Brian Kenneth Swain

At one point in our conversation I asked Manny Pelaez to talk about the personal characteristics he believes account for the success in his legal and political career. “Most guys have hobbies—fishing, football, ranch work. I enjoy reading budgets and meeting minutes.” As unusual as that response sounds, it nicely encapsulates the complex individual who has represented the Eighth District (in which The Dominion is located) on San Antonio’s City Council since June of last year. However, understanding why this response makes sense requires a bit of context, which he was more than happy to provide during the rest of our discussion. Manuel (Manny) Pelaez came to San Antonio in 1992, following an itinerant childhood that included being ...

One of the great things about the two-plus years I’ve spent writing these interview articles for The Dominion magazine is getting to meet the many interesting folks who call the Dominion home. Some of you will know Lynette Aleman as an occasional arts writer for this very magazine, as well as the author of Girl About Town, whose musings on local culture and events adorn these pages from time to time. One thing you learn very quickly from talking with Lynette is that she is the artsy type, though by no means are her creative efforts limited to writing, as we will see shortly. She recalls growing up on the southeast side of the city during its period of rapid growth. It was there that she and her future husband Anthony met in high school ...