Breaking Ground SA

Real Estate Council of San Antonio
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Entrepreneurship

Breaking Ground SA is a podcast where we dig into real estate deals, developments, and decision-makers shaping San Antonio. Hosted by Stephanie Reyes, President and CEO of RECSA, and local policy expert Rob Killen, each episode explores the stories behind the city's transformation—from downtown revitalization and major developments to the people and passion driving San Antonio's growth. Whether it's iconic buildings, economic development, or the future of our community, Breaking Ground SA takes you behind the scenes of the projects building the city our kids want to call home.

  1. 3d ago

    Inside San Antonio's Planning Commission with 14-Year Commissioner George Peck | Ep. 16

    George Peck almost missed the phone call that started his entire San Antonio career, an old cassette-tape answering machine message he didn't hear for a week. Nearly four decades later, he's a former RECSA president, one of the longest-serving members of the San Antonio Planning Commission, and a 2019 Philip Barshop Founder's Award recipient. In this episode, George traces his path from a small engineering school in upstate New York to becoming one of San Antonio's most trusted voices in development, thanks to two demanding mentors who shaped how he leads today. He shares the wild story behind the most intense Planning Commission meeting of his career, involving the Alamo, hours of testimony, and a full police escort out of the building. He also opens up about turning to marathon and ultra-distance running in his late 30s, and shares his honest read on where San Antonio's growth and affordability challenges are headed next. Episode Chapters (00:00) Cold Open(00:24) Welcome and Introduction(02:10) From Upstate New York to San Antonio(09:06) Finding Mentors: Paul Denham and Steve Hannan(15:23) How a Missed Voicemail Led to 14 Years on the Planning Commission(18:02) Transforming the City's Relationship with Development Services(34:15) The Alamo Plan Meeting That Needed a Police Escort(38:22) Winning the Philip Barshop Award(53:52) San Antonio's Growth, Affordability, and What Comes Next(59:46) Rapid Fire Questions Links and ResourcesKCI Technologies: https://www.kci.comReal Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media

  2. Aug 25

    From the Spurs Arena to Brooks: Leo Gomez on Why San Antonio Needs to Think Bigger | Ep. 15

    Leo Gomez has spent his career building things San Antonio said couldn't be built, twice, from a downtown arena the Spurs weren't supposed to be able to afford, to a former Air Force base most people still think is off-limits to civilians. In this episode, Leo traces his path from a childhood in McAllen to leading the redevelopment of Brooks, one of the fastest-growing three-mile markets in San Antonio. He explains why he modeled Brooks after The Woodlands, Mueller, and Lowry, why tax increment reinvestment zones matter more than most people realize, and why he believes San Antonio consistently thinks too small. He also opens up about a walking pilgrimage across Portugal and Spain that changed how he sees the years ahead. Episode Chapters(00:44) Welcome and Introduction(01:29) From the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio(13:07) Chambers, Networking, and Landing at the Spurs(18:03) Building a Basketball Arena and the Original Spurs Deal(25:52) Toyota, Then Back to the Spurs(33:17) The Brooks Story: Vision, Models, and Rebuilding Infrastructure(43:41) Inside Brooks Today: Growth, Trees, and Misconceptions(53:52) Mentorship, Big Ideas, and Thinking Bigger for San Antonio(01:00:48) Life Outside Work and Rapid Fire Questions Links and ResourcesBrooks: https://livebrooks.com/Real Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com/ Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media

  3. Aug 4

    Debra Guerrero on Affordable Housing, City Hall, and Why San Antonio Needs to Think Bigger | Ep. 14

    Debra Guerrero has spent almost thirty years in the rooms where San Antonio's biggest decisions get made, first as the only woman on City Council in 1997, then on the SAISD Board during one of the district's most difficult stretches, and now as a senior leader at The NRP Group, where she's helped build tens of thousands of housing units across Texas. In this episode, Debra traces her path from a childhood on the southeast side, where her father worked at Kelly Air Force Base and her mother ran a neighborhood beauty salon, through an early start in campaign politics at age 14, a Planning Commission appointment that introduced her to the developers shaping the city, and into a career built around one core idea: that housing is as essential as water and electricity. She talks candidly about her four years on City Council, her decision to help turn around a struggling school district, and why she believes San Antonio still hasn't fully learned to celebrate its own wins. Episode Chapters(00:30) Welcome and Introduction(03:01) Growing Up on the Southeast Side: Family, Faith, and a Neighborhood Salon(07:12) Getting Political at 14: Campaigns, the Hatch Act, and Finding Her Path(14:59) The Planning Commission Appointment That Changed Everything(24:02) From City Council to the SAISD Board: Nearly a Decade Shaping Schools(32:33) Four Years at City Hall: Being the Only Woman in the Room(44:30) Joining The NRP Group and the Legacy of Dan Markson(55:51) The State of Affordable Housing in San Antonio and Texas(01:03:04) Advice for Young Women in Leadership, Plus Rapid Fire Questions Links and ResourcesThe NRP Group: https://nrpgroup.comReal Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.comSAISD: https://www.saisd.net Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media - https://everyword.media

