JD Salinas is Vice President of AT&T External and Legislative Affairs, with responsibility for legislative advocacy across Texas—from El Paso to Waco and south through Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and the Rio Grande Valley—as well as the state of New Mexico.

Since joining AT&T in 2014, Salinas has helped shape and execute the company’s statewide legislative and regulatory priorities. Salinas is a formidable force for the company at the State Capitol, spending much of the 140-day session in Austin advocating for the company’s needs in its headquarter state. 

Before AT&T, Salinas founded Maroon Consultants in 2006 and served as its managing partner. In November 2009, President Obama appointed him Regional Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). In that role (2009–2012), he oversaw GSA activities across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with responsibility for approximately 1,350 federal buildings. Earlier, he served three years as Hidalgo County Judge, leading more than 3,000 county employees and earning the Texas Association of Counties “Best Practice Award.”

Salinas is recognized for leadership and for developing creative, effective solutions to complex public- and private-sector policy issues. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Administration from The University of Texas–Pan American.

Active in the communities he serves, Salinas has most recently served as Chair of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and has served as a board member of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Texas A&M University Chancellor’s Council, and a Trustee of Schreiner University.

JD and his wife, Rhonda, are the proud parents of Victoria, AJ, Gabriella, Gianna, and Arturo