Tommy Ray Calvert, Jr. Explained

Tommy Calvert, Jr
Office:Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Term Start:January 1, 2015
Predecessor:Tommy Adkisson
Birth Place:San Antonio, Texas
Party:Democratic
Occupation:Radio station manager
Residence:San Antonio, Texas
Website:https://www.tommycalvert.com

Tommy Ray Calvert, Jr. is an American politician and community advocate. He has been Bexar County Commissioner, Precinct 4 since 2015, when he became the first black member of the Bexar County Commissioners Court.[1] [2] He was reelected to a third term in 2022.[3]

Early life and education

Tommy Calvert, Jr. graduated from high school at St. Mary's Hall.[4] He is the son of community activist Tommy Calvert, Sr., who is president of the nationwide nonprofit Neighborhoods First Alliance, and who was involved in the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977.[5] His mother is Val Calvert, head of the business department at San Antonio College.[6]

While enrolled at Tufts University, Calvert worked as an abolitionist against modern-day slavery. As a sophomore, he won a seat on the university's board of trustees where he successfully advocated to get its teacher's retirement fund, TIAA-CREF, to divest from Talisman Energy, which was viewed by abolitionists as "complicit in Sudanese genocide."[7] Calvert was also board president of nonprofit Abolish Slavery Coalition.

After graduating from Tufts, Calvert became chief of external operations of the American Anti-Slavery Group and traveled to South Sudan and Myanmar to fight against human trafficking.

Career

Politics

At the age of 25, Calvert filed as one of several candidates for the US District 21 congressional seat in 2006.[8] In 2014, he was elected as Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 4 with 55% of the vote, succeeding Tommy Adkisson who chose not to run for reelection after 16 years in that office.[9] [10] His precinct includes most of downtown San Antonio and the county's East Side.

When taking office as County Commissioner, one of his major goals was to create an urban farm behind Wheatley Middle School on the Eastside of San Antonio. He helped develop plans for this project with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program.[11] In October 2020, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for this project, dubbed the Greenies Urban Farm, which is located on land formerly belonging to Union Pacific Railroad.[12] By the end of that year, 10,000 pounds of produce from the garden had already been distributed to alleviate the strains of the pandemic.[13]

Calvert has repeatedly co-hosted the Bexar County 2nd Chance Job Fair with the Bexar County Re-Entry Center connecting justice-involved individuals with jobs and resources.[14] [15]

Other

Calvert is the founder and general manager of KROV-FM.[16] [17]

Notes and References

  1. News: Gonzalez . John W. . Newly elected official makes history with swearing in . 2024-05-31 . San Antonio Express-News . en.
  2. Web site: Gerber . Tim . 2014-11-06 . New Bexar commissioner makes history . 2024-06-05 . KSAT . en.
  3. Web site: Summary Results Report November 8, 2022 Joint General, Special, Charter and Bond Election . 2024-05-31 . www.bexar.org.
  4. Web site: Dorsey. Darlene. 2016-01-07 . Tommy Calvert credits a village of people for his success . 2024-06-05 . WOAI . en.
  5. Web site: Activist Tommy 'TC' Calvert Sr. honored at SAAACAM Legacy Awards Ball . 2024-06-05 . spectrumlocalnews.com . en.
  6. News: Webner . Richard . Commissioner Tommy Calvert fights for affordable housing on East Side . 2024-06-05 . San Antonio Express-News . en.
  7. News: Calvert was an abolitionist in college, now he's returning to a bigger stage. . 2024-06-05 . MySA . en.
  8. News: Garcia . Gilbert . Calvert learns lessons from 2006 congressional run . 2024-06-05 . San Antonio Express-News . en.
  9. Web site: Estrada . Jade Esteban . County Commissioner Tommy Calvert Thrives in the Belly of the Beast . 2024-06-05 . San Antonio Current . en.
  10. News: Gerlach . Jeremy T. . Calvert succeeds Adkisson in Precinct 4 . 2024-06-05 . MySA . en.
  11. Web site: Norris . Jennifer . 2019-11-07 . Green Acres: Commissioner Calvert Cultivates Plans for Urban Farm . 2024-06-06 . San Antonio Report . en-US.
  12. Web site: Schattenberg . Paul . 2020-10-16 . Greenies Urban Farm to offer agriculture in the city . 2024-06-06 . AgriLife Today . en-US.
  13. News: Huddleston . Scott . From Goonies to Greenies: Bexar County urban farm is growing . 2024-06-06 . San Antonio Express-News . en.
  14. Web site: 2024-04-10 . 2nd Chance Job Fair offers offenders a second chance at a new life . 2024-06-05 . kens5.com . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2022-04-20 . Second Chance Job Fair opens at noon Thursday . 2024-06-05 . kens5.com . en-US.
  16. News: Davis . Vincent T. . 'When you need a little soul': KROV FM continues 60-year legacy of Black culture on S.A. radio . 2024-05-31 . San Antonio Express-News . en.
  17. Web site: Estrada . Jade Esteban . Glitter Political: Tommy Calvert’s political rebirth . 2024-06-05 . San Antonio Current . en.