Speaker Information
Speaker Bios
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Nelson WolffCounty Judge, Bexar CountyNelson William Wolff was appointed Bexar County Judge in 2001 and has since been elected to the position in November 2002 and again in 2006. He is the first County Judge who also served as Mayor of San Antonio in more than 100 years.With his colleagues on the Commissioners Court and in the City of San Antonio, Judge Wolff has worked to promote greater economic development in Bexar County, including the successful efforts to lure Toyota Motor Manufacturing and the PGA Village to locate here. In 2007, Judge Wolff led the Commissioners Court approval of a $500 million, 10-year regional flood control program. The following year he initiated the County's effort to successfully convince voters to approve the first ever visitor tax-backed bond package for $415 million. Those bond funds will help the construction of up to 13 amateur sports facilities, a dedicated performing arts venue, improvements to the San Antonio River and future improvements to the AT&T Center and the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum. In July 2008, Judge Wolff and Commissioners Court approved a $900 million plan backed by bonds issued over three years to build a new trauma center and provide other improvements for the University Health System. As Mayor of San Antonio, Wolff oversaw the establishment of the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus; construction of the Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, home to the San Antonio Missions; and the development of the San Antonio Public Library's central branch designed by renowned architect Ricardo Legorreta. Also during his four-year tenure, the new City Hall Chambers opened in the Municipal Plaza Building and he led the effort to pass the largest parks bond issue in city history. Wolff has authored four books and is an avid reader and collector of 20th Century first editions. Challenge of Change, published in 1975, is about Wolff's experience in the Texas Legislature and the Constitutional Convention he participated in and for which he was largely responsible. Baseball for Real Men reflects on life and Wolff's love of the game. Mayor: An Inside View of San Antonio Politics 1981-1995 takes a look at local politics during his and Henry Cisneros' years leading the city. Wolff's most recent book Transforming San Antonio: An Insider's View of the AT&T Center, Toyota, the PGA Village and the River Walk Extension explores the four major developments in recent history that have provided urban renewal and growth for the city. Wolff holds a bachelor of business administration from St. Mary's University and a doctorate of jurisprudence from St. Mary's University School of Law. Throughout his life, Wolff has excelled in both politics and business. In 1961, Wolff, his father and two brothers formed Alamo Enterprises Building Supplies. In 1977, they sold the eight-store chain. A year later with his brothers George and Gary, Wolff founded Sun Harvest Farms, a successful chain of natural food stores. After growing the business to include nine stores, they sold the chain in 1999. Mixed in with his successful business career Wolff also served in the State House of Representatives from 1971 to 1973 and then in the Texas Senate from 1973 to 1975. Together, Wolff and his wife, Tracy, have six children. The couple guided the effort to restore the Bexar County Courthouse through the Hidalgo Foundation. |
