Winners Adolfo Pesquera, Business Writer, San Antonio Express News, Minority Media Advocate of the Year Adolfo Pesquera, Business Writer, San Antonio Express News, Minority Media Advocate of the Year
Adolfo Pesquera’s journalism career began while attending PanAmerican University in Edinburg, Texas. Beginning his sophomore year in 1980, he enrolled in a program for a Bachelor of Humanities, majoring in Mass Communications.
He soon after joined the college newspaper, The PanAmerican, as a reporter and columnist. Adolfo early on developed a strong interest in the plight of Salvadorans fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, many of whom were finding refuge through faith-based organizations in the Rio Grande Valley.
Adolfo met and interviewed refugees and activists coming to their aid. Following graduation in December 1983, Mr. Pesquera continued to write sporadically about the Salvadoran issue at The Brownsville Herald, which was his first fulltime position at a daily newspaper. Adolfo joined the Brownsville Herald in the spring of 1984 and remained there for just over two years. His beat (areas of primary responsibility) included City Hall, city government, public utilities, and economic development at the Brownsville airport.
While at the Herald, Mr. Pesquera earned two Associated Press awards – one for short story and one for on a team effort for coverage of a tropical storm. In 1986, Adolfo was approached by a recruiter to join the San Antonio Express-News, at that time a News Corp.-owned newspaper, (a property of Rupert Murdoch). The newspaper management, responding to community criticism that its staffing severely lacked diversity, was on an extended recruiting effort to bring in qualified Hispanic, black and Asian journalists.
Pesquera came aboard, dividing his time between General Assignments and Police reporting. In January 1992, Pesquera became the dayshift Monday-Friday police reporter, one of the more respected and high profile positions on staff.
In early 2001, Adolfo was asked by management to consider moving to the Business section. He agreed and over the next five years he covered Real Estate and Construction. In the spring of 2006, he was moved to cover Small Business, Chambers of Commerce, and later the advertising and marketing industry was added to his duties.
While covering real estate and construction, Adolfo developed a keen interest in covering small, innovative companies and human interest stories involving the struggles small businesses face and the ingenuity entrepreneurs utilize to overcome challenges.
This interest was expanded once covering Small Business became his main focus. Adolfo has featured many minority-owned companies, including MBEC client Choe Enterprises.
Adolfo was instrumental in helping the San Antonio MBEC launch its 2008 Minority Business Management Program with a story he wrote.
Adolfo is a native of Indiana, but spent his grade school years in Corpus Christi. He is the father of four children and proud grandfather of four grandchildren.
| < Prev |
|---|
