Octavio Omar Saenz is a radio and television veteran broadcaster who serves the Rio Grande Valley as a news anchor and producer for the Univision and Fox affiliates in McAllen, TX. As a CHCI intern in the summer of 1991, he worked with the office of Congressman Alberto Bustamante (TX-23) and studied public policy and public speaking at Southeastern University in Washington D.C.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA).
Through several journalism and leadership fellowships, Saenz has served South Texas as a cultural ambassador. Saenz has been awarded the Radio TV News Directors Association Journalism Fellowship to Germany, the East West Center Journalism Fellowship to China and the American Council of Young Political Leaders Exchange Fellowship to South Korea.
Saenz also serves the new generation of journalists in South Texas as an adjunct professor of communications at UTPA. As a Federation Internationale d’Escrime certified fencing instructor, he has also taught swordsmanship skills to UTPA students.
He is active in the international arena, as an e-Intern with the U.S. State Department. Saenz serves the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela as an audio-visual, media and journalism expert.
Octavio is husband to Janie Saenz and father to four Hispanic leaders in the making.
