Robert A. Estrada

But the selection of Robert A. Estrada - who was reared in Brownsville and attended Texas Southmost College - has not found universal favor among South Texas lawmakers.

"I'm a bit disappointed," state Sen.
...
"Estrada may do a good job but I am disappointed.Once again it looks like empty promises for the Valley," state Rep.
...
Estrada, chairman of investment banking firm Estrada Hinojosa & Company, Inc., says one of his top priorities will be to ensure Valley students are not left behind when funding resources are decided.

"I am very excited over my appointment," said Estrada, whose parents still live in Brownsville."I want to ensure the older campuses receive higher recognition and true international prominence but at the same time I do not want the other campuses left behind.I will ensure that Valley students have a voice at the table."

Estrada was born in Mexico City but raised in Brownsville.His father Carlos was an engineer in Brownsville for Pan American airlines.Estrada went to St. Joseph Academy and Texas Southmost College before graduating with a science degree at the University of Austin.

For a short period in the late 1960s Estrada was a TV reporter for KGBT in Harlingen.Estrada Hinojosa and Company, Inc. offers financial advice on municipal bond issues to many Valley municipalities.

UT-Brownsville President Juliet Garcia, who went to school with Estrada, is in no doubt about the merit of the appointment.
...
"Bob Estrada understands the potential of the human capital in South Texas.He is an example of it.I don't care, frankly, about his address or where he hangs his hat.It's a very special day.It's as though the whole Valley had been appointed."

Others are not so sure.