About bigcitysmalltown

San Antonio is a city on the rise—full of opportunity, challenges, and transformation. bigcitysmalltown is a podcast dedicated to telling the stories of the people shaping its future. Hosted by longtime journalist Bob Rivard, each episode features conversations with the leaders driving change in business, education, sustainability, development, and the arts.

This is a city where history and progress intersect, where culture and innovation collide. bigcitysmalltown explores what it means to build a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous San Antonio—one where young talent stays, communities thrive, and every voice matters.

With weekly episodes offering a focused look at the forces shaping one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, bigcitysmalltown connects listeners to the real people behind the headlines.

📍 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

📺 Watch on YouTube

About the Hosts

Bob Rivard

Host, bigcitysmalltown

Robert “Bob” Rivard is a veteran American journalist whose 46-year career has taken him across Texas, Latin America, and beyond. He co-founded the Rivard Report (later named the San Antonio Report) with his wife, Monika Maeckle, in 2012, building it into the city’s leading nonprofit news organization before retiring in 2022.

Bob has worked for five Texas newspapers, beginning his career on the border at the Brownsville Herald, then moving to the Corpus Christi Caller, the Dallas Times-Herald, and later serving as a foreign correspondent and chief of correspondents for Newsweek. He returned to Texas as editor of the San Antonio Light before becoming executive editor of the San Antonio Express-News (1997–2011).

His journalism has earned widespread recognition, including being named Editor & Publisher’s “Editor of the Year” in 2000 and receiving the prestigious Maria Moors Cabot Award from Columbia University for his reporting on Latin America and the U.S.-Mexico border.

He is the author of Trail of Feathers, a nonfiction book chronicling the disappearance and murder of journalist Philip True in Mexico’s Sierra Madre. The book, published by Public Affairs in 2005, was widely reviewed, excerpted in Esquire, and selected by People magazine as one of five recommended nonfiction works that year.

Bob now hosts bigcitysmalltown, a podcast featuring the people shaping San Antonio’s future. He and Monika live in Southtown, where she runs the Texas Butterfly Ranch blog and previously founded the annual San Antonio Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator… Read More

Alfredo De la Garza

Audio Engineer

Alfredo De la Garza is the owner and lead audio engineer at Sound Crane Audio, a full-service post-production studio specializing in dynamic sound design and original music composition for TV, radio, and podcasts. With a deep passion for crafting immersive soundscapes, Alfredo brings exceptional creativity and technical expertise to every project. His dedication to high-quality audio ensures that bigcitysmalltown delivers a rich, professional, and engaging listening experience.

Cory Ames

Producer

Cory Ames is a writer, podcaster, and media producer passionate about storytelling that highlights San Antonio’s people, history, and future. As the Founder of Ensemble Texas, he has built a platform dedicated to environmental, economic, and cultural resilience through video, podcasts, and long-form features. Cory has produced hundreds of interviews, including as host of The Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Podcast, and now brings his experience to bigcitysmalltown, crafting compelling narratives that celebrate the people who make San Antonio go and grow.