  4. Jul 21

    Melissa Robinson's Path to Leading Hemisfair Into Its Next Era | Ep. 13

    Melissa Robinson didn't set out to run Hemisfair. She started as a board member who took a chance meeting at a Christmas party seriously, then spent years learning the project from the inside before stepping into the CEO seat as only the second person to ever hold it. In this episode, Melissa traces her path from a childhood spent bouncing between five states, through construction finance, a layoff that redirected her career, and a leap into development on her own, all the way to leading one of San Antonio's most consequential public spaces. She breaks down what the 90-acre Hemisfair district actually includes, why the parks anchor the development rather than the other way around, and what's still left to build as the surrounding sports and entertainment district takes shape. Episode Chapters(00:00) Cold Open(00:31) Welcome and Introduction(02:00) Melissa's Winding Path: Five States, Two Countries, One Twin Sister(13:47) From Construction Finance to Real Estate Development(28:44) The Leap: Leaving a Steady Career to Build Her Own Path(31:41) Becoming Hemisfair's Second-Ever CEO(35:23) The Story of Hemisfair: Three Generations of the Same Land(39:22) Inside the 90-Acre District and the Sports and Entertainment Conversations(43:41) Where Downtown San Antonio Is Headed in the Next 5-10 Years(49:36) Rapid Fire Questions Links and ResourcesHemisfair: https://hemisfair.orgReal Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com Sponsored LinksPort San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.ushttps://vimeo.com/1204624708/67c9b99b89?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

  5. Jul 7

    Hope Andrade on Business, Texas Politics, and Leading The Alamo's $700M Rebuild | Ep. 12

    Hope Andrade has been a bus girl, a tortilla factory worker, an IBM word processor, a healthcare entrepreneur, a TxDOT commissioner, and Texas' first Latina and longest-serving Secretary of State. Now she's leading the Alamo Trust as President and CEO, overseeing the $700 million restoration set to open in 2028. In this episode, Hope talks about growing up in San Antonio, learning she was adopted in her 40s, building a business empire out of a childcare need in the 1970s, getting talked into a career in state government, and what's coming next for the Alamo, including a 160,000 square foot event center and a film produced by Taylor Sheridan. Episode Chapters (00:00) - Cold Open(00:18) - Welcome and Introduction(01:33) - Growing Up in San Antonio and Being Adopted(07:52) - Finding Mentors and Learning by Watching(19:39) - Getting Into Politics Through Business(21:41) - Starting a Business as a Woman in 1979(28:05) - From IBM to Building a Home Care Empire(33:27) - TxDOT, Secretary of State, and Bringing Jobs to Texas(44:57) - Leading the Alamo Trust's $700 Million Restoration(1:03:47) - Rapid Fire Questions Links and Resources The Alamo: https://www.thealamo.orgReal Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com/Port San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.us Sponsored Links Port San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.ushttps://vimeo.com/1204624708/67c9b99b89?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media

  6. Jun 16

    How Port San Antonio Became a $20 Billion Economic Engine with Jim Perschbach | Ep. 11

    Port San Antonio generates $20 billion in annual economic output and has added 9,000 jobs in six years without a single public incentive. In this episode, Jim Perschbach, President and CEO of Port San Antonio, breaks down how a former military air installation became one of the most consequential innovation campuses in the country and what it means for San Antonio's future. Jim covers everything from the 1910 origins of military aviation in San Antonio to flying taxis, advanced air mobility, cybersecurity infrastructure, and why the city's biggest economic wins are going completely uncelebrated. Episode Chapters (00:00) - Cold Open(00:34) - Welcome and Introduction(01:55) - Jim's Background and Path to San Antonio(09:05) - How Jim Joined Port San Antonio(13:15) - The History of Port San Antonio and Kelly Air Force Base(18:00) - Advanced Air Mobility and the Future of Airspace(23:50) - Building Tech1 and Tech2: The Risks That Paid Off(29:44) - Cybersecurity, the 67th Wing, and National Defense(38:00) - Competing with Other States for Aerospace Investment(44:00) - 9,000 Jobs, Zero Public Incentives, and No Ribbon-Cutting(49:25) - Childcare, Infrastructure, and Solving Social Determinants(57:50) - Boeing Center at Tech Port: Why Entertainment Belongs on Campus(01:05:00) - The Future of Port San Antonio's Campus Development(01:12:25) - Rapid Fire Questions Links and Resources Port San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.usInnovation Tower: https://www.portsanantonio.us/Innovation-TowerTech Port Research Campus: https://www.portsanantonio.us/Research-CampusBoeing Center at Tech Port: https://www.boeingcentertechport.comARSOC: https://www.portsanantonio.us/ARSOCSkyGrid (advanced airspace software): https://www.skygrid.comGatorland Orlando: https://www.gatorland.comReal Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com/ Sponsored Links Port San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.us Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media

