By working together, we can expand workforce readiness, secure infrastructure and ensure growth translates into lasting opportunity. The future of Texas runs through San Antonio.
Jerry Lara/Staff photographer
A.J. Rodriguez is executive vice president of Texas 2036.
Courtesy of Texas 2026
On any given morning in San Antonio, you can see the future of Texas taking shape.
A first-generation college student walks into class at UT San Antonio, hoping a credential in cybersecurity will lead to a steady career. A service member or spouse updates a résumé, preparing to transition to the civilian workforce. A small-business owner unlocks the doors before sunrise, wondering whether the skilled workers needed to grow that business will be there.
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These are the actions that shape whether opportunity converts to reality in San Antonio.
Earlier this month, we celebrated Texas Independence Day, marking 190 years since 59 delegates met at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence.
For more than 300 years, this city has been central to Texas’ story. From the acequias to the missions that anchored early community life, San Antonio has shown how our resilience responds to growth and change.
That same spirit will matter in the decade ahead.
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By 2036, Texas’ population could exceed 35 million. The Alamo City, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, will continue to add jobs and industries, but it also will continue to face the challenges of affordable housing, rising health care costs and the mobility it needs to support a growing, diverse economy.
Ten years ago, as Texas approached its 180th anniversary, civic leader Tom Luce asked a simple question, “What do we want our third century to look like?”
That question led to the creation of Texas 2036, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities for all Texans.
The goal was straightforward: Bring trusted data and practical policy solutions to the conversation so leaders can get in front of change rather than react to problems after they arise.
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Today, Texas is home to 31.7 million people and a $2.8 trillion economy. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans live here. Families and businesses continue to choose Texas because they see opportunity.
Growth is something Texans are proud of, but growth alone does not guarantee opportunity.
If housing costs continue to rise faster than wages, families will face harder choices about where to live and work. If we fail to strengthen our education system and link it to workforce pathways, employers will struggle to fill high-demand jobs in cybersecurity, bioscience, advanced manufacturing and other jobs of tomorrow.
If we do not plan for and implement modern infrastructure, the very growth we celebrate could strain the systems that sustain us.
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There is reason for confidence.
The Institute of Texan Cultures’s beloved neon Texas flag, shown in 2019, will shine on at the museum’s new home at Frost Tower. Growth is something Texans are proud of, but growth alone does not guarantee opportunity.
Rebecca Slezak/San Antonio Express-News file photo
In recent years, Texas 2036 has worked alongside lawmakers, local leaders and voters to support long-term solutions that strengthen our state. Texans committed more than $22 billion to modernize water infrastructure and increase supply for the decades ahead.
Lawmakers also reformed community college funding to better align dollars with student outcomes and workforce demand, strengthening institutions like the Alamo Colleges that prepare students for high-skill careers.
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These efforts reflect what is possible when trusted data informs policy and leaders act before challenges become crises.
The work is not finished.
The next 10 years present an opportunity to deepen partnerships with San Antonio’s business community, education leaders, military institutions and local officials.
By working together, we can expand workforce readiness, secure infrastructure and ensure growth translates into lasting opportunity.
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The future of Texas runs through San Antonio. Together, we can shape it.
A.J. Rodriguez is executive vice president of Texas 2036.
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