San Antonio’s political carousel is spinning once more, with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones elevating Andrew Fuentes to lead her City Hall staff as chief of staff. He is the third person to hold the position since Jones took office in June 2025, a level of churn that has not gone unnoticed by council members or local reporters. Fuentes, who had been working on the mayor’s communications team since early this year, will now run the office’s day-to-day operations.
As reported by San Antonio Report, Fuentes joined the mayor’s staff in February as communications and policy director and was recently tapped as the permanent chief of staff, with his new status made official on July 4. The San Antonio Express-News and other outlets note that before coming to City Hall, he spent nearly a decade advising the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and most recently served as a senior legislative officer at the U.S. Department of Labor.
City listings still show 'Acting' title
On paper, the transition has not fully caught up. The City of San Antonio's public staff directory still lists Fuentes as "Acting Chief of Staff," a mismatch that likely reflects a slow administrative update rather than a political hedge. The same directory shows MarkAnthony Ball as a communications advisor, a June hire the mayor’s office has leaned on for social media work and broader outreach. The directory functions as the official snapshot of the mayor’s current team at City Hall; you can find the staff listing on the city's website.
More departures preceded the promotion
Fuentes originally stepped into the acting chief of staff role after a pair of key exits in April. Chief of Staff Jenise Carroll resigned in late April, and Deputy Chief Pat Wallace had already left earlier that month, leaving the mayor without seasoned City Hall operators at a delicate moment. Texas Public Radio reported that Carroll cited personal reasons for her departure and that the mayor’s office responded with a statement issued through its communications director at the time. The string of resignations has fueled questions from council members and political observers about whether the mayor can maintain momentum for her policy agenda.
What Fuentes' resume means for the mayor
Fuentes arrives in the top job with a resume heavy on federal policy and Washington connections, experience that could prove useful as the mayor pursues her initiatives. Recent news releases from the mayor’s office list him as a media contact on several projects. In the announcement of an Economic Security Advisory Group, for example, Fuentes is named as a point of contact for the Office of the Mayor. That blend of policy background and control over communications could be an asset as Jones pushes items such as the voting commission and other high-profile efforts.
What to watch next
City Council members and local reporters are likely to track whether Fuentes can bring stability to an office that has seen frequent turnover and whether that steadiness improves relationships with department heads and council members. Analysts say ongoing churn can bog down implementation and complicate outreach to community partners, a risk that is already on the radar for San Antonio political watchers. As San Antonio Report noted, Fuentes’ promotion now serves as a key test of Jones’ ability to steady her inner circle at City Hall.
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