Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
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Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
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Antonio
O. Garza, Jr. was named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico by President
George W. Bush in the summer of 2002. He presented his credentials
to Mexican President Vicente Fox on November 22 of that year
and took charge of one of the largest diplomatic missions
in the world. At the time, he was the United States’ youngest
Chief of Mission serving abroad. Announcing the appointment,
President Bush said, “The United States and Mexico share not
only a border, but a rich history of common economic and cultural
interests. Tony Garza has an in-depth understanding of the
relationship between the United States and Mexico and its
impact on the people of both nations.” During his tenure,
Mr. Garza has focused his attentions on American interests
abroad, as well as the law enforcement and counterterrorism
aspects of this most important, and indeed unique, bilateral
relationship.
Before being sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Mr. Garza
served from 1999-2002 as Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission,
a statewide regulatory body charged with overseeing Texas’s
then-$60 billion energy sector. With his election to the Commission,
he became the first Hispanic Republican elected to statewide
office in Texas history. As Chairman of the Commission, Mr.
Garza was a strong advocate for the protection and responsible
stewardship of Texas’s natural resources and was hailed by
the state’s leading newspapers for bringing balance to an
otherwise industry-dominated commission. During this time,
Mr. Garza also served as vice-chairman on the Interstate Oil
and Gas Compact Commission, which brings together 39 oil-
and gas-producing states. The Commission seeks to promote
responsible energy policy and adoption of best practices in
the United States.
Prior to his election as Railroad Commissioner in 1998, Mr.
Garza was a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell &
Patterson, L.L.P. (now Bracewell & Giuliani), a Houston-based
law firm.
In 1994, George W. Bush, shortly after being elected Governor
of Texas, made Mr. Garza his first nominee, naming him Secretary
of State and Senior Policy Advisor. During his tenure, Texas
was the first state to provide Web-based election results
on-line and in real time. Mr. Garza also advocated for the
passage of legislation aimed at increasing voter participation
and decreasing election fraud. As Governor Bush’s lead liaison
on border and Mexico affairs, Mr. Garza worked on issues as
diverse as free trade, the environment, and public health.
In 1988, Mr. Garza was the first Republican elected to countywide
office in traditionally Democratic south Texas. Mr. Garza
served six years as Cameron County Judge, the county’s top
executive. He aggressively worked to provide water and sanitation
services to lower income areas called “colonias” and pursued
healthcare partnerships aimed at new immigrants and indigent
and marginalized populations.
Regarded as a fiscal conservative, Mr. Garza also led Cameron
County’s efforts to raise its bond rating with industry leaders.
Cameron County was, at that time, one of only two U.S.-Mexico
border counties to enjoy an “A” rating. In 1990, the Texas
Jaycees named Mr. Garza one of their Five Outstanding Young
Texans, noting not only his government service but also his
work in the community. As Cameron County Judge, Mr. Garza
also worked closely with his Mexican counterparts at the state
and federal levels and was instrumental in the permitting
and construction of two international bridges linking his
community to Mexico. He has also been recognized for his work
in the region by the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce
and was named Border Texan of the Year in 2003.
Mr. Garza’s public service highlights his faith in the power
of education. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Mr. Garza
to his Special Commission on 21st Century Higher Education.
Mr. Garza was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas
Exes, the alumni association for the University of Texas at
Austin. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the
George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service
at Texas A&M University the SMU School of Law, and is
a member of the SMU Board of Trustees. In 2004, the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund, which provides support for young Hispanics
to pursue higher education, honored Mr. Garza as a member
of its Alumni Hall of Fame for demonstrating the power of
higher education and mentorship. Mr. Garza has delivered commencement
addresses at the Universities of Texas at Austin, Edinburg,
El Paso, and San Antonio, as well as SMU, SMU Law, Texas A&M
and Austin College.
Mr. Garza’s commitment to democracy and free and fair elections
has been evident throughout his career. In 2005, the University
of Denver recognized this commitment when it presented him
with its Distinguished Diplomat Award. Earlier in his career,
as a member of then-President George H.W. Bush’s official
delegation, Mr. Garza observed federal elections in El Salvador,
later leading a delegation to observe voter registration drives
in Nicaragua. In 1993, Mr. Garza also participated in a program
to study emerging democracies in Hungary and Poland.
Mr. Garza often points to his time as a volunteer coach
of age-group soccer and J.V. basketball at St. Joseph’s Academy
as the most gratifying experience of his career. Mr. Garza
is a past President of Rio Grande Big Brothers/Big Sisters
program and served as a director of the Boys and Girls Club,
the United Way of Southern Cameron County, and the Brownsville
Adult Literacy Council, as well as participating in H.O.S.T.,
a Brownsville Independent School District Program aimed at
mentoring disadvantaged youth. The Rio Grande Council Boy
Scouts of America recognized him as Distinguished Citizen
of the Year in 1996. Mr. Garza has made security one of the
key focal points of his tenure as Ambassador to Mexico and
has also served on a number of law enforcement commissions,
including the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. In 2005,
the Greater Austin Crime Commission honored Mr. Garza with
the Joe Kilgore Award.
Mr. Garza cites the Marist Brothers as particularly influential
in his life, in particular Brother Joseph Scanlon, Mr. Garza’s
high school religion teacher, who inspired him to lead a life
devoted to serving the public. Brother Joseph’s focus on an
individual’s need to live purposefully shaped Mr. Garza’s
future endeavors, instilling in him the belief that public
service is not a career but rather a calling. In 1999, Texas
Tech University presented him with their Distinguished Public
Servant Award in recognition of his years of service to the
people of Texas.
Mr. Garza received his Bachelor of Business Administration
from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. He received
his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1983 from Southern Methodist
University School of Law. He was chosen as one of the Outstanding
Young Texas Exes in 1989 and received the SMU School of Law’s
Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. In 2007, Mr. Garza was
honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at both
the University of Texas and SMU. Most recently, he received
an Honorary Doctorate from Austin College in May 2008.
Mr. Garza is married to María Asunción Aramburuzabala. A
native of Mexico City, she serves as President of Tresalia
Capital and also serves on a number of Mexican corporate boards.
Mrs. Garza is considered among the country’s leading business
people. The couple resides in Mexico City with her two sons.
Updated August 14, 2008
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