FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Steve Rosenauer, Executive Director
210.227.5191
SAN ANTONIO (August 4, 2025) – The Fiesta® San Antonio Commission is happy to announce its leadership for the 2025-26 Fiesta Year. The following have been elected as officers of the Commission:
The following have been elected as officers of the Commission:
- Ferne Burney President
- Jim Mery President-Elect
- Barton Simpson Senior Vice President
- Kelly Kennedy 1st Vice President
- Allison Reyes Boese 2nd Vice President
- John Evans Treasurer
- Dr. Jose Ruiz Secretary
- Sid Gutierrez Presidential Appointee
- David Christian Immediate Past President
Ferne Burney exclaims, “Fiesta 2026 will be an opportunity for San Antonians, and our national and international guests, to ‘Fiesta Together’ and support many San Antonio area non-profit organizations!”
The following organizations, with their respective representative, will serve the Commission on the Board of Directors:
- Battle of Flowers® Association Kathleen LeFlore
- Beethoven Mannerchor, Inc. Alfred Horn
- disABILITYsa Melanie Cawthon
- Fiesta Flambeau® Parade Association, Inc. Richard Flores
- King William Association Lisa Lynde
- Military-Civilian Club of San Antonio Julie Coffey
- Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation Thomas Aguillon
- Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation Jennifer Barbaro
- San Antonio Zulu Association Jasper “Mookie” Blake
- Texas Cavaliers Gregory Seay
- The Conservation Society of San Antonio Lewis Vetter
- The Order of the Alamo Matt Koehler
The following individuals have been elected to serve the Commission as Elected Commissioners:
- Dina Boley
- JoAnn Boone
- Caroline Cain
- Freddie Cervera III
- Trish DeBerry
- Richard Delgado Jr.
- Michael Flores
- Terrin Fuhrmann
- Debbie Gonzaba
- Abby Kurth
- Sandy Liwang
- Bridgette Oliva
- Cheryl Palmer
- Janet Putman
- Melissa Ramirez
- Laura Read
- Irma Duran de Rodriguez
- Rochelle Staten
- Lillian Villanueva
- Fernando Villarreal
- Jeffrey Weissman
The dates of Fiesta 2026 are April 16 to 26. For more information, please visit www.fiestasanantonio.org.
#VivaFiestaSA2026 #FiestaTogether2026
About the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission
The Fiesta® San Antonio Commission Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer, self-supporting organization that plans, promotes, coordinates, and preserves Fiesta San Antonio through support of its Participating Member Organizations in presenting a safe, educational, annual celebration of the diverse heritage, culture and spirit of San Antonio for its residents and visitors.
Fiesta® San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. That historic commemoration still takes place, but for more than a century, Fiesta® has grown into a celebration of San Antonio’s rich and diverse cultures and today is one of this nation’s premier festivals with an economic impact of more than $340 million. Each year, more than one hundred San Antonio Area Non-Profit, Fiesta Member Organizations coordinate more than one hundred Official Fiesta® Events to raise funds to provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission’s purpose is to help each of its Member Organizations be as successful as they can be.
The Fiesta San Antonio Commission proudly supports Fiesta Member Organizations that support:
• Higher Education Scholarships and Programs
• Diverse Cultures • Historical Significance / The Alamo
• Arts / Nature
• Military Programs
• Children’s Events / Programs
• Pets / Animal Welfare
• Inclusive Events / LGBTQ
• Sports / Health and Wellness
• Special Needs Community
• Older Adult Community
• Local Community Building