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Putting Years of Experience to Use

For David Garza, 74, a career in public service informs his volunteer advocacy work for AARP, which has included a focus on affordable housing.

Christine Bedell,

AARP

Published July 01, 2026

a man in a red AARP shirt throwing a baseball

David Garza, an avid volunteer for AARP San Antonio, throws out the opening pitch at the Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium before a San Antonio Missions baseball game in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

Christopher Lee

When a friend urged David Garza to begin volunteering with AARP Texas, he wasn’t sure it would be a good fit. He pictured bingo games at the senior center.

Instead, the AARP advocacy committee Garza joined reminded him of his days leading government housing initiatives. He saw an agenda and business to get done.

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“You weren’t there to waste time,” says the 74-year-old San Antonio resident.

a man in a red AARP t-shirt in front of an outdoor booth

David Garza, an avid volunteer for AARP San Antonio, greets game goers at the Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium before a San Antonio Missions baseball game in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

Christopher Lee

Since joining AARP’s volunteer ranks in 2022, Garza has put his decades of experience in public service and politics to powerful use. He’s helped advocate for and educate voters about an affordable housing bond that would help the city of San Antonio rehabilitate and preserve existing affordable housing, as well as build new affordable rental units.

He’s educated mayoral candidates about issues important to older Texans; urged state lawmakers to bolster nursing home regulations; and advocated in Washington, D.C. for Social Security.

“He’s been able to perfect what it is to be an AARP volunteer,” says Lisa A. Rodriguez, AARP Texas state director.

Garza will take on any assignment with AARP, says Diana Pina-Hernandez, 73, a lifelong friend and fellow volunteer. He’ll speak to lawmakers in Austin one day and check the condition of sidewalks the next, she says.

In meetings, Garza has a way of keeping people focused, Pina-Hernandez notes.

“If the conversation or the topic is going in a different direction, he clicks in real quick and brings everybody back,” she says.

Focus on Affordable Housing

Advocacy is in Garza’s blood. He grew up in a San Antonio family where civic responsibility was expected, especially from a mother active in the PTA, church and community.

“By the time we were considered responsible, we were expected to volunteer,” Garza says.

He first became politically aware as a sixth grader during John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, which excited San Antonio’s Catholic community.

And he learned the power of organized action by taking part in student-led protests while attending St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Garza’s focus eventually turned local. At age 28, he was elected to the Edgewood Independent School District Board of Trustees in San Antonio, where he supported a lawsuit over school funding that resulted in what’s known as the state’s “Robin Hood” plan, which redistributes funding from wealthier to poorer districts.

Garza went on to build a decades-long career in housing. Democratic Gov. Ann Richards appointed him as housing director for the state of Texas in the 1990s. And in the 2000s, he served as neighborhood action director for the city of San Antonio. His work focused on helping low- and moderate-income residents secure and improve housing.

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He still remembers a widow and retired Catholic school secretary who received a full bathroom renovation, including a walk-in shower, through a program Garza worked on. She cried during construction, having believed she’d die before seeing her home repaired.

All of that experience now flows into Garza’s volunteering with AARP, working on bipartisan efforts. In 2022, when San Antonio voters were asked to approve a bond that included $150 million for affordable housing, Garza played a central role in helping AARP advocate for passage, says Laura Calderon, associate state director for communications at AARP Texas.

He helped shape advocacy emails, plan voter outreach and speak to community groups. The bond passed, and Garza’s work continues.

He keeps an eye on how the bond money is being spent, Calderon notes.

Garza, who has worked on many political campaigns, also helped shape AARP’s 2025 engagement with San Antonio’s mayoral candidates. With 27 hopefuls initially in the race, Garza helped promote a mayoral forum that drew a large turnout and highlighted the influence of older voters.

“It was really important that the final two candidates actually saw that we can turn out these people,” Calderon says.

But not all of Garza’s AARP work involves politics or policy. He also shows up to represent the organization at events such as baseball games.

He brings a “bubbly” energy to his outreach efforts, telling funny stories and making quips to get laughs, Rodriguez says.

At San Antonio Missions Minor League Baseball games, she notes, Garza doesn’t wait for people to come to AARP’s booth. Instead, he heads into the crowds — chatting people up and offering giveaways — to steer them toward AARP staff and informational materials.

AARP Texas is always recruiting new volunteers. Garza’s pitch to anyone interested?

“Take a good look at what we do at AARP, and you’ll find that AARP is working for you whether you know it or not,” he says. “And it would be nice if you got involved and helped spread the word.”

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Christine Bedell is a freelance writer who covered government and politics at newspapers for nearly 25 years.

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