Twenty years ago, Adriana and Carlos Contreras decided to give love a second chance.

Carlos was winding down his law firm, with plans to move from Austin to San Antonio. Adriana was juggling graduate school and her work with the Hispanic Chamber Education Committee. Both had been married before; neither were looking for love. And yet, they found it unexpectedly, through a mutual friend who introduced them in a hallway at the University of Texas at Austin campus.

"We knew a lot of the same people," Adriana recalled. "And as one would, I vetted him, and I checked with different people, and they said, 'Oh my gosh, he is so smart; he's a great guy; he's so funny.' I trusted their judgment, and they all said positive things about him."

With busy professions, kids, and grandkids between them, it can be a challenge to find time for each other. So they get creative. They go for morning runs three times a week and schedule date nights every Saturday night, which they try not to miss, no matter what comes up.

"We try to find things that we like to do together and make it a special time so we can keep dating each other," Carlos said. "We're about to celebrate 20 years of marriage together, and I like being able to say that I've been dating my wife for 20 years."

While the couple enjoys the small things, their responsibilities are anything but. Adriana is the associate vice president and executive director of the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, while Carlos is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Antonio.

Goodwill, a partner of San Antonio's Ready to Work program, offers career training through its Good Careers Academy, a comprehensive and accredited vocational training program that allows students to gain marketable skills in high-demand careers. Under Carlos's leadership, over 240 graduates of the Goodwill Academy earned a credential in high-demand occupations in one year, up 40% from 2022.

The Mays Center, made possible through a $5 million gift from the Mays Foundation, offers opportunities in four areas: career services, experiential learning, civic engagement and workforce development. As a first-generation student helping other first-generation students, the mission is close to Adriana's heart.

Carlos and Adriana's work is also part of what draws them together as a couple. They often discuss work at the dinner table, which may be "a pretty boring conversation (to others), but exciting to us," Carlos said.

"The goal is the same, because we want job placement, right? So we may be working with different populations, but ultimately, we're just trying to make a generational impact here in San Antonio," Adriana added.

Aside from their work, Adriana and Carlos are very involved in their community, having served on numerous boards and nonprofits. Adriana sits on the board of Alpha Home San Antonio and the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce, and Carlos was recently nominated to serve on the 2024 Executive Committee for greater:SATX.

To get through the hard times, Carlos said the couple rely on two things: laughter and "find(ing) time to be happy together."

"We both like to laugh. She says she's funnier than me. I think the jury's out on that," Carlos said with a smile.

To keep their relationship strong, Carlos and Adriana follow a simple rule.

"We always have to leave with a hug," Carlos said. "She won't let me walk out the door without a hug and a kiss."

Originally published February 8, 2024 - San Antonio Business Journal