Mike Guerra (Donor)

Many people aspire to create a lasting legacy. The late Mike Guerra accomplished just that. Through the friendships he built pursuing his passion and helping others, he has left a legacy that will support college students at Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) for many years to come.

Guerra grew up in San Antonio and attended Central Catholic high school, graduating in 1971. He went on to attend Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering as well as an MBA specializing in business management in 1978.

Guerra then returned to San Antonio to accept a position working for IBM. A man loyal to his roots, he also became involved with Central Catholic’s Board of Education, initially serving as a board member and later, as board president. After several years at IBM, he realized he had a passion for real estate. So, he reset his professional sights, and in the ensuing years built a successful career in real estate.

Driven by his personable spirit and strong desire to get engaged in the life of his community, Guerra became president of the Real Estate Council of San Antonio (RECSA) in 2004. This proved to be an important milestone in his life that would eventually create a lasting legacy within San Antonio’s real estate industry and with his industry colleagues.

Unfortunately, Guerra was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2000. After battling the disease for several years, he died in 2007.

After Guerra’s passing, members of RECSA’s community relations committee came together to determine a way to honor him and his passion for education. The committee members decided in 2012 to honor Guerra as a native of San Antonio and as an alumnus of the A&M System. They created a scholarship in his name at A&M-SA that provides financial assistance to students in their pursuit of higher education.

The E. Mike Guerra Leadership Endowed Scholarship at A&M-SA assists graduate students who are concentrating in business administration. The scholarship also seeks to develop leaders for the real estate industry.

Martha Mangum, executive director of RECSA, remembers Guerra with great fondness and respect. “He was a standup guy who was a very influential leader in the [real estate] industry,” she says.

Greg Gibson, secretary treasurer of RECSA, sums up what Guerra would have thought of a scholarship in his name- “If the scholarship is going to help somebody and further their education, Mike would have seen it as a great thing,” he says.

Today, Guerra is remembered fondly by friends, former colleagues and the A&M-SA community. His legacy lives on through his myriad accomplishments, the many people he touched during his life and the students he will continue to support through the scholarship named in his memory.