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Ron Nirenberg

Ron Nirenberg is the mayor of San Antonio, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities with the 7th largest population in the United States.

He was raised in Austin, Texas, and attended college in San Antonio. Nirenberg is the son of an immigrant from Southeast Asia and the grandson of immigrants from Eastern Europe who passed through Ellis Island. Through his personal experiences, Mayor Nirenberg developed a core commitment to civic participation and the universal values of liberty, justice, and equal opportunity for every person.

Mayor Nirenberg was re-elected to a second term on June 8, 2019.

He was first elected to represent District 8 on the San Antonio City Council in 2013. During his two terms, he championed smart city and regional planning, inclusive economic development, environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility and governmental accountability. As councilman, Nirenberg brought together a public-private coalition to save the world-renowned Bracken Bat Cave, the largest colony of bats in the world.
Under his leadership as mayor, the city’s budget has been adopted with a focus on equity to ensure that all parts of the city have the same level of services and infrastructure. He is focused on making key investments necessary to accommodate the growth of San Antonio, which is expected to nearly double in population by 2040. This forward-looking approach drives the mayor’s vision of a compassionate community with a globally competitive economy. In 2018, the United States Conference of Mayors recognized Mayor Nirenberg with the Small Business Advocate award for his efforts to encourage entrepreneurism.

The Mayor’s policy priorities include nurturing an educated workforce in San Antonio through the AlamoPROMISE tuition-free college program and championing innovative transportation solutions through the city’s first comprehensive multimodal transportation plan. In August of 2017, Mayor Nirenberg created the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force because all San Antonians, regardless of income level, deserve opportunities to find quality affordable housing within city limits.

In an effort to combat the effects of global climate change, Mayor Nirenberg spearheaded a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in October 2019. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Nirenberg joined the Climate Mayors Steering Committee, a group of 24 mayors who will serve as a leading voice in efforts to further climate action in the more than 400 cities across the U.S. making up the Climate Mayors coalition.

Mayor Nirenberg served as Chairman of Sister Cities International, a nonpartisan organization that connects cities across the globe through civic, educational and cultural exchanges. He currently serves as the Chair Emeritus and continues his involvement with the organization. The City of San Antonio enjoys active and productive Sister City relationships with 11 cities worldwide and Mayor Nirenberg has been an active participant in establishing productive, people-to-people relationships through global community partnerships and volunteer action.

Prior to his public service, Nirenberg was the founder of two small-businesses, worked as the general manager of KRTU-FM San Antonio, and as a program director for the Annenberg Public Policy Center where he developed and directed award-winning civic engagement programs.

Mayor Nirenberg graduated summa cum laude from Trinity University and received a Master’s Degree in Communication magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania.

He and his wife, First Lady Erika Prosper, are the proud parents of their son, Jonah.