging leaders, executives, students, and community stakeholders through authentic conversations, transformational insights, and actionable strategies that empower individuals to grow with intention and lead with purpose.

Vice President at BLDC, known as Business Development Fund of Texas, specializes in commercial lending. With almost 36 years of financial experience, he's led across the United States Air Force, Business division of South Texas College, and currently serves as Senior Vice President/Lending at First Community Bank. Mr. Villanueva holds a Bachelor and Master's Degree in Business Administration from University of Texas-Brownsville.

Jorge Maldonado is a Vice President and Relationship Manager at Frost Bank, bringing nearly two decades of commercial lending expertise to the Board of Directors. Over a 19-year career specializing in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) lending, Jorge has combined his strong financial acumen with a robust accounting background to help regional enterprises thrive. A lifetime resident of Brownsville, he is deeply passionate about small business growth and job creation as vital drivers of the local economy. Jorge holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas Pan American. His community leadership includes serving on the board of the Business Development Fund of Texas, active involvement with the Brownsville Rotary Club, and graduating from Leadership Brownsville Class 39 (widely considered the best class).

Director at BLDC, is an attorney at Sanchez Whittington Wood & Orozco, LLC in Brownsville, Texas. He enjoys a diverse practice that includes Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate, Probate, and DTPA cases. He earned his B.S. in History from Texas State University in 2010, and obtained a J.D. from Texas Southern University-Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2017. At TMSL, Hector was a published author in the TMSL Journal on Gender, Race and Justice, and graduated summa cum laude. Hector was also an adjunct professor at Texas Southmost College and is a licensed Texas Realtor.