Ygnacio "Nacho" Garza

Region: Rio Grande Valley

Topics: Water Quality, Wildlife, Government

Mr. Garza carries on a practice as a CPA, but has also served as a former mayor of Brownsville, where he became familiar with the many municipal responsibilities that have environmental aspects, from drinking water supply to sewage treatment, flood control, transportation, and other infrastructure problems related to the Valley's burgeoning population. He has also served as chair of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, during a particularly contentious time, when he had a critical role in trying to resolve backlogs in infrastructure improvements and needs for land acquisitions with limited public funding available, and strong political crosscurrents among private property advocates, hunting proponents, recreational users and wildlife experts. In more recent years, he has served on the board of the NAD Bank, helping direct millions of dollars to binational sewage and drinking water improvements in the Rio Grande basin.

February 28, 2000
Brownsville, Texas
Reel 2088