Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is pulling collectively a brand new group of native financial advisers forward of a commerce mission to Taiwan.
Jones introduced the members of her Financial Safety Advisory Group on Monday, comprised of enterprise leaders, analysis establishment heads and retired army officers that may counsel metropolis officers on the subject of a number of technology-related sectors.
The group will concentrate on synthetic intelligence, quantum expertise, biotechnology and house manufacturing, stated Jones, who earlier than changing into mayor was a high Pentagon official and has been leaning on these connections in hopes of boosting San Antonio’s financial system.
It will likely be chaired by Jim Perschbach, President and CEO of Port San Antonio, one among Jones’ earliest allies from the enterprise neighborhood.
The group is meant to assist metropolis officers construct public-private partnerships and keep updated on these tech sectors in and outdoors San Antonio. Jones added that the group might additionally present enter on coverage choices, together with how investments like the town’s upcoming greater than $500 million infrastructure bond might assist develop these industries. It’ll meet at the very least quarterly, the mayor stated.
“These are foundational applied sciences and rising sectors that will probably be wanted to energy the worldwide financial system, and San Antonio will paved the way,” Jones stated.
The safety a part of the Financial Safety Advisory Group was on full show Monday. The group features a retired U.S. Air Power Common and U.S. Navy Vice Admiral. CEOs from army suppliers Knight Aerospace and Darkhive and cybersecurity firms and consultants Ahead Edge-AI and Javilud can even be represented.
Jones stated she can even look to the group for broader methods on conserving tech business firms and jobs in San Antonio.
Roman Sandoval, an ESAG member, based Allosense, an organization that designs testing and sensor techniques for producers.
He stated at Monday’s occasion that he needs to see metropolis insurance policies that encourage funding in small tech firms and provides them entry to native manufacturing sources.
Council member Misty Spears (D9) stated San Antonio’s strong army presence and current cybersecurity and bioscience industries are a very good basis for ESAG. She’s additionally seeking to the group for strategic recommendation on policymaking and increasing the U.S. army footprint.
“This can be a nice approach to get a fowl’s-eye view,” Spears stated.
Rene Dominguez, CEO and President of VelocityTX, added that assembly frequently would get officers from the non-public, public and analysis sectors on the identical web page. VelocityTX is an financial improvement nonprofit centered on bringing life science firms to an Eastside analysis park. The leaders of Texas Biomedical Analysis Institute and the Southwest Analysis Institute can even each sit on the panel.
Non-public sector representatives on ESAG might assist pitch San Antonio to firms and traders from outdoors the town, Dominguez added.
A part of the group’s success can be outlined by its function in these broader regional efforts to draw jobs and employers to San Antonio, stated Jeff Webster, president and CEO of the Better San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. He praised Jones’ efforts to concentrate on the town’s core industries.
“For the reason that mayor has been elected, she has had an open-door coverage,” Webster stated. “It’s been a very good relationship with the enterprise neighborhood.”
Councilmember Edward Mungia (D4) additionally attended the announcement.
Nest cease: Taiwan
Members of the ESAG and Better:SATX are scheduled to accompany Jones on a commerce mission to fulfill with Taiwanese companies this weekend.
It’s a follow-up effort to a go to from the Taiwan Electrical and Digital Producer’s Affiliation in August 2025. Jones hopes to signal a three-way settlement with Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Kumamoto, Japan, with a concentrate on enterprise improvement and the semiconductor business to the prevailing sister metropolis relationship between the three cities.
“I’m grateful that a number of ESAG members will be a part of me on the journey as we make one of the best case potential for why San Antonio is the place our Taiwanese companions have to arrange store,” she stated.
Jones has talked up the significance of bringing in new manufacturing jobs and wages to San Antonio’s financial system at current occasions for Toyota and Sanko, each of that are engaged on new Southside amenities.
