San Marcos City Manager Acknowledged As A Texas Lone Star

In the Friday, August 24, edition of Texas Government Insider, City Manager, Bert Lumbreras, for the City of San Marcos was the featured official in the “Strategic Partnerships Salutes Texas Lone Stars” section.

In the Friday, August 24, edition of Texas Government Insider, San Marcos City Manager, Bert Lumbreras was the featured in the “Strategic Partnerships Salutes Texas Lone Stars” section.

Every week, Strategic Partnerships salutes Texas’ Lone Stars highlighting the career and education of government officials/professionals throughout the state.

The Texas Government Insider and Government Contracting pipeline are a weekly publication written and produced by Strategic Partnerships Inc, which provides ” valuable ‘insider information’ on contracting opportunities and trends.”

The piece highlighted his career serving seven Texas communities throughout the years. The interview also talked about his public service and gave advice about new hires in his office.

The San Marcos City Council choose Lumbreras as the lone finalist in July 2017 to replace the city’s previous city manager, Jared Miller, who resigned in January 2017 to serve as city manager in Amarillo. 

Bert Lumbreras, City Manager, City of San Marcos

Career highlights and education: Mr. Lumbreras has had the privilege of serving seven Texas communities as either City Manager or Assistant City manager for the last 36 years.

His career began immediately following his graduation from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) in 1982 at the age of 22. He has served in the communities of Dilley, Floresville, Alamo, Uvalde, Waco, Austin and now, for the last year, in San Marcos.

He earned his BA degree in Urban Planning and Geography with a concentration in public administration.

His passion for public service or as he likes to put it, “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life,” gives him the ability to have a big impact.

He has served in the past as President of the Texas City Management Association and currently serves as VP – Mountain Plains region on the International City County Management Association Board of Directors as well as numerous other boards or nonprofits.

What I like best about my public service: The focus on solving significant challenges for our residents that we know have an impact on their quality of life like workforce housing, attracting new jobs or developing our workforce, seamless transit systems, alternative mode of transportation and shaping an organizational culture around strong values.

The best advice I have received for my current job: “Extraordinary leaders inspire and motivate others toward a common purpose.”

Advice you would give a new hire in your office: Don’t lose sight of who you are, bring me all that you have to offer, know that you make a difference and let’s have fun.

If I ever left work early, I could probably be found: Watching a good little league baseball game with kids and seeing them love life and experience joy.

People would be surprised to know that I: used to officiate high school baseball as an umpire, and like my job today, I knew that often I had to make a call and not everyone would be happy.

One thing I wish more people knew about the City of San Marcos: It is one of the fastest growing communities, not only in Texas but across the country, yet it continues to maintain its home town charm and vibrant local energy.