A.J. Rodriguez

What we talked about

Growth is already here

A.J. Rodriguez begins with a distinction: Central Texas is not simply preparing for growth; it is already responding to it. In this Making Names conversation with Aidan Evans, the Central Texas Alliance CEO describes a region whose housing, water, energy and transportation needs cross city and county lines. The interview's Chicago-sized comparison conveys the scale of the population growth he anticipates, not a promise of a particular future. His central question is practical: what can communities accomplish together that they cannot achieve as effectively on their own?

Collaboration needs a structure that lasts

Rodriguez does not suggest that local leaders have never worked together. He points to existing relationships and cooperation across the Austin–San Antonio corridor. The missing piece, in his account, is a consistent structure that survives competing daily demands. The Alliance is intended to convene leaders, support research and advocate around shared priorities. He also sees value beyond legislation. Bringing people into the same conversation can reveal a useful partnership or project that nobody could have specified beforehand. The institution matters because it makes those connections more likely to happen repeatedly.

Thirteen counties need more than a majority vote

Rodriguez connects his approach with experience across public, private and nonprofit organizations, including his previous work at Texas 2036. He describes visiting communities and meeting leaders on their own turf before deciding how to frame regional priorities. Austin and San Antonio are major population centers, but he wants the Alliance to build consensus rather than rely on voting strength alone. Energy, mobility, water, housing affordability, healthcare, workforce and land stewardship provide starting categories. The next task is deciding which shared problems can be tackled soon and which require sustained work over several legislative sessions.

Workforce is a regional asset to connect

The region's universities, community colleges, technical training providers and school districts are a major opportunity in Rodriguez's account. He wants stronger connections between those institutions and the employers who need skilled workers. Credentials should have practical value for students, and pathways between institutions should work. He also recognizes that population shifts can create different pressures for different school districts. For him, education and workforce development are not isolated policy topics: progress there can improve household opportunity and help address other challenges that accompany regional growth.

Move with urgency, but keep listening

Rodriguez pairs ambition with a warning about expectations. Building governance, relationships and workable policy takes time. On transportation, he favors keeping options open rather than assuming one technology must solve every problem. He also wants public polling to inform the Alliance's priorities, so agreement among organizational leaders remains connected to residents' concerns. His invitation includes businesses, local governments and subject-matter experts. The choice he presents is not growth versus no growth. It is whether communities respond separately after problems arrive or build the habits and relationships to meet shared pressures together.