On October 13th, 2018, our own Rotarian Dr. Gonzalo Garza will be awarded the Congressional Veterans Commendation for his exemplary military and community service throughout his lifetime. He will be honored at Texas A&M in Killeen, along with a handful of other recipients of this prestigious award.
After serving tours of duty in both WWII and the Korean war, and receiving the Bronze Star and Purple Heart among many military awards, he went on to complete his schooling and pursued a career in education. He served as Superintendent in many Texas School Districts, and retired in 1992 from the Austin ISD. His tireless efforts to work with programs that aided Hispanic and African-American children to "rise above" earned him many accolades. He was recognized by the Austin ISD by naming The Gonzalo Garza Independence High School in his honor. In 2018, the Austin ISD awarded him the first Hispanic Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be given in his name every year henceforth.
Throughout his post military career, Dr. Garza continued his community service by working with a variety of organizations and has received extraordinary awards, citations and recognition on local, state, national and even international level. He continues to be a proud member of the Georgetown Rotary Club, serving the community through our projects, programs and participating in the club activities.
Members of our club are invited to the October 13th award ceremony. He truly is an amazing man, having served his community with devotion , compassion and commitment throughout his years. Congratulations to Dr. Garza for a lifetime of contribution and for earning this prestigious award.