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Ron Nirenberg, one of the longest serving mayors in San Antonio's history, delivered a farewell address in city council chambers on Monday afternoon.
He served four terms and was the city's first mayor of Pacific Islander descent. He will be succeeded by Gina Ortiz Jones when she is sworn into office on June 18. Jones, a former undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force, will be the city's first openly gay mayor and only the third woman to hold the office.
Nirenberg's speech included thoughts about the character of the city as a whole.
"We are a city that believes in everyone, no matter that." Nirenberg said. "And believes that everyone is deserving of respect. That everyone deserves a chance. A city that lives by Cesar Chavez's words: 'We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community.' "
He urged San Antonians to continue to stand up for their rights in the midst of state and national inference in local affairs.
"We continue to weather the state and national politization of disease, gender, autonomy, and the simple freedom of choice," Nirenberg said. "We all deserve to live our lives how we want to live them, and until all are able to do so, the work must continue."
He thanked city council members for their service and wished the new council the best. He also thanked the city staff, and he called City Manager Erik Walsh the best in the nation. He thanked the city's first responders, including Police Chief William McManus and Fire Chief Valerie Frausto, and he thanked all of the city's 13,000 employees.
He also thanked his family for their support, including wife Erika Prosper, and added, "Erika, I love you." He also thanked his son Jonah, now a teenager, for asking him after a day of work on the city council, "How have you made the world better?" Nirenberg said his son's question continues to be his best guide.
The mayor's official biography explained that Nirenberg was first elected as mayor in 2017. He won a fourth term on May 6, 2023.
Before serving as mayor, the city explained, Nirenberg served two terms on the city council representing District 8. It was during that tenure that he helped form a public-private coalition to save the Bracken Bat Cave, where the world's largest bat colony lives.
Nirenberg worked as mayor to boost workforce development through SA Ready to Work. He also backed affordable housing and protection for the Edwards Aquifer, poverty reduction, and improvements to public health, the online bio added. He also led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to his public service, the mayor started two small businesses and served as the general manager of KRTU-FM San Antonio.
According to Trinity University, Nirenberg graduated summa cum laude from Trinity in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in communication and magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication with a master's degree in communication.
The university said in May that Nirenberg will join the join the Trinity faculty this fall to teach communication courses.
Nirenberg met his wife Erika in graduate school in Pennsylvania.
They owned a market research company together. Nirenberg also owned a fitness consulting company. He’s previously taught classes at Trinity. Before that he worked at the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
