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Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
Antonio O. Garza, Jr. has given distinguished public service to his state and his country. In 2002, President George W. Bush named him U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, responsible for one of the largest diplomatic missions in the world. Immediately before becoming ambassador, he served from 1999–2002 as chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission.
Early in his career, in 1988, Garza became the first Republican elected to countywide office in traditionally Democratic South Texas, serving six years as Cameron County Judge, the county’s top executive. In 1994, then-governor-elect Bush named him Secretary of State and senior policy advisor. In 1998, he was a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (now Bracewell & Giuliani).
Garza earned a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 and a J.D. degree from SMU’s Dedman School of Law in 1983. He was honored with the Outstanding Young Texas Exes Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Dedman School of Law. He delivered SMU’s commencement address in 2004 and currently serves on the Executive Board of Dedman School of Law. Hispanic Business magazine has twice named Garza one of its Top 100 Influential Hispanics and also named him one of the 25 Most Powerful Hispanics in the United States.