SAN ANTONIO – The latest Pickup Lines segment features Jeff Webster, the president and CEO of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
Webster grew up in Richardson near Dallas, and came to San Antonio in the mid-1980s after attending Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University).
The former District 10 city councilman became CEO of the Greater SA Chamber in December 2023, leading San Antonio’s largest and oldest business organization, which dates back to 1894.
“I tell people all the time, this is a great job because I get to be playing politics, playing business, playing the community. I don’t have to go to my friends and ask for money for a campaign. And my friends appreciate that. They don’t have to ask for money,” he said.
Watch the full Pickup Lines with Jeff Webster in the video player above.
Webster, a former football player, explained why San Antonio will likely not have an NFL team anytime soon.
“You’ve got a team in Houston and a team in New Orleans and a team in Dallas — all worth over a billion dollars, multi-billion dollars. And, if you draw 500-mile concentric circles, you have three teams that cover San Antonio, and you don’t put a McDonald’s on every corner for a reason. And so, I think it’s going to be hard-pressed for us to ever have an NFL team," he said.
Webster believes professional soccer may be a better bet moving forward. He sees growth in other areas, including the military.
“We helped raise the money and buy the land, and donate it to the military. Health sciences, biomed, we helped get that started. Economic development, the group that does that, we got that started. But what we are — is we’re the voice for the business community,“ he said. ”My friends at Greater SCTX, their job is to go out and recruit and bring in. My job is to be the offensive line. And make sure the environment here is clear of difficulties from the city, county, state, and feds. So, this is a great place to raise a family, grow a business, or start a business.”
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Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.