Beyond the Bite

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with San Antonio City Council members Marina Alderete Gavito and Marc Whyte to discuss a range of hot topics affecting the city. The conversation kicks off with the recent incident involving Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez and transitions into an in-depth look at Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones's leadership style and various procedural chan...

In Episode 61 of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete is joined by returning Councilman Marc Whyte (District 10) and newly elected Councilwoman Misty Spears (District 9) to discuss the pressing challenges facing San Antonio’s City Council this year. The conversation opens with reflections on the loss of 13 lives in the recent flooding event and the urgent need to address the city’s aging infrastr...

Meet two of the voices from San Antonio City Council. In this episode, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with San Antonio City Councilwomen Sukh Kaur of District 1 and Ivalis Meza Gonzalez of District 8 to explore the experiences and challenges facing both an incumbent and a newly elected official. Kaur reflects on her first term, highlighting the intense workload, the importance of constituent se...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina for an in-depth conversation about family, leadership, and life along the Texas border. Judge Tijerina opens up about his upbringing in Webb County, in and around Laredo, sharing stories about his large family, the values he learned from ranching life, and his journey from professional baseball to...

In this special live edition of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete welcomes San Antonio mayoral candidates Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos for an in-depth conversation on some of the most pressing issues facing the city. Filmed before an audience of The Leadership San Antonio Alumni Association, the discussion covers the looming city budget shortfall, challenges with city revenues, and how ea...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with guests Rob Killen and Erin Bley to break down the unexpected twists in San Antonio’s recent mayoral and city council elections. The discussion opens with a deep dive into the mayor’s race, unpacking the surge of outsider candidates, the influence of outside money, and the impact of strikingly low voter turnout. The trio highligh...

In this special episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete offers listeners an in-depth "Mayoral Candidate Mashup" ahead of San Antonio’s 2025 mayoral election. Instead of the typical soundbite answers found in traditional forums, this episode features 3-4 minute highlights from Aldrete’s interviews with each of the nine top contenders. These candidates include former and current city council...

The odds of her succeeding in life have never really been in her favor, but through hard work and determination, Melissa Cabello Havrda overcame the odds, graduated from college, graduated from law school, began her own law firm and got elected to the City Council. Now, she wants to be San Antonio’s next mayor. She’s running a grassroots campaign in a very crowded field. Cabello Havrda shares...

To understand Gina Ortiz Jones, you have to start with her personal journey. In this episode, she reflects on her path from growing up on the far West Side of San Antonio to serving as the 27th Under Secretary of the Air Force. She shares how her upbringing and military experience have shaped her belief in the importance of strong local leadership, community investment, and expanded educational op...

With former City Councilman Clayton Perry, what you see is what you get. The folksy, jovial former councilman definitely knows what he doesn’t like and that’s a city that spends too much, is way behind on funding infrastructure projects and a city that keeps veering outside of its’ municipal lane getting involved in state and federal issues that will either generate lawsuits or in some form,...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete sits down with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, to discuss the role he played in cutting through the federal bureaucracy on significant trade and infrastructure projects in Texas. One of the key topics is Senator Ted Cruz's efforts to expedite the approval process for new international bridges and the expansion of an international bridge along the Texas...

In this episode, the conversation kicks off with business leader and mayoral candidate Robert Melvin discussing his unique perspective on economic development, shaped by his experiences as a business owner, builder and entrepreneur. He highlights the importance of changing the city's approach to development, emphasizing a need for minimizing red tape and fostering a more cooperative relationship b...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite,” host Eddie Aldrete welcomes back San Antonio Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia. The conversation begins with an update on Dr. Rocha Garcia's father's health, following his diagnosis with Alzheimer's. Rocha Garcia talks about the support she receives from her extended family and shares a touching story about how her son helps care for her father by handling dai...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza, rejoins the podcast to provide important updates on San Antonio’s power landscape. Garza discusses how CPS Energy has adapted since the severe winter storm of 2021, emphasizing their improved communication with ERCOT and the significant strides they've made in power generation and responsiveness to outages. Garza highlights CPS Energy'...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," Eddie Aldrete sits down with guests Demonte Alexander, CEO of Citizen Reach and Director of Public Affairs for Bridgewater Consulting, and Shay Bluntzer from Marlin Blue Strategists to discuss their professional transitions and insights into the current state and future of San Antonio politics. Demonte elaborates on the mission of Citizen Reach, focusing on pu...

In this episode, host Eddie Aldrete is joined by Rob Killen and Erin Bley as they explore San Antonio’s evolving political and urban landscape. The discussion spans upcoming elections and the intricate dynamics of governance shaping the city’s future. The conversation opens with an analysis of the challenges and opportunities surrounding the upcoming mayoral election, the first open-seat race in 1...

🎙️ In this episode of Beyond the Bite , we’re diving into transformation, innovation, and the future of San Antonio. Host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Dr. Taylor Eighmy, President of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), to explore some truly game-changing initiatives that are reshaping the city’s educational, cultural, and economic landscape. Dr. Eighmy shares how UTSA is leading the cha...

Mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in business, government and economic development. In this episode, Host Eddie Aldrete and guest Rolando Pablos delve into the importance of trust and experience in leadership roles, particularly when it comes to collaborating and negotiating with others. Pablos shares his vision for enhancing community awareness to add...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete dives into the deep end of the mayoral campaign pool to better understand what candidates should be doing right now, how much they need to raise to be viable and why candidates need to approach this non-partisan office with a partisan campaign.   Join Eddie and his live audience as his political consultant guests – Republican Kelton Mor...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite , host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Beto Altamirano to discuss his experience and ambitious vision for San Antonio. Altamirano, a seasoned entrepreneur and now mayoral candidate, recounts his journey from working as a legislative aide and fellow for various officials to his role as a public involvement specialist for the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organizat...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," host Eddie Aldrete welcomes back guests Anamaria Suescun Fast, Leanne King, and Larry Mendez to discuss the evolving dynamics of remote work, office space utilization, and their impacts on the labor and commercial real estate markets post-pandemic.   They delve into the current trend of returning to office settings, highlighting how this shift has reshape...

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, host Eddie Aldrete begins with a tribute to the Late-Mike Allen, who led the McAllen Economic Development Corporation for many years. Inspired by a conversation with then-State Senator David Sibley of Waco, Allen founded the Texas Border Coalition. Allen, the consummate advocate for South Texas insisted on South Texas communities working together for the be...

While San Antonio City Councilman Marc Whyte is quick to discuss the important issues facing San Antonio, he is just as quick to pay homage to his colleagues for working as a problem-solving team.  Perhaps known most for his focus on fiscal discipline in order to stretch taxpayer dollars, Whyte isn’t shy about diving into other issues. He praises the unanimous Council support for the firefigh...

In this episode of "Beyond the Bite," we focus on the challenges and opportunities for small businesses in San Antonio. Guests Steve Alaniz and Luis Rodriguez applaud collaborative efforts in economic development and underscore the significance of a strategic focus. Alaniz and Rodriguez discuss the transformative impact COVID-19 had on chamber memberships and events, emphasizing the need for chamb...

In this episode of  Beyond the Bite , host Eddie Aldrete sits down with Charter Review Commission Co-Chair David Zammiello to discuss the upcoming charter propositions on the November 5th ballot. They dive deep into key topics, including the proposal to lift the cap on the city manager’s compensation and tenure, drawing from the robust debates and public input that shaped the Commission’s rec...