City’s new PIO excited about everything Lockhart

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Tatiana Salazar, only due to the urging from her realtor, gave a look at Lockhart. Now she is not only working with the city as its new Public Information Officer, but she’s living here, loves the friendliness of the people and what the town has to offer.

Salazar began her new position on July 24, coming over from a similar post with the City of San Marcos. Before that she was an award-winning news producer at television stations around Texas and Denver, Colorado. 

“It’s funny because Lockhart was really not on my radar,” Salazar said. “I had been looking for houses in San Marcos. I wasn’t really having any luck. My realtor called me and said there was this house in Lockhart that she thought would be great. I thought, yeah, I’ll go see it just to appease you. Then I end up living in Lockhart.

“I began exploring around town and I loved it. It’s great. By happenstance, this position opened. I love a four-minute commute to work. I liked what I was doing in San Marcos, but I felt like that was something I could continue here. I thought I could do it in a town where I actually live. I’m gonna get a bike, then I can bike to work, because, why not?”

Salazar, including her dogs, Bennie and Brisket, have taken very favorably to Lockhart and her employment with the city mainly because it has taken to her.

“There are so many things to like,” she said. “First of all, there are so many things to do. There are coffee shops and live music everywhere. Growing up in San Antonio, people are really standoffish. Here, I have found that everyone is just so friendly. That’s different from even San Marcos down the street. There’s kind of this animosity toward people who are not originally from there. I feel like here in Lockhart people are very welcoming.

Salazar spent two years in San Marcos, the last year-and-a-half working with public safety departments (police, fire, and emergency management) as well as whatever bilingual needs were needed. She plans on assisting with bilingual needs here. She was awarded the Award of Honor for Best Planned Social Media Campaign by TAMIO (Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers).

“They’re a lot of things I didn’t expect coming to Lockhart,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be so diverse for a small town, but it is. You can go into H-E-B and hear people speak Spanish and tell they’re speaking original Spanish from wherever they’re from, not Texas Spanish, so there has to be an immigrant community here. I do think it’s going to be important to get city information out in their language and let them know about the services that are available.”

Salazar has already met with Dr. Eugene Clark Library Director Bertha Martinez who said she wants to do some programs in Spanish, something Salazar said she could help with. Salazar also noted the city staff seems excited to help with Spanish-speaking residents.

Salazar’s immediate family – parents and siblings – live in San Antonio. She said other relatives live in Mexico.

Salazar “dabbles” in different languages, including speaking basic German. She also is a fan of singing karaoke.

A graduate of Texas State University with a Bachelor of Mass Communication, Salazar initially worked as a news producer in Midland with an NBC affiliate. 

She later worked in Waco and Austin as a local news producer, and later for Scripps News in Denver. During her decade in the news, Salazar earned an award from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters for Best Newscast (second place) in 2015, and in 2016 she was nominated for Best Evening Newscast by the EMMY Lone Star Chapter.

Now, Salazar’s focus is on Lockhart.

“I really value the transparency from city government,” she said. “I don’t want the residents to ever feel like it’s us against them. So, if people ever have concerns, I hope to get them the answers they need. I’m just really excited about being in Lockhart.

“I told (City Manager) Steve (Lewis) that people within the city, the whole organization are so willing to help. I don’t have to be begging people to give me information. People just come into my office and say, ‘Hey this is what I want to work on.’ I’m on board with that. That means my life and my job will be easier. It helps in getting things done.”

Salazar said she was still getting her bearings as the city’s PIO and was meeting with the departments and accessing their needs.

For inquiries, Salazar can be reached via email at tsalazer@lockhart-tx.org. Her office is at 105 S. Colorado Street.