The City of Mesquite has hired Rachel G. Flores as Manager of Economic Development.

Flores, who started on April 23, comes to the City with a background in finance, marketing, communications, policy and law. Her areas of specialization include small business development and entrepreneurship.

Previously, Flores served as the Executive Director of the Brownsville (Texas) Community Improvement Corporation. She also has held leadership positions in Washington state, Georgia and Nevada. Her experience spans working collaboratively with chambers of commerce, downtown, small business development centers, county government and federal programs.

Prior to entering the economic development field, Flores worked in the private sector in New York for a start-up exchange traded fund boutique advisory company. She is an award-winning member of the International Economic Development Council.

Flores earned dual master’s degrees from Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. A native of South Texas, she is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in Italian.

Her hobbies include an interest in film which led her to study for a time in the film program at the Université Paris Diderot in Paris, France.

As Mesquite’s Manager of Economic Development, Flores will be responsible for developing, managing and implementing programs designed to retain and enable the expansion of businesses and investment.