AUSTIN — Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush today announced two new additions to the reconstituted Alamo Endowment Board (AEB).  Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., and Esperanza "Hope" Andrade now join the seven current members of the AEB in their mission to raise significant capital for the Alamo Complex redevelopment and for Alamo preservation efforts.

"The future of the Alamo lies in preserving and protecting its past and expanding the opportunities for sharing the story of Texas’ greatest historic treasure, our Alamo," Bush said. "All of the members of this board are leaders in their communities and in Texas and I am proud to welcome two new members to join this motivated group. The members of the Alamo Endowment and the General Land Office are already working together with our partners in the city of San Antonio and all Texans far and wide to transform the Alamo into historic site worthy of its grand history."

Francisco G. Cigarroa M.D., is a nationally renowned Pediatric and Transplant Surgeon and is a Commissioner on the White House initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. He also served on the selection committee for the National Medal of Science Recipients for the White House. Dr. Cigarroa served as President of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio from 2000-2009 before being named the first Hispanic Chancellor of the University of Texas System. In January of 2015, he resigned from the role as Chancellor to become the director of Pediatric Transplant Surgery at the Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Born in Laredo, Texas, Dr. Cigarroa has a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Yale University and a Medical Doctorate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

A member of the San Antonio Leadership Hall of Fame and a native of the city, Hope Andrade brings transformative years of public service to the Alamo Endowment Board. Andrade has served as chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission, Secretary of State and as the commissioner representing employers on the Texas Workforce Commission. Appointed Secretary of State by Governor Perry in 2008, Andrade was the first Hispanic woman to hold the office. When she left the position in 2012 Andrade was the fourth longest serving Secretary of State in Texas’ history. Prior to serving in state office, Andrade was an entrepreneur and business owner in San Antonio and received the Lifetime Achievement award from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Hope Andrade is serving as the Chair of the VIA Transit Authority in San Antonio.

As Texas Land Commissioner, Bush oversees the Alamo on behalf of all Texans. As chairman of the Alamo Endowment, Bush leads a board of Texas titans focused on fund-raising for the Alamo's future.

The Alamo Endowment Board members are:

• Ramona Bass
• Gene Powell
• Red McCombs
• Jim Dannenbaum
• Lew Moorman
• Welcome Wilson Jr. 

Previously appointed AEB member biographies: 

A 6th generation Texan, Ramona Bass was born and raised in San Antonio in a family where the spirit of the Alamo and what it symbolized pervaded her childhood. She has been a lifelong student of history in general and Texas in particular. She and her husband Lee live in Fort Worth and along with various civic interests concentrate their philanthropy on wildlife conservation and education, not only in Texas, but nationally and internationally as well. Most recently, she has been involved with her hometown's Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project, specifically the Mission Espada. She is an avid supporter and co-chair of the Fort Worth Zoo and has been the driving force behind its privatization and recognition as one of the top 5 zoos in the country.

James D. (Jim) Dannenbaum attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Dannenbaum currently serves as Chairman of Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation, a Texas-based consulting engineering firm. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with regional offices in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio. Dannenbaum employs over 220 people and is one of the most respected civil design firms in Texas. Governor Perry appointed Mr. Dannenbaum to the U.T. System Board of Regents in 2007. 

Red McCombs is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, and a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings. He is the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Southwestern University, and Chairman of the University of Texas' M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. McCombs has owned nearly 400 businesses during his career. 

Lew Moorman joined technology startup Rackspace Hosting in April 2000, serving in a variety of executive roles there over 14 years, including President and Chief Strategy Officer. He helped grow the company to $1.3 billion in annual sales. Lew remains on the Board of Directors while pursuing new entrepreneurial endeavors in the technology space. He is active in the San Antonio community, serving on several boards including Texas Biomed. A native of San Antonio, Lew received a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. 

William Eugene "Gene" Powell earned a bachelor's and master's degree in Finance at The University of Texas at Austin while on a full athletic scholarship playing football under Coach Darrell K Royal. He served on The University of Texas System Board of Regents, beginning in February 2009 and officially ended his term in February 2015. During that time, he served as Chairman with the University of Texas System Board of Regents from 2011 through 2013 and served as Vice Chairman beginning in August 2013 and ending in February 2015. Powell is the founder of The Powell Companies real estate brokerage company and, co-founder of Bitterblue, Inc., real estate developers. Powell serves several organizations including the Real Estate Council, the Greater San Antonio Builders Association, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Chamber of Commerce of San Antonio, the Responsible Growth Alliance, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Los Compadres de la Missiones, and the Witte Museum.. 

Welcome W. Wilson, Jr. is Vice Chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents. Wilson is president and chief executive officer of GSL Welcome Group, a commercial real estate development firm. He also serves as developer with Kingham ∙ Dalton ∙ Wilson Ltd. and director of River Oaks Financial Group, Inc. He is very active in the community, serving in a variety of roles for the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority, the Houston Realty Business Coalition, the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the Houston Food Bank, the American Lung Association and the Greater Houston Partnership.

###