Friends of the River Walk
As a third-generation Mexican American and resident of San Antonio, Alyssa Gonzalez and her family, her boyfriend Jonathan, their son Ethan, and a small and demanding Pomeranian named Lola, live just on the edge of the Westside in a 'lil casita. Alyssa attributes her core values to her great-great-grandfather, who migrated with his wife and seven children, from San Luis Potosi in Northern Mexico in 1923 in search of better opportunities for his family. Coming from a country of suffering in order to have freedom, he worked hard and taught himself English all while working the railroads. Upon graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelors's in Business Marketing and working for seven years in the service industry, Alyssa has found her passion in her current career. On top of supporting friends and family, Alyssa is enthusiastic about bringing people together for fundraising, networking, and creating long-lasting relationships. Being an ambassador of the San Antonio River Walk would allow Alyssa to continue connecting to those who are deeply rooted and want to preserve the legacy for generations to come. Because at the end of the day, we are all in this together, in a '"lil casita."
Originally from New Braunfels, David has called San Antonio home since 2008. He is employed by Medtronic, as a Diabetes Specialist and is also an avid fitness instructor, instructing weekly Zumba classes in and around the community. David is married to former Duke of the River Walk (2017) Rueben Hernandez-Valdez. David believes that San Antonio has so much to offer and loves how much culture is represented throughout the city. Having spent much time downtown, attending events, participating in Pub Runs, and River Parades, and representing the San Antonio Spurs (SS&E) for several seasons, David says, “the River Walk is a place that truly highlights the beauty of San Antonio and is the perfect place for both locals and tourists to create memories. Being a part of the River Walk Royalty is an honor and a great opportunity to bring the community together to promote such a prestigious part of our city.”
Isidro “Iszy” Herrera was born and raised in San Antonio, TX, and grew up on the Westside of the city. He works for Panchito’s Restaurant. As the River Walk’s current Prince, he also enjoys being an advocate to help keep the River Walk in top shape. When asked about the River Walk he simply replies, “The River Walk is a huge part of the city, and in my opinion, it is the heart of the city, so we all need to do our part in keeping it up to par.” One of his favorite childhood memories is when his late father Pete Herrera and mother Rosalinda Herrera would take him and his siblings to the River Walk to see the holiday lights and enjoy a hot chocolate and ice cream from Mr. Ice Cream. As a huge animal rights advocate, he rescued 2 cats (Kitty & Thackery) which he considers to be his babies, and he gives back by volunteering at local animal shelters and dog parks. He also gives back to the city during its annual maintenance of the River Walk. He partners up with Center City Development and Operations to do his part in preserving the River Walk.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Leigh Elena Henderson is passionate about serving her community and supporting her neighbors by running for River Walk Royalty to promote the crown jewel – the San Antonio River Walk! Leigh believes that protecting, preserving, and promoting the River Walk means continued opportunity and prosperity for our beautiful Alamo City and its workforce. Leigh is an HR executive for StandardAero with over 15 years in corporate HR working for a handful of Fortune 100 companies. She also is a recent Leadership San Antonio Class 45 graduate, was recently named “40 Under 40” by the San Antonio Business Journal in 2021, and is the Founder and CEO of the HR consulting company, HRManifesto. HRManifesto specializes in providing fractional CHRO support, corporate training, professional keynotes, and career coaching to clients and is also a social media phenomenon and fan favorite with over half a million followers worldwide. HRManifesto online provides approachable coaching through inspired storytelling to help viewers maximize their professional success.
Natasha Gonzales is a San Antonio native with a passion for her community. Along with being a Registered Nurse, she is currently working towards her Doctorate degree in nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in pursuance of becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Natasha is a mother of three and wife to a Marine Corps veteran. Together they own local businesses, Mira Medals LLC and Military City Air. Along with being a passionate supporter of the River Walk, she has been working diligently in the community to raise awareness of small local businesses with an emphasis on supporting all things local with her platform Norteño 210. She also works as the Director of Video Operations for La Prensa Texas Newspaper.
Sandy Liwang is a long-time resident of San Antonio with a passion for serving others. Sandy is a mother of two grown children and a wife to an amazing healthcare hero. She works in accounting for an international parts manufacturer and has a side business doing embroidery and seamstress work. Sandy is also a former participant in the Grand champion Kinetic Sculpture Race and plans on using her kinetic, human-powered amphibious vehicle in upcoming river parades. Service is Sandy’s love language. She volunteers with several organizations that serve our disabled veterans and special needs populations. She serves on the board of disABILITYsa, is a volunteer team leader for the Texas Ramp Project, serves the homeless with the Under the Bridge ministry, and is a Fiesta representative for Fiesta Especial, the special needs Fiesta court. Her passion is to help make San Antonio the number one place for people with a disability to live work and play.
Terrin was born and raised in San Antonio, and the River Walk has always held a special place in his heart. Having grown up attending the various river parades with friends and family, attending Central Catholic, and observing the development and growth of the Museum Reach stretch of the river, Terrin has positioned his award-winning River Walk beer garden, Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen, on the River Walk. The River Walk has been at the center of countless lifelong memories. Terrin is also a strong advocate for giving back to the community that he calls home. Serving on the Visit San Antonio River Walk Advisory Committee, the Board of Trustees for Primarily Primates, and as the Board Chair for the San Antonio Zoo Zoomers, Terrin hopes to continue to be a force of positive change and a proponent of our amazing city.
