Episodes

Who gets the final say when voters have already spoken? In November 2025, Bexar County voters approved a financing plan for a new downtown arena for the San Antonio Spurs, including $489 million in city visitor tax funds and $311 million in county visitor tax funds. The Spurs are contributing $500 million toward the arena, guaranteeing construction cost overruns, and investing another $1.5 billion in the surrounding sports and entertainment district. But now, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is calling f...

Texas came within 4 minutes and 23 seconds of a total grid collapse during Winter Storm Uri—and the consequences could have been catastrophic. In this episode, Host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Bill Lauderback of Texans for Responsible Infrastructure Investment to take listeners inside that near-disaster and explains why strengthening the state’s power grid has become one of Texas’s most urgent economic and public-safety challenges. As Texas adds millions of residents, major employers, manufact...

For more than three decades, Janet Holliday has helped shape some of San Antonio’s most memorable moments. As founder of CE Group, she has been behind major civic celebrations, public projects, and events that have defined the city’s growth. In this episode, Janet joins former San Antonio Assistant City Manager Lori Houston to discuss an extraordinary leadership transition as Lori becomes the new owner of CE Group. Together, they reflect on mentorship, entrepreneurship, and why succession planni...

This episode kicks off with a brief overview of the evolution and expanded mission of greaterSATX, highlighting the organization’s transition from the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation to a dynamic force serving a 10-county region. greaterSATX CEO Sarah Carabias Rush drilled into the organization's drive to create and diversify jobs, both by attracting new businesses to the area and retaining existing ones, with an emphasis on collaborative workforce development and regional strategie...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, Eddie Aldrete sits down with Robert Puente, CEO of San Antonio Water System, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of water in one of America’s fastest-growing cities. Puente explains where San Antonio’s water comes from, how projects like Vista Ridge helped the city survive years of severe drought, and why long-term planning is critical to keeping up with continued growth. The discussion also explores how SAWS uses aquifer storage, desalination, an...

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh says his job is personal, because it’s not often that you get to be a city manager for your own hometown. But that’s just a part of the story that comes out of his interview. In this episode, Manager Walsh updates us on recent city issues, major projects, and leadership transitions. They begin by dissecting the city council's recent debate over the veteran housing voucher ordinance, clarifying the distinction between policy-making and enforcement. Walsh empha...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with VIA CEO Jon Gary Herrera and VIA Board Chair Laura Cabanilla to discuss major transformations taking place at VIA Transit in San Antonio. The conversation explores how the agency is accelerating service improvements, particularly focusing on increasing bus frequency and redesigning routes to better connect job and education centers in a rapidly growing city. Laura Cabanilla highlights the board’s emphasis on strategic accounta...

This episode of Beyond the Bite takes listeners inside San Antonio’s annual “SA to DC” trip, where business leaders, elected officials, and community advocates travel to Washington to advocate for the region’s priorities. Guests Kevin Matula of USAA and Krista Piferrer of the First Day Foundation provide a behind-the-scenes look at how a diverse coalition—from large corporations to small business owners and nonprofits—comes together to present a unified voice. With a record-breaking delegation t...

In Part Two of our interview with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, the Archbishop explores the vital role of the laity in shaping business, civic life, and public policy, highlighting organizations like Legatus as examples of how faith can guide leadership in the marketplace. The conversation then shifts to moments of profound tragedy—from Uvalde to the migrant deaths in San Antonio—where he reflects on leading through grief by embracing both the human and spiritual dimensions of service, empha...

Part One of this two-part episode is a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation where Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio, reflects on his upbringing in a large family in San Luis Potosí and how those early experiences shaped his worldview. Growing up as one of 15 children, he describes a culture where family was seen as a blessing rather than a burden, rooted in faith, responsibility, and shared sacrifice. The discussion explores how shifting cultura...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, Eddie Aldrete sits down with San Antonio City Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran for a candid conversation about the recent censure of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and what it means for leadership and collaboration at San Antonio City Council. Viagran walks through why she supported the vote to censure the mayor following an investigation into violations of the city’s code of conduct. She explains the difference between political disagreement and accountability, emphasizi...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, Eddie Aldrete sits down with Texas Transportation Commissioner and long-time friend Alex Meade — not just to talk policy, but to tell the story of a problem-solver who believes progress begins with listening. Meade’s journey starts long before his appointment to the Texas Transportation Commission. From his days in city management to his work in economic development, he learned that big challenges are rarely solved from behind a desk. So, when he joined the C...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with David McArthur, candidate for Texas House District 121, and Adam Blanchard, CEO of Double Diamond Transport and Tanager Logistics, for an in-depth discussion on the upcoming state representative race and the latest issues impacting Texas communities and businesses. The conversation kicks off with with McArthur discussing his campaign – from his background working for President George W. Bush to his motivations for running for...

