Based on his experience bringing business and civic leaders together to address community challenges, A.J. Rodriguez joined Texas 2036 in September 2020 after working as Vice President, External Affairs at Zachry Group, a privately held business engaged primarily in the engineering, construction, and maintenance of large industrial facilities. He began at Zachry in 2011 and oversaw the organization’s community investment and philanthropic efforts, media relations, and government affairs. Prior to this role, A.J. served as Deputy City Manager for the City of San Antonio from 2008 – 2011. He had direct supervision over the areas of International Relations, Economic Development, Intergovernmental Relations, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Human Resources, Downtown Operations, the Public Library System, the Office of Cultural Affairs and the Parks and Recreation departments. Before joining the City, A.J. served as President & CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. During his four-year tenure, the Hispanic Chamber doubled its membership base and grew its total revenue by 60+ percent. He also served as Vice President of Public Policy & Advocacy at the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, A.J. began a five-year term as an officer of the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Business and was unanimously endorsed to serve as Chairman of the Board in 2018. He is proud to have served as the organization’s first Latino chairman. In 2021, A.J. is Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the San Antonio Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news organization that reports on issues of importance and interest in San Antonio. A.J. earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree specializing in International Business, and a Master of Business Administration degree from UTSA. A.J. and his wife, Estelle, have been married more than 30 years and they have three adult children, Alexandra, Arthur John, and Isabella.