Tony Garza plans for future beyond public office

Immigration reform. Trade with Mexico. Drug cartels. Bi-national education. Deepening ties with our neighbors. All those issues have guided retired U. S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio O. "Tony" Garza Jr. in his diplomatic service.

And while public service has been a productive career for the 50-year-old Garza, he now is transitioning to find his niche in private enterprise. Inactivity is definitely not an option for the dynamic Brownsville native.

"Unlike elective office, where you won’t see my name on the ballot, on policy issues, I just don’t see myself staying on the sidelines," he said in an interview recently with The Brownsville Herald. "On Jan. 20, at noon, when I walked out of the U.S. embassy for the last time as ambassador, I really felt good about the opportunities I’ve had, but I also felt that there was a nice sense of closure. I want to be in the private sector, but certainly I’ll be involved, I hope, with the shaping of policy."

He is, after all, quite used to making an impact. A prominent member of the country’s Latino elite, Garza stands as a model for civic leadership.

He built his reputation as a levelheaded, single-minded, moderate Republican from an area that has remained staunchly yellow-dog Democrat in the face of a changing economic and political climate. Garza’s cross-over appeal has encouraged the sort of consensus that centrism affords.

Serving as Texas Secretary of State from 1995 to 1997 under Gov. George W. Bush, he in 2002 was appointed ambassador to Mexico by Bush, who by then was president.

"I hope to always be near people that are making decisions," Garza said. "And I hope to have the opportunity to have input and share my experiences with others that will now hold elective positions."

CREDENTIALS TO LEAD

As the influence of the Latino community expands, leaders in the political and cultural arena continue to inspire a new generation of trailblazers, Garza said; such guidance is well distributed and makes for an "interesting phenomenon."

"Unlike other communities, where you can say, ‘these are the leaders,’ the leadership of the Latino community is very diverse," Garza said. "There are a lot of strong regional leaders and they are in academia, and they are in business, and they are in the arts, and they are in politics.

"There is some very talented young leadership across the country, many of whom you will find in state legislatures."

He cites the influence that former Democratic San Antonio mayor and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros had and continues to have, along with the influence of yet another Brownsville native, Democrat Federico F. Peña, who was the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1993-1997) and U.S. Secretary of Energy (1997-1998) under President Bill Clinton. Peña is the former mayor of Denver and most recently the national co-chairman of President Barack Obama’s election campaign.

Garza has an impressive political pedigree of his own. The Mexican government this year awarded him the "Aguila Azteca," in recognition for his efforts to strengthen ties with the country of his ancestors; it is the highest award Mexico bestows on foreigners.

A lawyer by trade, he first served as Cameron County judge in 1988, then as Texas Secretary of State and as Texas Railroad Commissioner before his appointment as ambassador to Mexico.

He recently joined the international law firm White & Case, based in New York, and the management and communications consultancy group called ViaNovo, based in Austin, but he also plans to continue his public service.

Garza points to former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former Kellogg Company CEO Carlos M. Gutierrez, and Henry B. Gonzalez, former San Antonio City Council member, Texas senator and U.S. congressman.

"You also can’t underestimate the importance of Hector Garcia," Garza said, referring to the founder of the American G. I. Forum.

"I also think that, in terms of leadership, you’ve got to include people like Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa, chancellor of The University of Texas System; Ricardo Romo, president of the University of Texas at San Antonio; and U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa of McAllen.

"These are all people that have led, have inspired, and can help identify and bring along the next generation of Latino leaders," Garza said.

He does not limit his list of Hispanic leaders to the political arena.

"I also think about people like the author Sandra Cisneros, or Robert Rodriguez the filmmaker, each having a significant impact in the cultural area," he said.

TIPPING POINTS OF LIGHT

Garza said demographic changes in the United States cannot be ignored.

"Our (Latino) community is becoming not only more active, but more demanding, in a sense, in terms of holding both parties and officeholders more accountable to issues that are important to us," he said. "I hate to use the expression tipping point, but in terms of the economic presence, certainly we are well beyond the tipping point."

A lot of that clout is rooted in good old-fashioned economics: The Latino consumer is recognized now, and respected by the business community.

Likewise, "the Latino as a presence in the political arena is much more active. We are at those tipping points where the community is going to be critical. It is in the southwest, midwest and southeast, even. The community is growing and has reached a point where it is a very influential one, and I think that is very healthy."

In terms of global issues, immigration reform and trade policy continue to be very important to him.

"I’ve told my successor that I want to be available as a sounding board and offer insight where I can. I am very supportive of those issues, and where there is the possibility to support the new administration as they roll out their immigration reform initiative, you bet I want to be (involved)," Garza said.

LOCAL IMPACT

He remains optimistic about the future of deep South Texas, the border and the Hispanic community under Obama.

"Certainly there are challenges, and I think that there is a tendency to see many of the border issues through the prism of security and violence," he said. "But if you look more closely, you see a very vibrant, developing entrepreneurial class. You see an area that has been always resilient, but more recently somewhat resistant to the economic downturn. That doesn’t suggest that people aren’t hurting, but you’ve seen some resistance to the economic downturn. I am very optimistic."

In a display of the political moderation that has kept him a viable public servant for more than two decades, he talked about Democratic President Barack Obama and their differences on public policy.

"Democrat or Republican, I want our president to succeed," Garza said. "Honest disagreement should never be stifled. That’s what makes us unique as a country.

"I’m very supportive of President Obama’s desire to reform our immigration laws and hope that he remains committed to global trade. I am, however, increasingly wary of his economic plan. The fact that our federal government is taking over large sectors of the U.S. economy and running massive deficits should give rise to honest debate, something that has always served our country well," he said.

‘THE RIGHT THING TO DO’

Garza, too, by all accounts has served his country well. He recalls his years in the spotlight with satisfaction and a degree of tempered pride.

"How blessed I’ve been to have the opportunity to serve in positions that I felt challenged by and were very satisfying," he said. "I always felt as though I was involved in things that were relevant and that were urgent."

When he was first elected county judge in 1988, he never imagined that decades later, he would be concluding a major chapter of his life, "the public one, the officeholder."

"It’s been extraordinary," he said. "I have met so many wonderful people along the way and have truly enjoyed it."

In 2008, speaking before the San Antonio-Mexico Friendship Council, he closed his speech with this pledge:

"Sometime around noon, on Jan. 20, I will no longer be the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. But on Jan. 21, I will wake up with the same passion for the issues I’ve spoken about, and the same commitment to making this relationship better.

"Every bone in my body knows that’s the right thing to do."