By Blithe Wiley SAN ANTONIO — Former longtime San Antonio Area Foundation Board Member Christina “Ommy” Strauch first became familiar with the philanthropic organization in the 1990s when she was a human resources executive at Valero Energy Corporation.  During that time, the Area Foundation occupied office space in the Valero building and Strauch was impressed by the…

By Hernán Rozemberg SAN ANTONIO — His soft-spoken demeanor and amiable smile belie a lifetime of grit and valor that eventually reveal themselves when he begins to open up about his life and career. There’s a reason why James Tom Hill’s name is usually preceded by the three-letter Gen. designation. Gen. Hill, the current Chairman of the Board of…

By Gavin Nichols SAN ANTONIO — In late 2020, Blue Meridian Partners made an $8 million investment in the future of San Antonio, providing funds to UP Partnership to promote youth voice in our area. Our Tomorrow, a network of organizations under the UP Partnership umbrella, was started to help youth find their voices and…

By Siri Lindholm SAN ANTONIO — Stop being quiet you. Can’t get help without words. That’s the heart of it, isn’t it?  That’s why we tell stories. That’s why we write.  If we have learned anything these past couple of years, it is that we need each other. And the only way we will reach each other is through…

By Hernán Rozemberg SAN ANTONIO — They’re very much part of American history across our region and many points west, yet their lives and cultural contributions remain mostly hidden in obscurity. Not many people may readily picture an African American if asked to imagine a cowboy, yet history shows us that 25 percent of cowboys…