Romanita Matta-Barrera, Chief Impact Officer, greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership

Invest: spoke with Romanita Matta-Barrera, chief impact officer of the greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership, about the San Antonio region’s economic momentum, workforce strategy, business retention and growth, and the importance of cross-border trade. “Many companies operating here depend on supply chains in Mexico, and proximity to those supply chains remains one of San Antonio’s competitive advantages,” Matta-Barrera said.

How would you describe the state of the San Antonio region’s economy today?

San Antonio’s regional economy is strong. We have been diligent about tracking where San Antonio ranks, and among the nation’s 50 largest metros, San Antonio led the country in manufacturing job growth over the past five years.

In healthcare and bioscience, we have also made tremendous strides. We believe those improvements reflect investments in areas where we knew we needed to improve, particularly developing the workforce needed to support key industries and occupations, along with the necessary infrastructure.

We are seeing a balance between expansions by existing companies and new projects entering the region. The year started a little slower, with just under 1,000 jobs recruited in the first half, but Toyota’s announcement of a $3.6 billion expansion, creating 2,000 new jobs, reinforces the strength of the region’s economy and project pipeline.

Greater SATX recently launched its Momentum 2030 strategy with a focus on educational alignment. Why is this such a critical priority for the region’s long-term competitiveness?

We wrapped up our All In strategy last year and engaged our private-sector investors in developing the strategy for the next five years. We like to say it is evolutionary rather than revolutionary because we believe we were on the right path and should continue on it.

The focus on our people remains critical. Five years ago, we ranked last among our peer metros in educational attainment. Companies, especially those in professional services, look closely at the composition of a region’s talent.

We have a rich, young, and diverse talent pool in San Antonio, but there is still room to improve educational attainment. We increased our educational attainment rate from 36.1% to 41.9% in four years. Every half percentage point represents thousands of additional residents earning credentials, and, just as importantly, more of that talent is remaining in the region.

One of the biggest investments has been removing financial barriers to higher education through Promise programs. We also brought together our public and private university presidents around a shared goal of reaching 45% educational attainment by 2030.

Economic competitiveness is a team sport. Companies evaluate educational attainment when making location decisions, so it was important that our education partners actively participate in raising that rate.

What gives San Antonio its strongest competitive advantages today, and where is there still room to improve?

Placemaking continues to be a major advantage, along with quality of life. We have short commute times, an affordable cost of living compared with other major Texas cities, and continued investment in sports, entertainment, green spaces, and recreational amenities that make the region attractive. One area where we continue to focus our efforts is expanding and improving the airport. Ease of travel for both business and personal purposes remains important. We have added several direct destinations to Mexico, including San Luis Potosí, Morelia, and Querétaro, but expanding domestic and international connectivity remains a priority.

How are economic uncertainty and AI changing what employers are looking for in the region’s workforce?

We stay very close to our executive committee and board members, who represent companies across diverse industries in the region, to understand how they are navigating AI.

Some professional services occupations, particularly at the entry level, are beginning to experience disruption from AI, while healthcare continues to experience strong demand, and manufacturing has already integrated robotics in ways that enhance workforce productivity.

Because we have intentionally built a diverse economy rather than relying on one sector, we are less vulnerable to disruption. We continue investing in partnerships with K-12 schools and higher education institutions so future workers are prepared for the changing economy.

Beyond attracting new companies, how is Greater SATX helping existing businesses grow?

Business retention is a key priority because we know roughly 80% of new jobs are created by existing companies.

Our business retention and growth team works directly with companies as they expand, helping them navigate infrastructure, utilities, permitting, incentives, and other resources. We manage expansion projects much like we would new company recruitment.

We never take existing employers for granted. Even companies headquartered here often have options elsewhere, so we work continuously to understand their needs, identify trends, and advocate on their behalf. That advocacy also includes surveying companies about business conditions, infrastructure, travel needs, and policy issues, then working with regional partners to address those priorities collectively.

How important is the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship for San Antonio?

It is extremely important. We continue working closely with regional employers and partners on issues related to tariffs, infrastructure, talent, and supply chains because facilitating trade and commerce is critical to many of our regional businesses.

We continue monitoring developments surrounding USMCA while working closely with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and our regional companies to understand potential impacts.

Many companies operating here depend on supply chains in Mexico, and proximity to those supply chains remains one of San Antonio’s competitive advantages. Companies such as

International Motors and JCB considered connectivity an important factor in choosing the region.

What gives you the most confidence about San Antonio’s future?

First and foremost, human capital. We have been intentional about investing across the entire talent pipeline, from early childhood education to higher education and adult reskilling. In 2020, San Antonio voters approved $200 million for the Ready to Work program to help adults gain new skills and prepare for more sustainable careers. We also continue to invest in early childhood education and reduce financial barriers to higher education.

The second factor is infrastructure and access. We are positioning ourselves as a regional economy, and many neighboring counties have land, transportation access, and infrastructure that strengthen our competitiveness. The site readiness plan being developed across the region will further improve our ability to attract large, complex projects.

Are there any additional comments you would like to include?

Although the first half of the year began with just under 1,000 recruited jobs, the Toyota announcement alone added more than 2,000 jobs. We also have another 3,600 jobs in the pipeline, representing approximately $1 billion in capital investment this year. It is shaping up to be a very strong year, and that supports our broader goals for the next five years.