Corpus Christi, Texas – March 20, 2014 – The CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery will join the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal to host the Sixth Annual “Lose Your Suits, Wear Your Boots” State of the County Address on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. More than 800 community members are anticipated to attend the event, which will focus on future economic development projects in the Nueces County area.

“At CITGO, we proudly support the community where we live and work. We are honored to join Judge Neal and the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in carrying out its mission of providing assistance to businesses and projects in Nueces County,” said Mark Avelar, Government & Public Affairs Manager.

Serving as the sponsor for the State of the County Address is one of the many ways the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery advances education, environment, health, and job development in the region. These areas are also supported by the “Hands for Hillcrest” program, now in its second year, which provides grants for organizations that deliver services to residents in Nueces County.

In addition, CITGO and its refinery employees have donated almost 15,000 volunteer hours and nearly $7 million dollars over the last six years in support of community programs such as United Way, Charlie’s Place, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Miracle League and a variety of community clean-up and preservation initiatives.

The CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery benefits the community in other ways by directly employing more than 1,000 local residents and generating more than $625 million per year in support of the local economy through salaries, services and taxes.

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products.  The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

For more information visit www.citgo.com.

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