For more than three decades, Janet Holliday has helped shape some of San Antonio’s most memorable moments. As founder of CE Group, she has been behind major civic celebrations, public projects, and events that have defined the city’s growth. In this episode, Janet joins former San Antonio Assistant City Manager Lori Houston to discuss an extraordinary leadership transition as Lori becomes the new owner of CE Group. Together, they reflect on mentorship, entrepreneurship, and why succession planning is about preserving values—not simply passing along a business.

Lori also shares the deeply personal journey that led her to leave a successful 23-year career at City Hall. From overseeing transformative projects like the Museum Reach, downtown development, and Project Marvel to balancing motherhood and public service, she opens up about taking one of the biggest professional risks of her life. The conversation also explores her passion for addressing homelessness, addiction recovery, and building stronger communities through compassionate leadership.

Beyond the business transition, the discussion becomes a thoughtful look at San Antonio’s future. Janet and Lori examine the city’s remarkable evolution, the importance of preserving its unique culture while embracing growth, the future of the Spurs Sports & Entertainment District, downtown development, tourism, and what it will take for San Antonio to compete on the world stage. It’s an inspiring conversation about legacy, leadership, and why the next chapter for both CE Group and San Antonio may be the most exciting yet.

https://www.cegroupinc.net/about/meet-the-team/

This episode kicks off with a brief overview of the evolution and expanded mission of greaterSATX, highlighting the organization’s transition from the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation to a dynamic force serving a 10-county region.

greaterSATX CEO Sarah Carabias Rush drilled into the organization's drive to create and diversify jobs, both by attracting new businesses to the area and retaining existing ones, with an emphasis on collaborative workforce development and regional strategies.

The discussion explored the proactive approach to business development, shifting from a passive reliance on state-generated leads to actively cultivating relationships with site selectors and companies across targeted industry clusters.

Another central topic was the importance of foundational assets such as workforce, available land, water, energy, and transportation infrastructure—especially the ongoing expansion of the San Antonio airport and the region’s forward-thinking water strategy through initiatives like Vista Ridge. Several points were raised, including the challenge of workforce shortages in the trades, efforts to upskill local residents (such as the Ready to Work program), and the impact these have on the area’s competitiveness and attractiveness for corporate headquarters and advanced manufacturing.

The discussion also delved into recent debates about data centers, their energy and water demands, and the need for communities to set thoughtful incentives and requirements for such projects. The region’s strengths in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and biosciences were emphasized as key differentiators, with the current project pipeline showcasing billions in potential capital investment and thousands of jobs. Ultimately, the episode framed greaterSATX as a collaborative, future-focused organization deeply invested in San Antonio’s growth, competitiveness, and quality of place.

In this episode of Beyond the Bite, Eddie Aldrete sits down with Robert Puente, CEO of San Antonio Water System, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of water in one of America’s fastest-growing cities. Puente explains where San Antonio’s water comes from, how projects like Vista Ridge helped the city survive years of severe drought, and why long-term planning is critical to keeping up with continued growth. The discussion also explores how SAWS uses aquifer storage, desalination, and conservation efforts to secure the region’s water future.

The episode dives into the challenges facing SAWS today, including aging infrastructure, underground leaks, and the need for major upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities. Puente explains why SAWS is seeking a multi-year rate increase, how the utility plans to invest billions into infrastructure improvements, and why he believes San Antonio still maintains some of the lowest water rates among major Texas cities. The San Antonio City Council has the final say with their scheduled vote on June 11th.

The conversation also covers water conservation, data centers, and the changing technology behind modern water use. Puente shares how San Antonio residents are using roughly the same amount of water today as they did 25 years ago despite explosive population growth, thanks to decades of conservation efforts and more efficient appliances. From leak detection technology to underground water storage and recycled water systems, this episode offers an inside look at the innovation, planning, and policy decisions shaping San Antonio’s water future.