Trish DeBerry will be next CEO for Centro San Antonio

Those waiting to find out where Trish DeBerry will land after her failed bid to follow Nelson Wolff as Bexar County Judge now have their answer.

The longtime public relations professional and Republican operative will take over as CEO of Centro San Antonio this July. The new role follows her return to the group in April to chair its board. In a statement, Centro officials said they tapped DeBerry as board chair after the death of Rene Garcia, who previously held the position.

DeBerry will become CEO after Matt Brown, the organization’s current chief exec steps down this summer, according to Centro’s statement. He joined the nonprofit in 2019 after serving as Santa Fe, New Mexico’s director of economic development.

Largely comprised of downtown business owners, Centro advocates for center-city development. It oversees a multimillion-dollar public improvement district for the area, which is scheduled for city council reauthorization later this month.

In a statement, DeBerry said she looks forward to making downtown safe and enjoyable for both residents and visitors. She also said she wants to boost occupancy for downtown office space, which has suffered since the pandemic forced a work-at-home migration.

DeBerry ran for Bexar County Judge last fall after serving for less than a year on the County Commissioners Court representing its only dependably Republican precinct. Longtime district judge Peter Sakai, a Democrat, trounced her by 18 points.

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This article appears in May 31 – Jun 13, 2023.