Newswise — Antonio O. Garza Jr., the United States ambassador to Mexico and former chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, will be the speaker at the 123rd Spring Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin on May 20.
Garza, an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin who was recognized as one of five Outstanding Young Texas Exes in 1989, will speak to graduating students and visitors at the university-wide commencement ceremony, which is the culmination of spring commencement activities in the colleges, schools and departments across the campus May 19-20.
"As Texas' Secretary of State, and now ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza has rendered outstanding public service to the people of Texas and our nation," said William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin.
"He has been a conscientious leader and a trailblazer all his life, working to improve education, health care, environmental protection and immigration policies. The university is proud of his many accomplishments and pleased to count him as one of our distinguished graduates. We are delighted he will be our commencement speaker."
Garza, a native of Brownsville, Texas, received his bachelor of business administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1980.
"I am deeply honored to be delivering the 2006 Spring Commencement address at my alma mater," said Garza. "I feel very much at home in the 40 Acres, and always welcome the opportunity to be here, especially on such an important day for the university's newest graduates."
In 1994, after having been elected governor of the state of Texas, George W. Bush made Garza his first nominee, naming him secretary of state and senior policy adviser. Garza served as Bush's lead liaison on border and Mexico affairs, working on issues as diverse as free trade, the environment and public health.
From 1999-2002, Garza was chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, a statewide regulatory body charged with overseeing Texas' then $60 billion energy sector.
He also has served in public service areas of education, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Special Commission on Higher Education. He was a member of the board of directors of the Texas Exes, the alumni association for The University of Texas at Austin, and continues to serve on the advisory board of the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin, Garza received his doctor of jurisprudence degree in 1983 from Southern Methodist University (SMU) School of Law. In 2001, he received the SMU School of Law's Distinguished Alumnus Award. Hispanic Business Magazine has twice named him one of its "Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics" and, most recently, Hispanic Magazine named him one of the "25 Most Powerful Hispanics" in the United States. Poder Magazine recently named the ambassador and his wife as among the "10 Most Powerful People in Mexico."
Garza is married to MarÃa Asunción Aramburuzabala, a native of Mexico City who is president of Tresalia Capital and vice chair of the boards of directors of both Grupo Modelo and Televisa. The couple lives in Mexico City.
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