ABOUT US

PRESIDENT

Ruby Martinez-Berrier is a San Antonio native and works as an Outreach Analyst II for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, San Antonio Branch. Her primary functions include collecting, analyzing, and reporting on business conditions in the community as well as facilitating speakers and events on behalf of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in the 11K region.

Ruby was recently a 2023 NABE Scholar and serves as a board member on the San Antonio Business and Economics Society. Ruby has professional experience in research, economic development, and finance. Additionally, she holds an Adjunct Professor role at the University of the Incarnate Word where she teaches introductory macro- and micro-economics.

Ruby received a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Richard Fetchick is the Vice President of Business Insights at greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership. He has worked internationally and at the state, regional, and local level to further community economic development.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from The University of Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University. Richard resides in City of San Antonio, having returned in 2021 after growing up in the region.

Taylor Collins is the Chair of the Department of Economics and Management at University of the Incarnate Word. He teaches Principles of Economics, Econometrics, Game Theory and Strategic Applications, Macroeconomic Forecasting, Managerial Economics, and the MBA Capstone. His research is primarily in the field of energy economics, with a slant toward macroeconomic analysis; he has presented at state, national, and international conferences.

Taylor received his PhD in Economics from the University of Houston in 2017 and is a casual golfer and a not-so-casual college football fan. 

Austin Martinez is a public policy and industry relations professional with more than a decade of experience serving the people of South and Central Texas.

Previously, he served on staff at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he conducted agency oversight and advanced small business development in emerging communities.

Now, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, he helps lead community engagement and government relations efforts across the Laredo, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio markets.

Austin is a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and holds an MBA in International Business from Texas A&M International University.

Dr. Amanda Ramirez is the Director of Student Success for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UT San Antonio, where she leads initiatives focused on graduate student professional development, career readiness, industry engagement, and community partnerships. A San Antonio native and first-generation college graduate, Amanda is passionate about strengthening opportunities for students and building connections across education, healthcare, industry, and the broader life sciences ecosystem.

She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island and an MSW from Boston College. Her work increasingly focuses on regional workforce development, strategic partnerships, and creating pathways that connect emerging talent with opportunities in San Antonio’s growing health and life sciences sector. She is especially committed to supporting collaborative efforts that strengthen the city’s talent pipeline and expand access to professional and economic opportunity.