San Antonio – Grant Moody was sworn in as Precinct 3 commissioner Wednesday morning, making him the third person to hold the seat in less than two years.
Moody, a Republican, was elected on Nov. 8 over Democrat Susan Korbel. He replaces Marialyn Barnard, who was a temporary, appointed replacement for Trish DeBerry.
DeBerry, who ran her own public relations firm, was elected to office in 2020, but stepped down after less than a year so she could run for Bexar County judge.
Moody will serve the final two years that remain in DeBerry’s original term, though he says he “absolutely” plans to seek re-election in 2024 for a full, four-year term.
This is Moody’s first elected position, and he will be the only Republican on the court. He says his biggest priority is public safety, specifically mentioning jail staffing issues.
“I think that next week we’ll get to have a conversation on some of the recommendations going forward down there with the jail and (I) look forward to working with the court and with the sheriff to try to improve the jail going forward,” Moody said.
He also mentioned ensuring the patrol side of law enforcement can keep up with the county’s growth.
The new commissioner is a former Marine F-18 pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also held executive roles at USAA and Valero Energy, though he will step down from his position as Valero’s director of innovation and low-carbon fuels on Monday.
“We hate to leave, but it was something we couldn’t do both and do ’em well. So we’ll focus on Bexar County and serving this role going forward,” Moody said.
He had also briefly served on the congressional staff of former Kansas Republican Mike Pompeo and was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 to serve on the Texas Veterans Land Board.
Judge Nelson Wolff believes Moody’s veteran status will be an asset on the court, which does not currently have any other members with military experience.
“I think he’ll play a big part in helping us understand better how to work with veterans, get them back in the community, get them a job here, get him training. I think he’s going to be very valuable on that,” Wolff said.
The court will have a further shake-up on Jan. 1 when Peter Sakai is sworn in as county judge, replacing Wolff after more than two decades at the head of Bexar County’s government.