OUR NAMESAKE

The Pete Gallego Foundation was named for Texas State Representative Pete P. Gallego of Alpine. Elected in 1990, Rep. Gallego was the first Hispanic to represent District 74, the largest House district and the largest Texas U.S.-Mexico border district stretching nearly 39,000 square miles and containing over half of the Texas/Mexico border.

Rep. Gallego was the first freshman member and the first ethnic minority member ever elected as chair of the House Democratic Caucus. He currently is serving his fifth term as chair of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus (MALC), a group of 43 House members who are of Mexican-American descent or who serve a significant Mexican- American constituency.

An Alpine native, Rep. Gallego graduated from Sul Ross State University (SRSU) in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. In 1985, he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas School of Law. Rep. Gallego is honored in the Sul Ross State University Hall of Fame as an outstanding booster, and he has been named a Distinguished Alumnus by the SRSU Ex-Student Association.

A supporter of both public and higher education, Rep. Gallego was honored by the Eagle Pass Independent School District in 2000 with the naming and dedication of the Pete Gallego Elementary School. He has also been honored by the Texas State University System, The University of Texas System, and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas in appreciation for his support of higher education.

In the Texas Legislature, Rep. Gallego served on the joint House/Senate conference committee on the state budget for five consecutive sessions from 1993 to 2001 and received numerous awards, including the Advocate for Justice award from a coalition of Texas victims’ groups and the Star of Texas public service award by Common Cause of Texas. Following the 1999 session, he was selected as one of Texas Monthly magazine’s “Ten Best” legislators. The National Council of State Governments awarded Rep. Gallego a prestigious Henry Toll Fellowship, recognizing him as one of the outstanding young leaders in the nation. More recently, Rep. Gallego received the prestigious OHTLI Award from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his contributions to the betterment of the Mexican community in Texas.

Rep. Gallego serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Representative Gallego is also a past chair of the Texas Lyceum Association, an organization comprised of individuals under the age of 45 who have demonstrated leadership abilities throughout the State.

Representative Gallego lives in Alpine, where he was born and raised. He manages the Alpine office of the law firm Brown McCarroll, LLP and serves the firm’s offices in Austin, El Paso and Houston as Of Counsel. In addition to establishing the Pete Gallego Foundation and continuing to champion its causes, Rep. Gallego serves as a member of the Board of Directors.