Housing Innovator Former Secretary of HUD Four-Term Mayor of San Antonio Former President of Univision

A former President of Univision (the nation’s fifth-largest TV network) Cisneros serves as Chairman of American CityVista and City View, where he is leading a movement to strengthen our nation one neighborhood at a time. In 2004 he was named “Builder of the Year” by El Nuevo Constructor magazine.

Cisneros’ inclusive vision of a strong, resilient society stretches beyond the boundaries of race and class. He believes that encouraging and facilitating the economic progress of all groups will build deeply rooted, cohesive communities. The strength of these communities will make strong cities, and strong cities will become the platforms from which we can address our racial, social and economic problems from the ground up.

Cisneros was excellent. He was forceful and articulate, and challenged the audience on all the right stuff, and received a sustained standing ovation at the end. He was also funny and charming, as usual.

Council of the Great City Schools

In 1981 Cisneros was elected Mayor of San Antonio, becoming the first Hispanic-American ever to run a major American city. For four terms, he helped rebuild the city’s economy, attracting high-tech industries, increasing tourism and creating tens of thousands of jobs through massive downtown improvements — making San Antonio one of America’s most progressive cities.

Following Cisneros’ success in his home state, President Clinton appointed him Secretary of HUD in 1993. Under his leadership, homeownership in America reached record levels. Over 240,000 dangerous housing units were torn down in cities across the country and tenants were moved to safer locations. Cisneros was widely praised for transforming HUD from a severely mismanaged bureaucracy into an effective, efficient agency that actively worked against racial segregation and poverty in inner cities.

He was President of the National League of Cities and Chairman of the National Civic League. The youngest person ever to be named a White House fellow and the youngest ever elected to San Antonio’s city council, Cisneros holds Masters and Doctoral degrees from Harvard and George Washington Universities.

Articulate, amusing and inspiring, Cisneros is as effective a public speaker as he has been a mayor, cabinet member, media executive and business leader — one who can show others how to achieve success and build a brighter future.