Dogs await adoption in their kennels while a volunteer checks on other kennels during Animal Care Services’s free adoption event on September 27, 2025.
JoMando Cruz
The city of Corpus Christi wanted Antonio Caldwell to run its Animal Care Services department.
Officials announced Caldwell’s May 18 start date and touted his work history, which included his most recent position: assistant director of San Antonio’s ACS department. He had held the San Antonio job for just five months.
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Caldwell then did what successful job seekers usually do: he trumpeted his new job on social media, put in his notice with the city of San Antonio and started looking for someone to sublease his apartment.
Last week, the Coastal Bend city withdrew its offer just two days after announcing it. The city was vague about its change of heart, citing unspecified “inconsistencies” in his work history.
San Antonio officials notified their Corpus Christi counterparts about “several discrepancies,” according to an April 22 memo that Corpus Christi’s human resources director sent to the city leaders.
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Corpus Christi officials didn’t describe the alleged discrepancies but said in a statement that they’d cropped up “during our standard pre-employment verification process.”
The memo, obtained by San Antonio Express-News, said Caldwell’s last day with the city of San Antonio was set to be May 13, but he was “released from” city employment on April 22.
A San Antonio city spokesman didn’t answer questions about Caldwell’s early release from his ACS position or communications between the two cities.
“The City’s focus has now shifted to identifying his successor,” spokesman Brian Chasnoff said. “The City is committed to identifying a strong replacement and is exploring both internal and external candidates.”
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Caldwell declined comment for this story.
“While I am disappointed and still searching for answers, I remain focused on the future and I look forward to my next professional challenge,” he said in a social media post. “I am actively engaging with organizations where my experience in operations, lifesaving strategy, and organizational transformation can make a meaningful impact.”
Leadership shuffle
Corpus Christi’s April 20 news release — the one announcing Caldwell’s hiring — said he had more than 20 years of executive and operational leadership experience in various fields.
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As far as his work in San Antonio, it said Caldwell managed the entire department’s annual budget of $34 million, led a team of 245 staff members and oversaw code enforcement, field services, veterinary care, marketing and communications — which didn’t jibe with his job description.
Lisa Norwood, spokeswoman for San Antonio’s ACS, said the department has two assistant directors. One oversees field operations, such as code enforcement, and the other is in charge of shelter services. She said Caldwell oversaw the latter.
Caldwell had been a deputy director of health, wellness and animal services for the city of Brownsville before he moved to San Antonio.
Before working in animal welfare, Caldwell was a procurement manager for IDEA Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn page.
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Corpus Christi’s ACS director, Kathleen Chapa, announced plans in March 2025 to eventually step down. She’s continuing to serve as director until the city hires her replacement, according to local news reports.
Chapa took the job in May 2024 at an annual salary of $155,000, according to KRIS 6 News.
The new Corpus Christi ACS director could end up earning $190,700, according to the job posting on the city’s website. The department has 63 full-time employees and an annual budget of about $5 million.
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San Antonio’s ACS department plans to fill Caldwell’s position, according to Norwood, though it’s not clear when.
The San Antonio department is already looking for its next assistant director over field operations, the position Caldwell did not hold. It could pay up to $165,000, according to a job posting on the city’s website.