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Voices of San Antonio

Voices of San Antonio

Voices of San Antonio is a production of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. It features interviews by Michael Garofalo with prominent San Antonians who have made an impact on the cultural landscape of the City.

Sponsored by the John and Florence Newman Foundation.

Coming soon...

  • Straus, David

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Charles Martin “Marty” Wender grew up in Fort Worth, but made his way to San Antonio in 1969 after graduating from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin.  He has been called, on more than one occasion, a true visionary.  In the 1980’s, Wender could easily see the potential for a thriving community on the far west side of San Antonio and he has been given much of the credit for many of the City’s business and tourist successes in that area these past four decades.  Wender was largely responsible for creating the Westover Hills Development, ensuring the city landed Sea World, facilitating the construction of State Highway 151, and bringing the 1993 United States Olympic Festival here.  He was also instrumental in convincing papal-visit coordinators to have Pope John Paul II come to San Antonio instead of Houston during his 1987 visit to the U.S. 

Wender heads the Charles Martin Wender Real Estate & Investments and is a past recipient of the Robert H.H. Hugman Award given to those individuals who have enhanced or otherwise expanded San Antonio’s tourism industry.