Dear Brownsville:

     The rumors are true! I am excited to announce that I will be running for City Commissioner, at Large A, in the upcoming May election. Many of you know me and my family, but for those who don't, let me introduce myself. My name is Celestino "Tino" Villarreal Jr., and I was raised in Brownsville as the only child of Celestino Sr. and the late Victoria Villarreal. I attended high school at Saint Joseph Academy, where I currently serve as the Athletic Director and head football coach. After high school, I earned a business degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville and moved to Austin to work as the Associate Vice President for Education at the National Hispanic Institute, where I traveled the country recruiting top Latino students for leadership development. I returned to Brownsville in 2008 and opened a seafood restaurant with my parents. A few years later, we grew the business to twelve restaurants serving the Rio Grande Valley. Within a few years, my faith and passion for helping students brought me back to my Alma Mater.

      My goals are simple: Making Brownsville a better place through quality of life, economic development and smart decisions. My background as an educator, small business owner and administrator provides me with a unique perspective on issues that affect us all. I have served as a board member of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation and the Public Utilities Board and currently serve as a trustee of the National Hispanic Institute. I believe in collaborative leadership, strategic planning and program management. I ask for your support to continue my public service as a Commissioner for our great City. The best is yet to come!

— Tino