UTSA names Texas-based agency to oversee ITC Centennial 2068 community process

MAY 17, 2021 — UTSA announced today the selection of Texas-based Lopez Negrete Communications to serve as facilitator for its ITC Centennial 2068: Community Stakeholder Visioning process.

Launched in January 2021, this robust community-engagement process was begun by the university to envision the next 50 years of the Institute of Texan Cultures and its museum—the only resources in Texas devoted entirely to the state’s rich, diverse cultural history.

“We are excited to partner with Lopez Negrete Communications to lead this broad community-engagement process, which will chart an exciting and ambitious vision for the ITC,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy, who is overseeing the process as the university’s chief academic officer. “They are a remarkably accomplished, Texas-based agency with a record of success in broad community participation and a deep understanding of ITC’s importance in the history of San Antonio and its cultural impact in our community as well as—and perhaps more important—its potential to serve a greater role in driving important conversations about culture and heritage in our state.”

“The points of convergence between culture, identity, heritage and diversity have always been the sweet spot for us.”

Founded in 1985, Lopez Negrete is the nation’s largest independent, Hispanic-owned and -operated full-service advertising and marketing agency. The firm has created award-winning campaigns for corporations like Walmart, McDonald’s, Bank of America, Fiat Chrysler and numerous other household name brands. Lopez Negrete also has experience working with municipal agencies and nonprofits; notably, they recently led the City of Houston’s award-winning Census 2020 Engagement Initiative to boost participation as well as a COVID-19 public health awareness campaign for the Houston health department.

“We are honored and excited to have been selected by The University of Texas at San Antonio to play a role in the Institute of Texan Cultures’ future. As a Texas-based, Hispanic-owned and -operated agency, the points of convergence between culture, identity, heritage and diversity have always been the sweet spot for us, creatively and strategically. This initiative gives us an opportunity to bring our core strengths together to make a difference. We can’t wait to get started!” stated agency president, CEO and co-founder, Alex López Negrete.

Lopez Negrete Communications was selected through a competitive request-for-proposals process. As facilitator, the Lopez Negrete team will oversee community outreach and discussions among UTSA; the ITC Centennial 2068 steering committee and task forces; and individual community stakeholders and groups, including the Urban Land Institute, local community organizations and placemaking consultants. The steering committee and task forces will be named soon and will convene for a kickoff event in early June. Community engagement events are expected to begin in early fall 2021. 

“We are looking forward to working with Lopez Negrete Communications and initiating the public outreach activities to develop the roadmap that encompasses our community’s aspirations for the Institute of Texan Cultures and ensures ITC’s vibrancy for the next 50 years,” said ITC advisory council vice chair Sabrina Avila, who served as a technical adviser on the RFP selection committee.

Lopez Negrete will partner with frequent collaborator TouchPoint Strategies, a Houston-based public relations firm with experience in urban planning and economic development, to lead community engagement under the direction of Damon Williams, cultural and public engagement strategist. San Antonio–based Opt In Experts, led by CEO and founder Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez, will provide further assistance by promoting and managing public outreach events associated with ITC Centennial 2068.