CENTEX ASPA Conducts its Public Service Awards Luncheon on Saturday, June 7, 2025
By Howard Balanoff
On Saturday June 7, 2025, CENTEX ASPA conducted an in-person Awards Luncheon in honor of Public Service Recognition Week. The Luncheon was held from 12:00 Noon – 2:00 pm at Palmer’s Restaurant in San Marcos, Texas.
At the luncheon, recognition was given, and awards were presented to outstanding public servants & faculty and students at Texas State University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program, Texas A&M University’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service and the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Alan Bojorquez, Attorney & CEO of the Bojorquez Law Firm and Sheila Bojorquez, President & CEO of City Hall Essentials received the 2025 William P. Hobby Distinguished Service Award which was created and named to honor William P. Hobby Jr., former Texas Lt. Governor, who had dedicated his life and career to public service.
The CENTEX ASPA Public Service Recognition Week Awards Luncheon was sponsored by Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. Participating were academic programs from CENTEX ASPA’s region which included Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and Texas State University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program.
The Luncheon program began at about 12:00 Noon with a “meet and greet” reception which was followed by a plated lunch for approximately 50 attendees. The awards program ended about 2:00 pm and was followed by a brief meeting of CENTEX ASPA’s Officers and Governing Board to discuss the selection of program events and activities for the future.
The featured speakers at the Awards Luncheon included Alan & Sheila Bojorquez, recipients of the CENTEX ASPA Hobby Distinguished Service Award and Dr. Jeremi Suri, Professor of Public Affairs and History, who holds the Mack Brown Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas.
At the luncheon the James McGrew Research Awards for distinguished scholarship were presented to faculty and students from Texas State University’s MPA Program and Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service.
The Luncheon also recognized the City of San Marcos, Texas and Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for the establishment of a Local Government Management Fellowship Program for the City of San Marcos. The first recipient of the Hobby Management Fellowship was Mostafa Jalal, a December 2024 graduate of the Texas State University MPA Program.
In addition to the presentation of awards, students from Texas State University’s MPA Program were recognized for receiving scholarships and recent graduates from the Texas State’s MPA Program were inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. Recent inductees into Pi Alpha Alpha from the Bush School were also recognized and inducted into the Bush School Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha.
For additional information about CENTEX ASPA’s activities and events please contact Fred Bell, CENTEX ASPA President at fred_bell@sbcglobal.net
For additional information about the activities and programs of the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service contact Dr. Howard Balanoff at hb02@txstate.edu
See Award Recipients Below
Click here for the Luncheon Program including list of honorees and distinguished guests.
Public Service Recognition Week Award Recipients
Alan & Sheila Bojorquez, Dr. Howard Balanoff, Fred Bell
Alan Bojorquez (left), Attorney & CEO of the Bojorquez Law Firm and Sheila Bojorquez, President & CEO of City Hall Essentials receive the 2025 William P. Hobby Distinguished Service Award from Fred Bell CENTEX ASPA President along with Dr. Howard Balanoff, Hobby Center Director (2nd from the right).
Fred Bell & Dr. Jerimi Suri
Dr. Jerimi Suri, Professor, UT’s LBJ School (right) receives the CENTEX ASPA Distinguished Professor Award from Fred Bell, CENTEX ASPA President.
Fred Bell, Dr. Nandhini Rangarajan & Brayden Worley
Brayden Worley (right), Texas State University MPA student receives a McGrew Outstanding Research Award with Dr. Nandhini Rangarajan (center), Past Director of the Texas State University MPA Program.
Pi Alpha Alpha Inductees
Texas State University Inductees into Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs & Administration are left to right are Brayden Worley, Mackenzie Rothrock, Laura Brown, & Mosta Jalal with Dr Howard Balanoff, Pi Alpha Alpha Faculty Advisor (left) and Fred Bell (right).
Dr. Lori Taylor & Students
Dr. Lori Taylor (left), Professor, Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service and Administration Department and students in her Capstone Project course receive a McGrew Outstanding Research Award. The students in the course were Ashlyn Anderson, Mollie Blahuta, Allie Cerling, Matthew B. Francis Jr., Julia Jachimowicz, Andrew Martin, Taylor Mitchell, Payel Nasrin, and Allison Orr.
Dr. Howard Balanoff, Mostafa Jalal & Stephanie Reyes
Stephanie Reyes (right) San Marcos City Manager with Mostafa Jalal (center) are being recognized for the City of San Marcos’s establishment of the William P. Hobby Management Fellowship Program. Mostafa Jalal was the first Texas State University graduate that was selected to receive the prestigious Hobby Fellowship with the City.
Scholarship Recipients
Scholarship recipients with Fred Bell (second from the right) and Howard Balanoff (left). Students receiving scholarships are Mst Thahsina Aktar Asha (William P. Hobby), Savanna, Batson (William P. Hobby), Remigio Casanova (William P. Hobby), Dylann Engle (Barney Knight), Reagan Haik (William P. Hobby), Miguel Perez (William P. Hobby), Mackenzie, Rothrock (William P. Hobby), Sonia Shahsavari (William P. Hobby), Kaden Tucker (William P. Hobby), Daphne Williams (William P. Hobby).
MPA Students
Attendees at the 2025 CENTEX ASPA Public Service Recognition Week Luncheon at Palmers Restaurant in San Marcos, Texas.