“W hen I left the Mayor's office in June 2003, I promised myself that I was
not going to accept any appointments to boards of nonprofit organizations, and until now I have been true to my promise. But I could not pass up on
the opportunity to serve on the board of a premier organization like
Southwest Key.”

Gus Garcia has been a major force in Austin politics and government for more than three decades and is the newest addition to Southwest Key’s Board of Directors. Gus was a charter member of the 1967 Human Relations Commission during the Civil Rights movement. In 1972, he became the first Hispanic elected to the Austin school board, becoming board president three years later during the turmoil of integration. He spent three terms on city council in the 1990s, and i n 1994, Gus was the first City Council incumbent in the City's history to run for re-election unopposed. He served as a trustee of both the Austin Independent School District and Austin Community College from 1972-1978.

Born in 1934 in Zapata, Texas, Gus and his wife, Marina, who grew up in Laredo, moved to Austin in 1957 so Gus could attend the University of Texas. He earned an accounting degree, then became a CPA and established an accounting practice. They are the parents of three boys, all grown now.

Gus has a passion for community service. While in office, he improved education, provided economic opportunities and protected the environment, making a particularly significant impact on the quality of life for East Austin residents. In April 2006, he was honored at the groundbreaking of the Gustavo L. “Gus” Garcia Middle School in northeast Austin. Gus has been honored with the LULAC Award for Political Involvement & Education, 1992; Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award, Boy Scouts of America Capital Area Council, 1991; Hispanic of the Year, Austin Independent School District, 1986; Businessman of the Year, Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, 1984; and Humanitarian Award, Martin Luther King Association, 1984.

Sources:

Mayor Gus Garcia leaves office today after entering politics 36 years ago by Ben Heath, Daily Texan, June 16, 2003.

The Life and Times of Gus Garcia by Daryl Slusher, Austin Chronicle, June 2, 2000.