Meet the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's first Hispanic executive

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Juan Garcia calls himself a city cowboy, but his love for the Rodeo and his community runs deep.

"I didn't really get to experience the kind of the country life until later in my high school when I moved out to a ranch in Brazoria County," said Juan Garcia.

Garcia vividly recalls attending the Rodeo's Go Tejano Day as a kid and getting the chance of a lifetime to watch Selena's very last performance at the Houston Astrodome.

"Even when I watched the movie, and they highlight the Astrodome performance during that movie, I can always say I was there, " Garcia shared. "That's why I treasure the shows today because you never know about the future and what they're gonna mean."

After law school, Garcia volunteered for the Rodeo, eventually joining the Go Tejano Committee, where he met his wife.

And now, he's stepping into his most important role within the organization as the first Hispanic member of the Executive Committee for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

"Love that committee and everything that it does," he said.

Since the committee's inception, more than $9.3 million has been raised for scholarships. Of the many applicants since 2023, 30% of recipients were Hispanic or Latino.

As a son of immigrants, Garcia knows how vital these scholarships can be.

"Families who, in giving that scholarship to their kid, have told me they didn't know how they were going to manage putting their child through school. And as, as a result of the Rodeo, it's impacted them feeling that now they can make it," he said. "So when I hear those stories from families, from kids who are going to school as a result of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, it makes me want to do more."

The Hispanic community makes an impressive impact every year on Go Tejano Day at the Rodeo. In 2023, Los Tigres Del Norte broke Rodeo's second-highest-paid concert attendance record with 75,595 people.

"There are so many things that have happened out here that have impacted my life that wants me to give back even more,' he said.

Having a seat at the table allows Garcia to ensure Houston's Hispanic community continues to be supported and represented.