Rick UriegasRey of the Barrio

Rick Uriegas, a lifelong resident of San Antonio’s West Side, worked in a variety of sales, marketing and leadership roles throughout his business career. But the work in which he has played a sizable role is in the nonprofit and charitable sectors, especially in his beloved West Side community.

Over the years, Uriegas has served in a variety of nonprofit roles — as a commissioner on the San Antonio Fiesta Commission, a board member of the St. Mary’s Alumni Association and the Miss Fiesta Pageant. He has been a member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the American Society for Personnel Administration.

Early in his career, Uriegas served as the fundraising chair for the nonprofit Texas Community Health Network, an entity that championed early versions of the Piñatas in the Barrio Festival. It has become a popular Fiesta event and one of only a few free Fiesta events put on for West Side residents. In 2027, the festival’s 30th anniversary, he’ll serve as the festival’s king.

Over the years, he’s also been involved in the promotional side of several Tejano music radio stations. Today he’s a board member and curator of the San Antonio-based Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum. He is a founder of the Piñatas in the Barrio Festival along with his sister Margo Uriegas and his late father Santos Uriegas.

See him crowned at Piñatas in the Barrio →