MEET
OUR
RECIPIENT
2024 to 2028
2024
JUDGE SUSAN REED
Known informally as "First Lady of Fiesta" and officially as "Your Honor," Susan's professional career success has only been surpassed by her decades-long association with and service to the FSAC. She was dubbed with the First Lady honorific by her late husband, Bob when he was FSAC President in 2002. But even before then she had been a member of several Rey Feo courts, an active member of various PMOs, and would go on to serve as an Elected Commissioner, hold four terms as an Executive Committee member, and successfully negotiate renewal of the FSAC's Ordinance with the City of San Antonio in 2008.
Perhaps two of her most satisfying experiences could include chairing the Fiesta Foundation (founded by her late husband), and later organizing and chairing the first Fiesta Fiesta inaugural event in 2009. And even those might be topped by Susan's creation in 1996 of her own personal Fiesta medal, becoming the first locally elected official to do so and thereby helping to launch the "Medal Mania" that continues today.
Her service to FSAC is unabated, at the present time she is a highly active member of the FSAC's Host Committee which spreads the Spirit of Fiesta among visiting dignitaries of other U.S. civic celebrations.
MARY WEISER
If ever there could be an instance of a FSAC volunteer proudly wearing two disparate Fiesta caps simultaneously, Mary meets that description. And she dons both with pride and ease.
Beginning as a strong proponent of military and civilian joint involvement with each other and both with Fiesta, Mary served terms as president of the DRT's Mission Chapter and of the Military Civilian Club. She also created the "Patriot Circle" to support the Mil-Civ Charitable Foundation. She officially retired in 2010 as Chief of Protocol having served 13 different Commanding Generals.
While having been a volunteer with various PMOs over the years, Mary then donned her Miss Fiesta Program cap. She's refocused and rebranded the Program in unprecedented ways, promoting applicants' Fiesta community service in support of PMOs, enabling all Miss Fiesta finalists to receive scholarship funds in coordination with FSAC and its Foundation, and combining Miss Fiesta's crowning ceremony with each year's Official Poster Unveiling. Today, Mary's continued focus on the Miss Fiesta Program is easily evident in the Program's current increased growth and popularity.,