Jesús Garza

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza is an experienced manager of complex organizations and, early in his career, quickly became known for implementing strong community partnerships.

Jesús began his government career in Austin in 1978, enjoying increasingly responsible roles throughout his tenure. He also served as assistant city manager and deputy city manager in Corpus Christi and returned to Central Texas to become executive director of the Texas Water Commission.

From 1994 to 2002, Jesús served as the city manager for the City of Austin. He led the city during a period of considerable economic and population expansion. His tenure included business development, downtown revitalization, and the transformation of a former Air Force Base into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Jesús had oversight responsibility of the city-owned Brackenridge Hospital during the time when it was named a regional Trauma Center. He also served as Austin’s chief negotiator in the lease agreement that brought the facility, now University Medical Center Brackenridge, into the Seton Family.

After retiring from the City of Austin, Jesús served as deputy general manager for the Lower Colorado River Authority and then served as ministry market leader for Ascension Health’s Texas and Arizona ministries, including the Carondelet Health Network before becoming chief executive officer of the Seton Healthcare Family. Jesús retired from Ascension and Seton in August 2017.

Jesús was named Public Administrator of the Year by the American Society for Public Administration/Centex Chapter, Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine and recently received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also received the distinction of being named the 2019 Austinite of Year by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Jesús received his Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs.