The Tricentennial Commission officially has a new president and two new members. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and former Northside Independent School District Superintendent John Folks were appointed as co-chairs, while Palo Alto College President Mike Flores took Matson’s place as the commission’s District 4 representative.
All three were sworn in during the commission’s meeting on Friday, and Matson was approved as president of the commission, which operates as a board for the local government corporation in charge of planning San Antonio’s year-long 300th anniversary celebration during 2018.
“I am humbled by the trust and confidence that Mayor Nirenberg, the City Council and the Tricentennial Commission have placed in me,” Matson stated in a news release. “San Antonio has a diverse and culturally rich history. I am confident that at the culmination of our tricentennial year, we will look back at the city-wide education, cultural events, festivities, and public projects and recognize they will have a positive impact for generations to come.”
Teniente-Matson and Folks replaced Robert Thrailkill, general manager at Hilton Palacio del Rio, and Katie Luber, the director or the San Antonio Museum of Art. Thrailkill and Luber were appointed to the commission by former Mayor Ivy Taylor.
The new Tricentennial website, which includes a more advanced events and volunteerism calendar, was presented to commission members. Many praised the design firm’s CEO, Sarah Helmy, who answered questions about current and future functionality of the site.
The commission also was briefed by Tom Payton, director of Trinity University Press, which is publishing the official Tricentennial book. The volume will include work from 64 contributors and 260 images.
At the direction of the commission, “we’ve arranged the book thematically rather than a history book chronologically,” Payton said. More than 80 percent of the book is completed, underway, or in planning. Some contributors have deadlines as late as mid-January, Payton said.
The website, event calendar, marketing, Tricentennial book, and other aspects of Tricentennial will be discussed in more depth by new and existing commission subcommittees, Matson said.
The commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Jan. 24, but the commission added a work session on Jan. 5 to talk specifically about the calendar, communications, and marketing, and social media strategies as well as another full meeting on Jan. 10.
If Cynthia Teniente-Matson is the real thing, honestly wishes to wipe clean to scandals and misfires of the Tricentennial Committee, her first act should be to cancel the recently exposed contract with KSAT TV. This was a secret under-the-table deal between Phil Lane at KSAT and the Tricentennial committre/city that secretly gave KSAT the EXCLUSIVE rights to media coverage of the city’s 300th celebration, at the exclusion of all other media. Other media outlets were never given a chance to make competitive bids. This limits the tricentennial coverage to one tiny little station instead of the entire media of this area. KSAT is making millions. The city is the lone who loses. This was a crooked deal. Everybody knows it. If this reform effort is real in the pitiful tricentennial committee, then this contract with KSAT will be canceled. If it is allowed t stand, we’ll know the city is in cahoots with Phil Lane/KSAT and any talk of reform is just that. Talk. Please do the right thing, Cynthia Teniente-Matson. Stand up to graft and rigged deals.
Fat chance! Cynthia Teniente-Matson serves on boards with Phil Lane. She will look the other way, just as everyone else has. Their interests are in political gain, not in being honorable or fair. KSAT cheated. The city went along. That’s that. Get over it.
This contract is similar to other contracts that KSAT has done, often to the detriment of other entities and adding money to KSAT alone. They make money and community organizations lose. Why do they get the contract? They are friends or fishing buddies. Great business practices in San Antonio once again.
Maybe some entity can really do investigative reporting…if they really care about transparency.
Come on SA! Do the right thing. Stop with the crooked secret contracts with a TV station manager that has managed to ruin KSAT’s and our city’s credibility. Do not let this crooked, thieving contract stand. Shame on you all!
In the case of KSAT and the city’s secret shady deal, the head of the Tricentennial commission’s brother was a producer for KSAT. He eventually admitted this (long after the crooked contract has been locked down). Since two commission heads were booted in part because of this contract, it seems unbelievable that the city is STILL honoring a patently unfair secret contract that was exposed. What will it take for this city to cancel it?! If this new committee head ignores it, we’ll know their talk of reform, transparency and honesty is false. Welcome to SA shady politics. Nice going KSAT! What’s good for you hurts our city, but you still et the big contract. Dispicable!
Seems like the everyday city citizen sees the issues but the political appointees act clueless. The turning of the blind eye by city politicians garner short-term gains for all involved, but in the long run it hurts the city’s reputation which is quickly becoming a joke. The city has a big PR problem.
Am I the only one that doesn’t care about whether or not KSAT has the tv deal or not? Sounds like some folks working for another tv station are upset and trying to create an issue, no one watches local tv anymore anyways. Let’s focus on how we can best leverage the Tricenitinal Celebrations to improve our city and make SA Great for another 300 years, the best is yet to come.
And who’s running Texas A&M University-SA? I would think that job ALONE is more than enough with all the construction, new freshman class, all the A&M System changes and moving out of Brooks City Base and public housing for the students. Oh, and all the other boards and committees Matson is serving as well. Will she be one of these people who has their name and holds leadership roles for her 50-page CV or for truly helping the organizations she serves? I hope the students, and senior management at A&M-SA,don’t suffer as a result–and throw in all her monthly trips out of the city and country. One person can only do so much, especially as micro-manager as Matson is, so hope the university does not suffer at the cost of the students they serve. I see similarities in personalities between Matson & Trump….