ABOUT US
SATX INNER CITY DEVELOPMENT is a nonprofit, community based organization that responds to emergency, educational, and recreational needs of the neighborhood on the near Westside of San Antonio in the vicinity of the Alazan-Apache Public Housing Project. It has been operating in this area, the economically poorest area of Bexar County, since 1968. The mission of the organization is to lift the dignity of the individual. This is done by providing critical, supportive, basic life services and inspiring persons to participate in the betterment of their neighborhood through volunteerism. With the exception of one part-time administrative assistant, the organization is run by an all-volunteer staff and administration.
Board Chair Richard Montez has served as Board Chair since 2013. He was born and raised a block from Inner City and is an alumnus of Ruiz Elementary and is a Sidney Lanier High School graduate. He earned a Bachelors of Political Science from St. Mary's University. Richard is a father of two, to Owen and William, and currently works as Director of Member Services at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). As an Inner City volunteer, Richard has served in various capacities, including chair of the Spring Basketball League and of Friendship Festival committees. Richard understands that Inner City succeeded through the generosity and commitment of good people who give of themselves. His favorite lesson learned at Inner City is to consider the following statement as an approach to leadership and decision making, "What is the most loving thing to do?"
Vice-Chair, Blanca E. Ramírez is a retired/rehired educator from SAISD. With a passion and mission in life to help others and be a positive influence for those in need, she draws on her own life experience where she learned about the challenges of being poor and being raised by loving parents who lacked a formal education. These attributes have helped her achieve a very successful educational career impacting her students, her peers, and the community. Blanca spent her entire 40-year career on the Westside at Cooper Middle School, Sidney Lanier High School, and is currently at Cooper Academy at Navarro. With her continual involvment with students, the disadvantaged, her church and her music ministry, Blanca is an impactful difference-maker in the lives of many throughout San Antonio. .
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Treasurer, Larry Starkey grew up in San Antonio and went to St. Mary’s University. He taught at South San ISD for 30 years and is now retired. He has been married since 1986 to his wife Janet. He started with ICD in 1975 helping with the Summer Program and for his first ten years, after school on Wednesdays, he would take a van full of kids to a city park. Then he began assisting with the financial books and later became Treasurer for the Inner City Board. He remains Treasurer to this day and also spends every Thursday morning with Inner City, doing whatever is needed. He is active in all fundraisers and now assists with Emergency Food Pantry, as needed.
Secretary, Rose Garcia grew up with four siblings on the Westside of San Antonio, attending J.T. Brackenridge Elementary, Tafolla Middle School, and Lanier High School. Her parents instilled in her the importance of faith, family, love, responsibility, perseverance, being bilingual and giving back to our Community. She learned much from her father Atanacio Garcia, a very active community organizer. She learned the importance of volunteering and how the voice of our community can unite and build for future leaders. She worked at USAA for 19.5 years and as an Executive Administrative Assistant for 11 years, the last 5 years in housing. Now a caregiver, she’s blessed to work for the best ever CEO, her loving Mother. Rose was elected to the Board of ICD in 2016. Her passion of photography has captured the love and energy of children, neighbors and friends during many events and programs in which she has been a part.
Board of Directors
Richard Montez, Chair
Blanca Ramirez, Vice Chair
Rose Garcia, Secretary
Larry Starkey, Treasurer
Amado Briseno, Member
Roseanne Bone, Advisor
Executive Directors
Patti & Rod Radle
Administrative Assistant
Rosa Lopez
Co-Executive Directors Patti and Rod Radle have been the volunteer directors since 1971. They live two blocks from Inner City. Patti has a degree in Theology from Marquette University and Rod has a Masters in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University. They took turns taking care of the children and volunteering at Inner City while the other took on a job to put food on the table and pay personal bills. Rod did a lot of counseling and Patti did a lot of classroom teaching. They always shared the work at Inner City and home together as it was possible. That is much more possible now that both are retired. They also sing and write folk music and over the years have had many folk music events to raise money for Inner City. They are available for speaking engagements to present info on Inner City and to invite people to volunteer.
Rosa Lopez has been the Administrative Assistant..for over 25 years. She and her 6 siblings attended J.T. Brackenridge Elementary, Tafolla Middle School and Lanier High School. She is an invaluable member of the Inner City family, knowing everything from how programs run and where the box of staples is. She works part-time. Her fulltime job is at the Marriot River Mall.
Amado Briseno, Member...Photo and Bio pending.