Council Woman Diane Cibrian

Diane Cibrian was elected to the San Antonio City Council from District 8 in 2007 winning nearly 60% of the vote. She immediately went to work achieving the following results.

Diane secured two successive tax cuts and helped push through a two year balanced budget. Diane and her colleagues also eliminated $7 million of wasteful spending and increased the city’s cash reserves by 9% of the General Fund. These accomplishments led to San Antonio receiving its first ever Triple A Bond rating.

Diane promised safer neighborhoods and she delivered on this promise by voting to hire 180 new police officers, nearly 100 new firefighters and more EMS personnel.

Additionally, she chairs the Camp Bullis Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) which is developing solutions for protecting the Camp Bullis mission, Fort Sam Houston and the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee decision to create the new Army Regional Medical Center, the single largest economic development project in the history of the city.

On the environmental front Diane was instrumental in having San Antonio earn a “Solar City” designation from the federal government, which was accompanied by a $200,000 grant. Her diligence and passion also resulted in the creation of the citywide Tree Planting Initiative, which will plant thousands of new trees citywide at no cost to the taxpayers. Fees paid by developers into the tree mitigation fund will pay for the tree planting effort.

Councilwoman Cibrian is a fifth generation native Texan and a daughter of a WWII veteran. She has spent over twenty years working in public policy, governmental affairs, and nonprofit fields in the United States. Her work includes serving the United States Congress, the California State Legislature, as well as the federal government, serving as a Director of Public Policy for a U.S. Congressional Commission. Diane also served as a consultant to the former United States Secretary of the Army, Louis Caldera. In 2004, Cibrian was named a Public Service Fellow to the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Women in Power executive program. Also in 2004, Cibrian was named one of the "40 under 40 Rising Stars" of the San Antonio business community, according to the San Antonio Business Journal. Cibrian was also part of the 2005 Harvard Women's Leadership Board's first international collaborative study mission to South Africa.

Extensively involved in civic and non-profit organizations, Cibrian was formerly chair of the San Antonio Development Agency and a Board Member and Chair-Elect of Family Service Association, a premier non-profit organization that serves San Antonio's most needy families. Cibrian is an alumnus of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honors Society with the University of the Incarnate Word. Cibrian was also a member of the Strengthening Family Issues Council for the United Way. Cibrian has served as a board member of the Girl Scouts and a member of the Texas State Head Start Foundation and other civic organizations. Cibrian was also a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

Cibrian began her interest in public service working as an intern in the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. and serving as a Senate page for the Texas Legislature. While working in Washington, D.C., Cibrian served as Director of Public Policy to the United States Commission on International Economic Development. Due to the Commission's international mandate, Cibrian met with Heads of State and organized nationwide field hearings. With the sunset of the Commission, Cibrian accepted a position with the California State Legislature. During this time, she worked with local and state legislative initiatives, community groups, and the business sectors of Los Angeles, California. After subsequently holding the position in Government Affairs for the local transit authority in San Antonio, Texas, Diane became a strategic consultant specializing in public policy and communications. Cibrian is the mother of an active twelve year old, Cristina Cibrian and has served as a member of the Keystone School Parent Council.