Known facts about current-former local elected officials, 12-23

L-R: First Bexar County Judge of Asian decent Judge Peter Sakai, with 2 left-handed JPs from Pct. 2, Bill Donovan & Steve Walker (Donovan retiring after 30 years) (Walker served from 08-12)

Little known facts about local Elected Officials 

that you might not know or recall.

Did you know?

Five Bexar County Judges served in Viet Nam

1. Retiring from Probate Court 1.Tom Rickhoff (JAG Officer)
2. Justice of the Peace Pct. 2, Pl. 2 Bill Donovan (Medic)
3. Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Keith Baker (Hospital Admin) (retired)
4. County Court #14 Judge Bill White (pilot) retired
5. Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2, Pl. 1 Steve Walker (2008-2012) (Unit Mail Clerk in Phu Bai) & served in Desert Storm @ the Pentagon in Public Affairs.

Also * Former State Rep. Joe Farias & Former Pct. 2 Constable Val Flores also also served in Viet Nam

A number of local elected officials taught 

school before their election to higher office

1. Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo (Marine) served as a Band Director for 18 years in SAISD. He also served as a State Rep.
2. Retired Judge Barbara Nellermoe (13 yrs.-History)
3. 4th Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Barnard (7 yrs.-English)
4. Former 73rd District Court Judge Renee Yanta (taught with Judge Barnard @ McArthur HS-English)
5. Former Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Judge Edmundo Zaragosa taught in Harlandale ISD as well as serving on HISD School board
6. Former Bexar County Clerk Gerry Rickoff (Sp. Ed.)
7. Former JP2 Steve Walker (retired teacher) (English-Sp. Ed)
Rickoff & Walker taught @ Southwest Middle School together (87)

8. Former County Court Judge #7 Judge Genie Wright taught in Edgewood (Brentwood MS) the same year as Judge Steve Walker (Memorial HS)
9. Walker also taught Judge Edmundo Zaragosa's daughter, Former State Senator Carlos Uresti's son & State Rep. Joe Farias' son in Harlandale ISD when State Rep. Joe Farias served on the School Board
10. Judge Steve Walker taught County Judge Walden Shelton @ Krueger Middle School as a 7th grader, 44 years ago, & later @ Fox Tech when Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl was a sophomore & Walker later worked under HISD Administrator Rachel Sakai, wife of Judge Peter Sakai

Did you Know?

1. County Court Judge David Rodriguez is the nephew of former Judge Hippo Garcia
2. Former County Court Judge Ray Olivarri was a former probation officer. Currently his wife is a federal probation officer and he just got elected to another bench

3. Former County Judge Monica Gonzalez, (cousin of former Congressman Charlie Gonzalez) along with District Judges Toni Arteaga, & Catherine Torres-Stahl served as Municipal Judges and Stahl is back on another bench
4. State Reps. Roland Gutierrez, (and the late) Ruth Jones McClendon & Senator Jose Menendez were former City Council members.
5. Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Edmundo Zaragosa, along with former State Rep. Joe Farias, & former Congressman & current JP Ciro Rodriguez, all served on the Harlandale ISD School Board. (not at the same time)
6. Former District Judge Sol Casseb's father Sol Casseb Senior also served as a District Judge
7. District Judge Lori Valenzuela is the daughter of retired Army Major Gen. Freddie Valenzuela
7. Former Congressman Charlie Gonzalez served as a Judge & Mediator before being elected Congressman to succeed his father Henry B. Gonzalez
8. Former Tax-Assessor Collector Sylvia Romo served as a State Rep. & as Bexar County Democratic Party Chair & is a cousin of Dr. Roberto Jimenez who also served in Phu Bai, Vietnam a year before  former Judge Steve Walker
9. Former 4th Court of Appeals Justice Steve Hilbig, served as Bexar County DA before his election on the 4th Court
10. District Judge Peter Sakai is the first elected Judge of Asian descent
11.Retired Distict Judge Barbara Hanson Nellermoe is known by her peers as the singing Judge due to her opera-like voice
12. Former El Rey Feo Ronnie Gabriel is the younger brother of former District Judge Johnny Gabriel
13. FormerTexas Speaker of the House Joe Straus is only the second San Antonio native Speaker in nearly 100 years
14.Former  Probate Judge Tom Rickoff & brother former Bexar County Clerk Gerry Rickoff are one set of three brothers serving in public office in Bexar County, the other two being former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez & now Justice of the Peace Pct.1, & Commissioner  Chico Rodriguez, former Mayor Julian Castro (expected to run for President in 20) & Congressman Joaquin Castro
15. County Judge Nelson Wolff & Commissioner Kevin Wolff are the first father & son currently serving on the Commissioner's Court, former
County Judge Jason Wolff is cousin to Comm. Kevin Wolff & nephew to County Judge Nelson Wolff.
16. Former District Judge Ray Angelini & 4th Court of Appeals Justice Karen Angelini are the only husband & wife Judges in Bexar County
17. Former State Rep. Frank Corte is the only Bexar County Elected Official to serve in Afghanistan with the Marines during his tenure as a State Rep.
18.Former DA Susan Reed is the first Female DA in Bexar County history 
19. Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo is Godfather to former State Senator Leticia van de Putte's children
20. County Judge Nelson Wolff is the ony current officeholder with a building named after him (Nelson Wolff Stadium)
21.Former District Judge Larry Noll taught Law courses @ St. Mary's Law School to the majority of Judges in Bexar County
22. Former 4th Court of Appeals Chief Justice Alma Lopez was the first Hispanic female to serve as a Chief Justice of a higher court in the United States 
23. Former 4th Court of Appeals Chief Justice Catherine Stone who followed Chief Justice Alma Lopez, is only the 2nd woman Court of Appeals Chief Justice now followed by Chief Justice Sandi Bryan Marion
24. Judge Sol Casseb played in a band that opened for Rock Legends Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly & Three Dog Night
25.Former County Judge #5 Jason Pulliam is only the second African-American to win countywide election in Bexar County & a term on the 4th Court of Appeals, and the last African-American Judge in the 70's was Judge Ben Samples who also held the same county court (#5) as Judge Jason Pulliam, now we have 3 black female Judges, Yolanda Huff, Grace Uzumba & Stephanie Boyd (all 3 graduated St. Mary's Law school in the 90s)
26. Three Judges previously served as Judges to include District Judge Richard Price, County Court Judges Bill White & Wayne Christian who like Judge Jason Pulliam served as a JAG officer
27. District 6 Councilman Ray Lopez also served as President of the NISD School Board
28. Former Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Bill Donovan is certified to practice before the Supreme Court
29. State Rep. Mike Villarreal won his first race as State Rep. by one vote
30. Former State Senator Jeff Wentworth now serves as a Justice of the Peace in Pct. 3 & former member of th Junior Chamber of Commerce with Judge Steve Walker
31.Former Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Steve Walker is the only Judge to serve as a union president (Harlandale Federation of Teachers-AFL-CIO) President of the San Antonio Junior Chamber of Commerce & as a City Councilman,(Balcones Heights) Also only Judge to work as a local media reporter in televison, radio & print, KENS-5, KONO Radio, Express-News & currently La Prensa Texas and a current mediator

32. Former Von Ormy Municipal Judge Chris Marrou was a KENS-5 Anchor for 36 years & worked with then Reporter former Judge Steve Walker in 1982.