Biden adds 2 UTSA grads to team
President-elect Joe Biden announced the appointments Tuesday of two University of Texas at San Antonio graduates to his White House staff.
Emmy Ruiz, a 2006 UTSA graduate, and Adrian Saenz, a 1997 graduate, will serve the incoming administration as the director of political strategy and outreach and the deputy director of the office of public engagement, respectively.
The appointments come on the heels of the Dec. 30 announcement that Christopher Garcia, a UTSA graduate and San Antonio native, was named as senior legislative affairs adviser.
Corina Cortez, a University of Incarnate Word graduate, also was named as special assistant to the president for presidential personnel.
Ruiz and Saenz are from the Rio Grande Valley and have served as advisers and aides for other political figures.
“Together, they fuel the everyday work to build our nation back better than before,” Biden said of the seven appointees announced Tuesday. “I'm proud to have them serve the American people in the White House.”
Ruiz was a former campaign aide to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama and Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez.
Ruiz, a Harlingen native who now lives in Austin, is credited for mobilizing communities of color to get out and vote in the 2018 and 2020 elections.
“For the 2016 presidential elections, Ruiz led and won Colorado and Nevada for Hillary Clinton,” the White House transition team said of the new hire.
Before sharing a photo of a celebratory Whataburger meal, Ruiz tweeted that Clinton called her to quell her fears about her new role.
“For this small town, lucky immigrant kid … some dreams are so big and great that they never even crossed my mind. Luckily, they did for others, like @jomalleydillon ( Jen O'malley Dillon) and @joebiden (Biden),” Ruiz said in a subsequent tweet. “I give my word, I will approach each day with the fierceness and humility this moment merits.”
Sanez, who's from Brownsville, served as an adviser for Latino paid media and mail for the BidenHarris campaign. He previously worked for the Obama administration as special assistant to the president and as deputy director and senior adviser in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
He also served as the national Latino vote director in 2012 for the Obama-biden campaign.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in the Biden-harris White House and humbled to be joining such an amazing team of people committed to defeating COVID, rebuilding the country, making the White House a place where all of America is welcome again, and so much more,” Saenz said in a statement.
UTSA President Taylor Eighmy noted the success of the school's alumni in a statement.
“When students graduate from UTSA, they're prepared to take on the world and make meaningful contributions to society,” he said. “Having alumni who have been selected to serve in a presidential administration is a testament to the Roadrunner spirit of excellence, accomplishment and public service.”