Sarah Carabias Rush is the Chief Economic Development Officer of greater:SATX, the regional economic development partnership for the San Antonio megaregion. The San Antonio region, or SATX, is the eight-county San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 24th largest MSA in the nation (2023).
Carabias Rush leads the economic development team in business recruitment, including significant global business development strategies and activities, local business retention and expansion, and regional marketing and research. Since joining greater:SATX her leadership has resulted in 65 project wins, producing more than $4 billion in capital investment and 10,000 jobs for the San Antonio region. She most recently led corporate recruitment, international engagement, and leadership development programs for the Dallas Regional Chamber. She has worked in economic development, technology, and healthcare industry programming, as well as international marketing, business recruitment, and leadership programming across several decades. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies, sociology and Spanish from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
In this Q&A, Sarah discusses greater:SATX’s role in partnering with other organizations of all kinds to drive the transformational growth for the greater San Antonio region to benefit the its 2.7 million residents.
Q: What is greater:SATX? Please explain its mission.
Sarah: greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership is the leading economic development organization (EDO) for the eight-county region centered on San Antonio, Texas. It’s a public-private partnership charged with driving the transformative growth of the area through global corporate recruitment, local business advancement, and workforce development. This burgeoning region, which has evolved into a megaregion that spans north to Austin and south into Mexico, is home to key industries including advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, life sciences, financial and professional services and more. At the core of greater:SATX’s mission is attracting, retaining, and growing quality jobs that provide pathways to economic mobility for all residents. The organization promotes Greater San Antonio to both companies and individuals, and partners with other organizations, as well as various governments to pursue its goals.
Q: San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing metros in the country. What accounts for that?
Sarah: Greater San Antonio is experiencing phenomenal growth. It has quietly become the seventh-largest city in the country and the fastest-growing region. Part of that is due to the sunny climate and business-friendly environment, but we also believe there is something special here.
A majority-minority community with a 56% Latino population, San Antonio is uniquely positioned to become the City of the Future: diverse, prosperous, welcoming, rich in culture, and with a thriving, robust economy that offers an exceptional quality of life for all. While there are certainly competing interests in a region of 2.7 million people, Greater San Antonio succeeds because its people and institutions are collaborative to an unusually high degree. That collaboration aligns civic resources to drive transformative growth and maximize benefits for all. Lastly, Greater San Antonio provides a unique sense of place that carries through to the companies that operate here – leading to a happier workforce. The region’s warmth (both of people and place!) and culturally rich heritage shows through the architecture, the people, and a thriving sense of place that is unequaled in other parts of the country.
Q: Is the San Antonio region prioritizing growth in certain industries over others?
Sarah: Short answer: yes. Though we welcome all industries, we have made the strategic decision to concentrate our efforts in five key sectors: advanced manufacturing; cybersecurity and IT; defense and aerospace; finance and professional services; and life sciences. These are industries in which greater San Antonio already has a leading position, and we think each of them has a great potential for continued growth.
By identifying high-priority industries, we can better allocate resources and make the greatest impact, especially in workforce development efforts to ensure our workforce is ready to take on growth in these sectors. Greater San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country and we are committed to building an economy that works for all — natives and newcomers alike.
Q: What does greater:SATX do to make San Antonio more attractive to prospective companies and individuals?
Sarah: There is a misconception that companies are interested only in tax breaks and financial incentives when considering where to locate. While those certainly play a key role and are part of many economic packages, they’re not the overriding factor. Businesses are most interested in the quality of the workforce in a region because they know their success depends on access to skilled, educated and adaptable workers.
It’s why greater:SATX is deeply involved in programs to develop the local workforce. Through our efforts, the San Antonio region has become a leader in implementing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management framework. It provides employers with a data- and performance-driven approach to identify, develop and source talent for in-demand occupations. Our SA WORX programs develop our talent pipeline by engaging youth in work-based learning starting in high school. In these ways, we’re helping to develop the workforce of the future.
Similarly, for people considering moving to the region, quality of life is a crucial factor. They want to know not only that they will be able to build a career, but that they and their families will be able to enjoy life outside of work. We adopted the campaign, “Life Works Greater in SATX,” to attract new residents and emphasize the many positive attributes, including our burgeoning economic region and the wonderful benefits of residing, working, and building a career in the area.
Q: Does greater:SATX work alone or in partnership with others?
Sarah: We say that economic development is a team sport. Almost everything we do is the result of partnerships. The organization itself is a private-sector led and public-sector supported joint venture. Essentially, we activate the region’s growth strategy, marrying corporate needs and speed toward the community’s vision for growth.
Depending on the activity, we collaborate with governments from the local level to the state, even traveling with elected officials on international business delegations. We work closely with Visit San Antonio, the city’s Management Destination Organization (MDO). Our work with corporate leaders and educational institutions allows us to identify and address civic and workforce needs.
Collaboration is how we recently landed our first nonstop trans-Atlantic flight to Frankfurt, Germany, and our first nonstop to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. It also was key to another recent success: the decision by JCB, the global leader in construction equipment manufacturing, to build a 720,000-square-foot plant in San Antonio — a $500 million investment that will employ more than 1,500 people when it opens in 2026.
And, because we are only 150 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border we can partner with educational institutions and governmental organizations in Mexico, particularly in Monterrey, a sister city since 1953. We are building an international business ecosystem that capitalizes on our proximity, our deep cultural ties, and mutually beneficial relationships between our two regions. The automotive manufacturing ecosystem from Queretaro-Monterrey-Laredo-San Antonio-Austin-DFW is becoming the center of growth for OEMs, suppliers, talent, and innovation.
While economic development is often thought of as a competition, we know collaboration is the best way for everyone to achieve their goals. We collaborate for the growth of our broad region – and, of course, compete when we need to. When the region wins, we win.
To learn more about San Antonio and greater:SATX, visit the website.
