VAN DE PUTTE, ANDRADE - DEMOCRAT AND GOP - FORM FIRM

By Gilbert Garcia
San Antonio Express-News
Former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and former Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade are joining forces in a high-powered consulting firm that should shake up the state Capitol.

The new San Antonio-based firm will concentrate on connecting business clients with government officials, and Van de Putte's activities likely will include some lobbying work in Austin. (Andrade will maintain a role as a "strategic adviser," but will refrain from lobbying, to avoid a conflict of interest with her position as the board chair for VIA Metropolitan Transit.)

The firm, which will be named Andrade VdP and Associates, should see a full rollout in 2016.
This alliance between two prominent Latinas from the West Side of San Antonio not only means that two of the state's most formidable Rolodexes are coming together. As Andrade is quick to point out, their backgrounds — which include nearly 40 years of combined governmental experience — complement each other.
Andrade, 66, is a Republican with experience as an entrepreneur, chair of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, transportation commissioner, workforce commissioner, and public-transit policy maker.

Van de Putte, 60, is a Democrat who has worked as a pharmacist and devoted much of her 24 years in the state Legislature to addressing health care, military and human-trafficking issues. She was the 2014 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.
"I think we're going to be very nimble and flexible and offer a full array of services to people," Van de Putte said.

Andrade added: "You get to a stage in your life that you know what you're good at and you know what you enjoy, and one of the things that we both enjoy is connecting people. What I've done in my state positions is to help government understand the private sector, and now that I've been in government for the past 11 years, I'm able to help the private sector understand government."
The firm's emergence comes only five months after Van de Putte lost a heartbreaking mayoral runoff to Ivy Taylor, in a caustic campaign that famously included Taylor's refusal to shake Van de Putte's hand at a Texas Public Radio forum.

For rest of story, click on link: Van de Putte, Andrade team up for high-powered consulting firm - San Antonio Express-News