About

San Antonio Business Makers

San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the nation, with a population of 1.3 million people—and it’s still growing.
 

While traditionally known for its tourism/convention business and large military presence, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce notes that the city has shed its two-dimensional label and today has multiple industries driving its economy. This has resulted in the greater San Antonio area having one of the most robust economies in the country. But what is it about San Antonio that attracts so many?
 

Join your hosts John Thurman and Christy Prescott as they interview some of San Antonio and the Hill Country’s best business leaders about what they do, why they do it, and why they chose San Antonio.
 

Your Hosts

John Thurman

John Thurman has been in real estate for twelve years, but began to see that many businesses seemed to be more oriented toward gross sales and less toward taking care of the needs of customers.

He decided to start his own company; one founded on the belief that real estate is more about finding the right house for the purchaser than it is based on a preset criteria that may or may not fit the long term needs of the client.

This belief in the importance of serving the customer has reaped rewards: The San Antonio Business Journal ranked John as the number one residential agent in San Antonio for the 2007 calendar year, and he has been designated as a Platinum Top 50 Realtor for the past six years.

John is a graduate of:

  • University of Texas at Austin – BBA Accounting
  • National Association of Realtors Real Estate Institute – “GRI” Designation
  • Texas Realtors’ Leadership Program – “TRLP” Designation

Radio Shows

  • Real Estate Focus, NewsTalk 930 KLUP, Saturdays at 11:00am – A show that deals with area real estate information
  • San Antonio Movers and Shakers Show (co-hosted with Bjorn Dybdahl of Bjorn's Home Entertainment), NewsTalk 930 KLUP, Saturdays at 10:00am – A show that honors the education, business, civic, and public leaders who keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive in our city

Both shows can also be streamed live on his website, Heart of Texas Realty, and on KLUP.com

Click here for a full list of John's Real Estate and Community memberships.

 

Christy Prescott

Christy Prescott moved to San Antonio from Kearny, Nebraska in 1985 with an Associates Degree in Travel and Management. She was employed by Travel Planners, Inc. from 1985 - 1991. During those five years she developed a strong relationships with owners Jim and Arlene Davie. Through their guidance and mentoring Christy quickly learned and experienced the knowledge and skills required to own and operate a travel business. Busing a self-driven person with a desire to own her own company, she took a leap of faith and opened her doors as owner and manager of Corporate Travel Planners, Inc. (CTP) in 1991.

Success in Business

Today CTP is a successful leading travel agency with clients both locally and throughout the United States. Under her guidance the company has grown in both staff and sales, reporting $110 million in sales by 2001. CTP has gone on to earn the Fast Track Award for the Top 40 Fastest Growing Businessess between 1997 and 2000 and was ranked number one on the list of Top Women-Owned Businesses in San Antonio. Additionally, CTP has been listed as one of the top 25 travel agencies every year since 1992. Christy, as CTP's founder and leader, has been recognized with the Enterprising Women's Award in 2002, the Athena Award in 2001, Outstanding Small Business in 2001 and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2001.

Despite her success and that of the company, Christy remains one of the most approachable and involved CEOs one could ever hope to meet. That aspects of her personality has been instilled within the company -- approachable and involved could describe everyone within the CTP family.

Community Service Leader

Since moving to San Antonio, Christy has been just as driven and passionate about community and charity involvement as she is about CTP. She has contributed to the Alamo Bowl, Family Justice Center, Palmer Drug Abuse Prevention Program, San Antonio Spurs Foundation, Family Violence Prevention Services, the American Heart Association and the United Way, to name a few. She also participates as a member in the Financial Executives Institute and she serves on the boards of the Family Violence and Prevention Services, Family Justice Center, Lead S.A., Palmer Drug Abuse Program, Lone Star Capital Bank and Wachovia Advisorty Board. Amid all these endeavors she has made the time to establish her own charity, Christy's Hope for Battered Women and Children.