He came from a broken home on the city’s West Side and was told he wasn’t ”college material,” but Richard Acosta was determined.
After graduating from high school, he attended Our Lady of the Lake University, and financed his higher education through summer trips to pick fruit in California. Upon obtaining his degree, he saw an opportunity to own a McDonald’s franchise, so Richard and his wife sold their house and cars and moved the family in with his mother-in-law to follow his dream.
Sheer determination and a fierce entrepreneurial spirit kept Acosta going, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And, today, Richard owns 15 McDonald’s franchises in San Antonio, employs over 1,200 people, and is being honored, along with three other Westside heroes, by the Westside Development Corporation and Mayor Julián Castro for their lifelong achievements and contributions to the Westside.
The first annual Westside Honors award program will recognize individuals who are from the Westside, reside in the Westside or have made a significant contribution to the Westside of San Antonio on Wednesday, June 9 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Elmendorf Park. These Westside Honors honorees include:
· Richard Acosta, business leader - McDonald’s franchise owner with 15 stores and over 1,200 employees. He is a member of the OLLU School of Business and Leadership Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, and his children help him run the company today.
· Demetrio Rodriguez, education activist – Led the national fight for school finance equity based on the poor educational facilities and programs offered to his children in the Edgewood ISD during the 1970’s. He filed suit with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund against Texas, and took his fight all the way to the US Supreme Court in 1973. His determination to provide a better education for his kids opened the door and shined the light on educational disparity on the Westside.
· Dr. Fernando Guerra, health care leader - Serves as Director of Health for Metro Health and its 400 employees. He is committed to improving access to health care systems for infants, women, children and elderly. Guerra is a practicing pediatrician and has received numerous awards for his medical accomplishments.
· Senator Leticia Van de Putte, civic leader – Currently serving her fifth term as the Texas State Senator for District 26 and a strong advocate for children, veterans, and quality public education. She has been a Westside pharmacist at Davila Pharmacy for more than 30 years and lives in the area.
Over 350 guests will gather to honor and salute these four Westside Heroes, including Mary Alice Cisneros, District 1 Councilwoman, Jennifer Ramos, District 3 Councilwoman, David Medina, District 5 Councilman, Ray Lopez, District 6 Councilman, Justin Rodriguez, District 7 Councilman, County Commissioner Paul Elizondo, and County Commissioner Chico Rodriguez.
The Westside Development Corporation was founded by the City of San Antonio in 2006 to foster local economic development, promote the development and redevelopment of real estate within its target area, create viable urban communities, and preserve the character, culture and history of San Antonio’s Westside.
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