Chamber welcomes new Director

The San Benito Chamber of Commerce welcomed its new executive director, Dafne Melissa Maldonado, last week.

Maldonado graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2008, soon after marrying and leaving for San Antonio.

In 2016, she returned to Brownsville to spend time with her mother. Meanwhile, she held two positions as Executive Director for the Cameron County Bar Association and as an administrator for the Valdez Garza Law Firm.

“I missed the valley, going to the island, seeing my family and friends,” Maldonado said about her decision to return. “It’s just home.”

In her time working for the bar association, she met judges and lawyers from across Cameron County, including San Benito professionals.

Maldonado mentioned that moving through with the Chamber’s usual work is currently a challenge due to the pandemic.

“Right now, everyone’s wondering what’s going to happen with every single business, not just with the Chamber, and all I can say is that I want to assist everyone as much as possible, even if that means virtually as direct contact isn’t permitted at this time,” Maldonado said. “But once all these ordinances go back to normal, I would like to meet with every one of our members personally, let them know who I am, and let them know we advocate for them in San Benito.”