Kyle joined the Free Trade Alliance San Antonio in April 2007 as the President & CEO. The Free Trade Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting San Antonio as an international trade center. Kyle’s road to the Alliance began in May 2000 when the U.S. Congress House Ways and Means Committee relied upon Kyle’s testimony in regards to China’s ascension into the World Trade Organization. This opportunity impressed upon Kyle how his experience could make an impact on an entire community or nation and sparked his interest in one day joining the Alliance to further their goals.
Kyle began his career at Columbia Industries, Inc., a local sporting goods manufacturer, in 1993, where he continued until 2007. During this time, Kyle progressed up the ranks from the international customer service representative to Director of Sales-Asia/Pacific and ultimately to the Vice President of International Sales. During his tenure at Columbia Industries, Kyle was responsible for the international sales and marketing efforts for as many as five brands of sporting goods. Due to the majority of Columbia’s exports being to the Asian and European markets, Kyle has extensive experience working and traveling throughout Asia and Europe. Most recently Kyle implemented a distribution center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands to distribute Columbia’s family of brands throughout Europe, with strategic focus on the fast growing Eastern European markets.
Born in Wiesbaden, Germany and having lived in England for seven years as a child, Kyle gained a global perspective early in life. His father’s military career eventually landed the family in San Antonio where he graduated from Central Catholic High School (1989). Kyle later earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from St. Mary’s University (1993), during which Kyle studied the European Union for one semester in Innsbruck, Austria and traveled throughout much of the European continent. In 2002 Kyle earned a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
In his spare time, Kyle spends his time with his daughter, Calista and is a competitive triathlete, marathoner and ultra-marathoner.
Rogelio Garcia is the Director of Business Development and Chief of Staff for Free Trade Alliance.
Since 2000, Rogelio has been involved in developing and promoting the Alliance’s portfolio of services and programs locally and internationally, coordinating trade missions and events, leading the organizations membership recruitment efforts, providing international expertise to members, serving as the liaison between the organization and its members and providing oversight and guidance to projects of high importance.
He has traveled to Mexico, South America, Canada and China to promote trade and investment and takes pride in promoting economic development and connecting individuals and businesses with international resources. In April of 2008, he was given the responsibility of planning and directing all administrative, financial and operational activities for the organization’s President & CEO. In addition, he serves as the point of contact between top management and staff.
Rogelio has also held the positions of Staff Assistant, Member Services Director and Director of the International Business Development Center (IBDC) for the Alliance.
Since 2003, he has served as an adjunct professor for the University of the Incarnate Word teaching the Importing business course.
Prior to the Alliance, he worked for American Funds Service Company, a mutual fund company as a shareholder account representative.
A first generation Mexican-American and native of San Antonio, Rogelio earned an MBA in Finance and a BBA in International Business from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX.
Rogelio is married to Carmen and they are the parents of two children: Juan Pablo and Emma Paola.
Mr. Marks serves as the Events & Marketing Director for Free Trade Alliance. His focus within the Alliance is to coordinate all FTA events including conferences, workshops, educational programs and networking mixers. In addition, he is responsible for all marketing, branding and promotion of the Alliance's events and programs through all media outlets. With experience in web content management, Mr. Marks also manages the Alliance's newly re-designed web site.
Prior to joining Free Trade Alliance in August 2007, Mr. Marks served as the Event Manager for the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. planning events for the organization's various programs in cities nationwide, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Because of his previous role as the business development manager at The Cartel, a Hispanic advertising agency in San Antonio, Mr. Marks gained extensive experience in account & brand management, business development and all aspects of creative development for various local and national clients.
A San Antonio native, Mr. Marks is a graduate of both Brackenridge H.S. and UTSA. He is a member of the World Affairs Council's International Contemporaries and the Network of Latino Meeting Planners in Washington, DC.
Wei Wei Wu began her career at Free Trade Alliance as the Communications Coordinator in charge of the overall marketing and promotion of Alliance events, trade missions, conference and activities. Her current role as International Trade Specialist with a focus on Asia Pacific involves international trade development activities such as in-bound/out-bound trade mission activities, trade leads, coordination and development of trade development programs, events and the China Steering Committee.
Prior to joining the Alliance, she served as the Communications Assistant at International Trade Center specialized in event planning, public relations, ad hoc and general market research for businesses. Ms. Wu graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and Japanese. Her experiences at International Trade Center and her previous role as an assistant manager in the service sector have broadened her perspective and understanding from both private and government non-profit standpoint.
Coming from an international background, Ms. Wu was born and raised in Guangzhou, China and has lived in the U.S. since the age of 9. She enjoys travelling, learning foreign languages and cultures, and has studied and lived abroad in Kyushu, Japan as an exchange student.
Kathryn Dinnin is the Coordinator of International Policy and Advocacy for Free Trade Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to making San Antonio and the US a center of trade.
Prior to the Alliance, Dinnin worked for Fleishman Hillard, Inc., an international communications firm. Her work included multiple projects for AT&T, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and many other Fleishman clients. These projects spanned from corporate relations to media relations; the most rewarding being: assisting AT&T executives in preparing for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and taking the lead as project manager in preparing the Susan G. Komen organization for their Race for the Cure.
Dinnin has also worked for the Executive Office of the President in the White House. In this capacity she represented the Presidential Scheduling Office communicating with constituents on a daily basis and helping to coordinate the President’s schedule when necessary.
Dinnin earned a BA of Communications from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has also participated in national public relations competitions. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the Association of Women in Communication.
Ms. Cynthia Sutton joined the Free Trade Alliance San Antonio as the Office Administrator. Her background in the non-profit sector extends over seven years with experience in administration, human resources and financial management. Ms. Sutton is responsible for these same areas at the Alliance and will provide continuous support to other areas within our organization.
Ms. Sutton’s most recent tenure at San Antonio’s own Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, Museo Alameda Smithsonian, has provided her with first hand insight into the influence that San Antonio plays in the globalization of arts and culture and is eager to convey that knowledge to the Alliance.
As a forth year student at The University of the Incarnate Word pursuing a Bachelors in Business.
When she is not at work or at school, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Carlos Jarquin is currently working as the IBDC services coordinator assisting foreign companies establish their business and promoting their services or products throughout San Antonio Texas.His duties include market research, coordinating training seminars, and developing trade missions for IBDC clients.
Carlos graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a BBA in International Business Management and a minor in Marketing. He was born in Mexico City but has lived in the Unites States since 1996. In 2006, he joined the Free Trade Alliance as an intern and consequently was hired to work part time in his last semester of college.
Carlos has spent two months abroad in the European Union studying international trade and European Business strategies. Carlos is fluent in English, Spanish, and conversational French. His goals include expanding business operations with Latin America, the European Union, and Asiathrough the IBDC.