In this episode, Host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones for an in-depth discussion about her upbringing, career, and the unique challenges of representing one of the most diverse and fastest-growing county commission precincts in Texas. Commissioner Briones shares her background as the daughter of two educators from Laredo, her journey through Harvard and Yale, and how her experiences on the Texas border and at prestigious universities have shaped her commitm...

In this episode, Eddie Aldrete sits down with Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock for a deep dive into fiscal management and government transparency, with a special focus on municipal spending and indebtedness. Hancock explains how his business background drives his mission to bring efficiency, accountability, and urgency to state government, but he also stresses why monitoring and communicating about local (municipal and school district) debt is a top priority for the Comptroller’s office. H...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes back returning guest Rudy Garza for an in-depth conversation about the current and future challenges facing CPS Energy and the broader San Antonio community. The discussion opens with a look at recent board changes at CPS Energy, highlighting the appointment of Dr. Erika Gonzalez and her impressive background in both business and civic leadership. Garza offers insights into the rigorous selection process and expresses optimism about...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Melissa Mastrodomenico, current president of the San Antonio chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and Aquila Mendez-Valdez, longtime NAWBO member soon-to-be board president. The episode kicks off with a lighthearted discussion about how Aquila and Melissa first met—though neither can recall the exact moment, they agree it was through NAWBO and solidified when Aquila sought out Melissa for her...

In this episode, Host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Steve Spriester and Demonte Alexander for a deep dive into San Antonio’s evolving political and civic landscape. The conversation kicks off with reflections on Spriester’s 30-year career at KSAT-TV as an anchor and reporter including the changes he witnessed in local media, city development, and community engagement. The episode transitions to explore broader themes around local governance, political leadership, and consensus-building within ci...

When host Eddie Aldrete sat down with David McGee, CEO of Amegy Bank for the Central Texas Region, he discovered why the bank moved from its longtime airport location to the city’s core. McGee said the strategic decision signaled Amegy’s commitment to economic revitalization post-COVID and supports the ongoing development momentum in the area. Their conversation uncovers why vibrant city centers matter, both for business growth and community connection, and how San Antonio’s leaders are pushing ...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes Thad Rutherford, President of SouthStar, and Jessica Loudermilk, Chief of Staff to the president of Texas A&M University - San Antonio, for an in-depth conversation about Project Vida. Project Vida is a transformative, mixed-use development on San Antonio's south side, designed to bring together education, housing, healthcare, and economic opportunity. The conversation begins with an overview of SouthStar’s approach to community bui...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai for an in-depth discussion about the upcoming county ballot propositions A and B. Judge Sakai provides listeners with a rich historical context, detailing the longstanding needs of San Antonio’s major sports and entertainment venues, like the Frost Bank Center and the Freeman Coliseum. He explains how preliminary discussions of the Spurs possibly moving to a new downtown arena set off a collabora...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes Mike Lynd, CEO of Kairoi Residential, for a deep dive into economic development and the pivotal opportunities facing San Antonio. Mike shares his personal journey from Florida to Texas and discusses how his family's business background shaped his approach to property development and community investment. The conversation highlights Kairoi’s impressive projects, such as the landmark 6G building and Waterline in Austin, and explores t...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete turns his attention to a story on the Texas gulf coast as he sits down with Stephanie Hajducek from Project YaREN and Dolly Gonzales Trolley from Voices for Coastal Bend Energy as they dive into the details of a proposed ammonia plant in Ingleside, Texas. The discussion opens with the basic question of who and what is Project YaREN? Turns out, it's a joint venture between Enbridge and Yara. Yara is a long time leader in the ammonia space wh...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete is joined by Pete Cortez, CEO of La Familia Cortez Restaurants and board chair of the Alameda Conservancy, along with Trey Jacobson, consultant and interim executive director for the Conservancy. Together, they dive into the rich history and exciting future of the iconic Alameda Theater in downtown San Antonio. The conversation begins with a look back at the theater’s origins in 1949 as a vibrant center for Mexican and Mexican American arts ...