  7. Jun 2

    From Two Founders to 2,000+ Employees: Trey Dawson and the Pape-Dawson Story | Ep. 10

    In this episode of Breaking Ground SA, Stephanie Reyes and Rob Killen sit down with Trey Dawson, President of Pape-Dawson Engineers, one of San Antonio's most established and respected civil engineering firms. Trey is a third-generation leader of a company his grandfather co-founded in 1965 with $6,000, a six-month runway, and a Sunday school connection that barely kept the doors open. What started as a two-man land development firm has grown into a 2,000-person operation now active in 10 states, built on a simple mission: not to be the biggest, but to be the most respected. This is a conversation about family legacy, what it really takes to scale a company without losing its culture, and why San Antonio remains one of the best places in the country to build something. In this episode: (01:53) How Pape-Dawson was founded in 1965 with $6,000, a six-month runway, and a Sunday school connection that saved the company(08:26) Why staying in one market for 40 years was a risk and how diversification changed everything(17:32) The math behind expanding beyond Texas and why the organic growth model breaks down at 1,000 employees(18:56) How Pape Dawson protects its culture through M&A by partnering with firms that already share their values(22:12) What Trey learned about leadership from his grandfather, father, and uncle and why being seen matters as much as doing good work(23:21) His time chairing the Metro SA Chamber during COVID, including the gala he never got, and what leading RECSA taught him about himself(29:48) Why San Antonio punches above its weight as a place to do business and what local agencies need to hear(32:32) Rapid fire: steakhouse rankings with his kids, the Spurs playoff game he skipped for the lake, and why he'd be a real estate agent if engineering wasn't an option Links and Resources Pape-Dawson Engineers: https://www.pape-dawson.com/Real Estate Council of San Antonio: https://www.recsa.orgGreater SATX: https://www.greatersatx.com Sponsor Links: IRC Capital Residential: https://www.investmentrealty.com Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media #SanAntonio #BreakingGroundSA #RealEstate

  8. May 19

    Gordon Hartman: Building Morgan's Wonderland and a Legacy of Inclusion in San Antonio | Ep. 9

    In this episode of Breaking Ground SA, Stephanie Reyes and Rob Killen sit down with Gordon Hartman, San Antonio businessman, developer, and founder of the Morgan's Wonderland family of nonprofits. Gordon built a homebuilding empire from scratch at 19 with no college degree, sold it at 41, and redirected everything toward his daughter Morgan and the millions of individuals with special needs who lack access, opportunity, and inclusion. What started as a moment in a pool watching his daughter get left out has grown into a $200 million nonprofit ecosystem spanning a theme park, surgical center, salon, sports facilities, dental clinic, broadcast studio, and a first-of-its-kind fully inclusive hotel opening later this year. This is a conversation about purpose-driven development, what inclusion actually means, and how one builder decided that if it was easy, everybody would do it. Chapters (00:53) Meet Gordon Hartman(01:59) Young Gordon: Building His First Home at 19(07:44) Lessons From Home Building That Still Apply(12:32) Who Is Morgan(15:15) The Origin Story of Morgan's Wonderland(21:54) What Success Really Means Now(23:15) The Fully Inclusive Hotel(30:58) Accessibility vs. Inclusion: The Difference That Matters(40:51) Advice for Young Builders and Visionaries Links and Resources Morgan's Wonderland: morganswonderland.comMorgan's Inclusion Institute: https://morgansinclusioninstitute.org/Real Estate Council of San Antonio (RECSA): https://recsanantonio.com/ Sponsor Links: IRC Capital Residential - https://www.investmentrealty.com/ Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Breaking Ground SA is a podcast where we dig into real estate deals, developments, and decision-makers shaping San Antonio. Hosted by Stephanie Reyes, President and CEO of RECSA, and local policy expert Rob Killen, each episode explores the stories behind the city's transformation—from downtown revitalization and major developments to the people and passion driving San Antonio's growth. Whether it's iconic buildings, economic development, or the future of our community, Breaking Ground SA takes you behind the scenes of the projects building the city our kids want to call home.

Information

  • Creator
    Real Estate Council of San Antonio
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Real Estate Council of San Antonio
  • Show Website
    Breaking Ground SA

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