My public career highlights and education: Educational highlights include a Bachelor of Arts – Government Degree from the University of Texas at Austin; Masters of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word; Certified Public Manager from Texas State University; Completion of the Public Executive Institute from the University of Texas at Austin.
What I like best about public service: I like impacting people’s lives at the local level. Everyday is a battle to juggle what is administratively feasible versus what is politically acceptable. So much so at the local level goes unnoticed when compared to state and national politics, but you can see local government at work everyday.
Some of the best advice I have ever received: Wow, this one is hard because advice is constantly coming. I revert back to my leadership approach which is to communicate effectively, lead by example, be the eternal optimist and don’t be afraid to show humility. Mistakes happen, you just have to learn from them.
Something I wish more people knew about my division of government: Local government is like a running a small, medium, or large-sized business. You have internal and external stakeholders that you have to manage and lead. It is such a rewarding job when you have the right team in place (i.e. your executive leadership team and your governing body).
A current project or initiative that I am working on: We are currently working on a public safety training facility to train not just City of Selma public safety professionals, but other agencies in the area. University Health System is constructing a massive hospital not yet seen in this area of Bexar County so we are working to make sure we have the sufficient amount of infrastructure in place when they open in 2027.
One thing outside of government service people may not know about me: Past published author, lead actor in an award-winning music video, and I would leave local government in a second for a General Manager job of any baseball, basketball or football professional teams!
