President's POV
If you ask companies what major factors drive their location decisions, one answer is remarkably consistent: talent.
Workforce availability, skills alignment, and long-term pipeline strength often matter more than incentives or real estate. For the Greater San Antonio region, that reality is both a challenge and an opportunity — and it’s why workforce development remains a core pillar of our work at greater:SATX.
This week’s SA WORX Job Shadow Days offer a powerful reminder of what that work looks like in practice. Hundreds of local high school students are stepping inside regional companies, meeting professionals, and seeing firsthand the kinds of careers they can pursue right here at home. These experiences matter. Since 2021, our work-based learning programs have helped connect more than 35,000 students’ classroom learning to real opportunities, and they help employers begin building relationships with their future workforce.
At the same time, we’re preparing to welcome a new cohort of San Antonio leaders into the Young American Leaders Program. Ten professionals from across our community will represent San Antonio at Harvard University this summer alongside peers from other U.S. cities, exploring how they can use their skills and influence to strengthen their communities. San Antonio’s inclusion in this program reflects both the strength of our civic leadership and the growing recognition that workforce development is about leadership, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
These efforts are part of something larger. In San Antonio, talent development is not a single program or initiative. It is a continuum.
From early childhood investments like PreK4SA, to adult upskilling through Ready to Work, to the work happening across our K-12 districts, colleges and universities, and nonprofit partners, we are building a cradle-to-career system designed to expand opportunity and support regional growth. None of this happens in isolation. It works because educators, employers, civic leaders, and workforce partners are increasingly aligned around the same goal: preparing people for quality jobs and preparing the region for long-term competitiveness.
That alignment matters now more than ever. As companies evaluate expansion and relocation decisions, they are asking not only about today’s workforce, but about tomorrow’s. They want to know whether a region can produce talent at scale, whether institutions collaborate with industry, and whether the community is committed to sustained investment in people.
San Antonio is answering yes — and we are doing it together.
Next week, that commitment will take another important step forward. On March 4, leaders from across our higher education institutions will stand together to announce a shared regional goal to increase educational attainment. This moment is the result of months of collaboration convened by greater:SATX to bring institutions around a common target for the region’s future workforce. It’s a milestone moment that reflects what’s possible when we align around shared priorities and a collective belief that our competitiveness depends on expanding access to education and opportunity.
Because in the end, economic development is about people. And when we invest in talent, we invest in our region’s future.
Greater together,
Sarah Carabias Rush
President & CEO
Investor Spotlight: WestEast Design
WestEast Design Group is a San Antonio–based architecture and planning firm with more than 30 years of experience delivering people-centered, community-focused design. With a 90 percent repeat client rate, the firm’s portfolio spans civic and cultural spaces, education and healthcare environments, mixed-use districts, industrial facilities, and supportive housing. From projects like the Alamo Education Center to the Bakerly Ranch facility at Brooks and the renovation of Terminals A and B at San Antonio International Airport, WestEast’s work reflects a commitment to thoughtful design that strengthens communities and supports regional growth. Through its Social Impact Studio, the firm also integrates research and social insight to ensure projects advance long-term equity and well-being.
The 2026 Young American Leaders Program Cohort
greater:SATX is proud to partner with Harvard Business School in stewarding the prestigious Young American Leaders Program (YALP) for the San Antonio region. Since 2019, San Antonio has been invited each year to send a cohort of emerging leaders to join peers from 14 U.S. cities for an intensive week of discussion and case study work focused on the challenges and opportunities facing communities today. Through the program, participants contribute to a growing national network of leaders committed to collaboration, innovation, and inclusive growth, strengthening both their home communities and connections across the country.
In the News
Southside manufacturing hub expands as Japanese plastics company plans factory: Japanese manufacturer Sanko broke ground on a $40 million facility on San Antonio’s South Side, reinforcing the area’s status as a manufacturing hub. The company says it will employ as many as 300 workers once fully built.
SA primed for key economic wins as dealmaking escalates: Heightened national and global economic uncertainty has complicated San Antonio’s pursuit of new corporate investment, but recruiters and site selection consultants remain optimistic that deal activity will accelerate and bring major wins to the region.
CPS Energy plans to meet massive data center loads: The utility plans to meet the growth through new substations and transmission lines, but timing of power requests is the biggest challenge, CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza said.
Port San Antonio teams with Austin firm to develop air taxi hub: Port San Antonio is advancing plans to develop a next-generation air taxi hub through a partnership with SkyGrid LLC, a Boeing subsidiary based in Austin.
Sales of San Antonio-made Toyota electrified vehicles surge, continue outperforming their peers: Toyota’s electrified Tundra and Sequoia hybrids, built in San Antonio, posted strong sales in January, marking four consecutive months of growth while overall electrified vehicle sales declined.
San Antonio airport lands new international route as expansion continues: San Antonio International Airport is expanding international service with a new nonstop route to Querétaro, Mexico.
Southwest Research Institute fills three leadership roles: Southwest Research Institute has named new leaders, including a chief operating officer and two vice presidents.
Weston Urban starts leasing new high-rise overlooking San Pedro Creek: Downtown developer Weston Urban has begun leasing the 16-story Continental Residences near San Pedro Creek, where tenants can choose between sweeping skyline views and park-facing scenes.