(Seguin) — The city of Seguin is losing a big piece of its economic development team. Seguin Economic Development Director Josh Schneuker, who also serves as the executive director of the Seguin Economic Development Corporation, is leaving to take a new job in San Antonio.
Schneuker says this is a bittersweet moment for him, but he felt like this opportunity was right for him. He’s heading to Greater SATX to become its senior vice president of economic competitiveness.
“They’re the regional economic development organization, essentially tasked with helping grow not only the economy in San Antonio and Bexar County, but also helping grow the regional economy. That does include Guadalupe County, Seguin, (and) our neighbors to the north in New Braunfels and Comal County. I’ll be heading over there starting in December. It was a really, really tough decision for me to make. I’ve invested so much time and energy in Seguin and, you know, I absolutely love this community and love working for the city. But it was a decision that I felt was best for my career (and) best for my family. I’m still excited that I’ll get to still work with Seguin in some capacity in my new role over in San Antonio,” said Schneuker.
The city of Seguin has a long history of successful economic development projects. The city boasts a large manufacturing base, and other sectors of the economy have also been growing. Schneuker has been a big part of that growth and development over the last decade. He says they’ve been able to accomplish a great deal during that time.
“I’m really proud of all the growth that we’ve had on the industrial side of things. Tejin, or CSP, was really the first big project that I got to work on here in Seguin and really kind of in my career…on my own. To see that project announced by Governor (Greg) Abbott himself, and being able to tour that facility and see all the people that work there now — (it’s special to) know that I had a role in bringing that project to fruition and help create jobs for people and new opportunities. That’s something that always, I think, kind of sticks with me,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker has also helped to usher in new growth in the retail and housing sectors in Seguin. The two often go hand in hand. He says as more people move into the area, more retailers are then looking to tap into this growing market.
“Seeing the growth of the retail base, especially over the last several years here, and knowing that we’ve got a lot more in the pipeline, this is really (special). I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new retail in Seguin. I’m really excited about that. Obviously, Tuesday being at the Chick-fil-A ribbon cutting (was also special). I came here 10 plus years ago and (Chick-fil-A) was the number one ask at that time, and to know that I helped play a role in bringing that to Seguin really feels rewarding,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker says he’s also proud of the work that they’ve done to help bring a new Texas State Technical College, or TSTC, campus to Seguin. He says workforce development is vitally important to the companies that are doing business here, but it may be more important for families in the area. He says the training available through TSTC can transform lives.
“I’m a big believer that education can provide so many new opportunities for folks. In some cases, it can help end the cycle of generational poverty for individuals. And knowing that we’re bringing an institution like TSTC to Seguin that is going to be able to really provide opportunities for residents (and) for businesses by offering people training for those skill sets and for those certifications, that will allow individuals to enter into high demand and high wage career pathways. It is something that really means a lot to me. My hope is, over the next five years, I’ll be back here in Seguin and see that that campus start to kind of come together and really see the benefits of something just so incredible that will impact the lives of so many people and so many businesses in our community,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker says he’s grateful for his time in Seguin. He says there’s an incredible partnership here that has allowed economic development to flourish in this community.
“A lot of people always tell me, thank you for this project or that project. And the first thing I think about is, it’s not me. I can’t do this on my own. I’ve been incredibly fortunate over my time here in Seguin to work with some really incredible people. I remember when I started here, and I took over as the director. To be honest, I was scared. I was nervous. It’s a big role. I was 26 years old at the time when I walked into that position. And, you know, the fact that we had so many people here that were just willing to lend a helping hand, help guide me, help educate me on things that were really kind of out of my wheelhouse at that time — it was just phenomenal,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker credits his team here in Seguin for much of his success. He says it shows how much can be done when everyone is working toward the same goal.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have such an amazing team within the EDC here my entire time. Working with folks like, you know, Ashlyn Read, who was our former workforce development manager, to our team here today with Brittney Watson and Jessica Dersen; and our deputy director Alora Wachholz. They’re just top-notch professionals and they help continue the positive momentum that we’ve got right now. They ensure that we don’t miss a beat. And then there’s also the city staff. When these projects are happening in the pre-development phases and even in the construction phases, it’s a full team effort from so many different city departments to ensure that we’re paying close attention to getting these projects processed and across the finish line as fast as possible. That goes to our planning department and our planning director Pam Centeno, our engineering department with Melissa Reynolds, the attorney’s office, and city management, including former city manager Doug Faseler, and now Steve Parker. They are all tremendous professionals,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker says he knows that Seguin will continue to prosper, due in large part to those partnerships that have been developed over the years.
“There’s a lot of moving parts and it takes a full team to bring these deals to fruition. And so, without all of our partners working together focused on kind of that true North Star — we wouldn’t see the success we have today. So, I’m just incredibly grateful to those partnerships and those relationships that we’ve been able to cultivate over the past several years,” said Schneuker.
Schneuker’s new job with Greater SATX will allow him to continue to promote this region for economic development projects. Greater SATX works hand in hand with partners across 10 counties in the San Antonio area. Its goal is to help create a regional community where businesses can flourish, where innovation is encouraged and supported, and where residents in the region can dream big.
The city of Seguin is now beginning its search process for its next top economic development official.