Planning for the 128th Washington’s Birthday Celebration is officially underway, led by 2025–2026 WBCA President Jaime Fuentes. The Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) Executive Committee and Board of Directors have also welcomed new members to their ranks as preparations begin.
This celebration will mark the 128th year that WBCA brings its festivities to Laredo and Fuentes intends on honoring its tradition and history.
“I am truly blessed to have been able to grow up in this wonderful city. I am proud to be a Laredoan and humbled to be the President for the 128th Celebration,” said Jaime Fuentes, 2025-2026 WBCA President. “It’s truly an honor and privilege to be part of such a wonderful organization like the WBCA and surround myself with the many volunteers that give so selflessly to try to make our home a better place for everyone.”
“With over 30 events and growing, this truly is the celebration with something for everyone! I have very big shoes to fill of all the great leaders before me and look forward to working with our team to continue to show everyone why Los Dos Laredos are a community like no other!” he added.
Jaime’s involvement with WBCA began in 2001 when he was asked to help volunteer at the inaugural “Jam for George Concert,” a WBCA Affiliate event. He continued serving on that committee and with the Laredo Little Theatre through the evolution to the now infamous Comedy Jam for George. In 2003, he joined the Board of Directors of the Jalapeño Festival back when it was an Affiliate event of WBCA.
He was appointed to the WBCA Board of Directors as a Presidential Appointee in 2005 by then WBCA President Linda LaMantia and continued to serve as a Board Member through 2012. Jaime served as Chair/Co-Chair on events such as the WBCA Stars & Stripes Air Show Spectacular Sponsored by Miller Lite, Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade and the IBC/Commerce Bank Youth Parade Under the Stars. He took a hiatus from WBCA in 2012 and rejoined as a WBCA Development Team Member in 2016, before he was re-elected to the Board of Directors in 2017. In his current tenure as a WBCA Board Member, he has served on the H-E-B Fireworks Extravaganza Committee and the Dual Parades Committee, among others. Most notably, he Chaired the 2020 Jalapeño Festival Sponsored by La Costeña, receiving the prestigious WBCA President’s Merit Award that same year, for exceptional service in committee work and promotion of the Celebration.
Jaime married his beautiful wife Claudia G. Fuentes in 2012 and has been happily married since. Jaime has been a member of the Arguindegui Companies family since 2008 and has held various managerial roles within the company currently overseeing their Customer Service and Central dispatch department. He is extremely proud of his hard-working wife who is a Licensed US Customs broker working with her family’s business, which has been in Laredo for over 65 years. They are proud parents to Roberto Joaquin and Liliana Judith Fuentes who currently attend Mary Help of Christians School, where Jaime also serves as Vice President of the SPTA board. Their children are already following in their footsteps as members of various volunteer clubs at the school. Jaime enjoys spending time with his family whether it’s at the ranch or just a backyard carne asada. He also enjoys his NFL Sundays with the infamous “Chateau Crew,” yelling at the TV, and arguing about misguided domino placements during a game. His other passion is live music. A concert junkie at heart, Jaime credits his good fortune and a patient and loving wife, for allowing him to travel several times throughout the year to attend concerts and music festivals and listen to his favorite artists.
Jaime is the son of Oscar and Graciela Fuentes, of Uvalde, Texas, who made Laredo their home in 1986. Jaime’s earliest memories as a Laredoan, include attending the Jalapeño Festival when it was still located downtown, and watching the parade from the bed of a pickup truck parked off San Bernado Avenue, among others. These childhood memories and experiences have now come full circle as he looks forward to taking the helm as president.
Rosa E. Cruz joins the Executive Committee as Treasurer
A graduate of United High School (Class of 1991), Rosa E. Cruz obtained a degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1995.
Currently, she serves as the Client & Community Relations Director for the Texas Border Market under the Regional President’s Organization at PNC Bank. She is responsible for enhancing PNC’s involvement in community relations, overseeing the market’s sponsorships, charitable investments, and events, administers philanthropy and grant making, as well as internal and external communications. She also takes an active role in representing PNC in the community through board memberships and managing community partner relationships.
She has had a career with the bank totaling 23 years in various roles which includes collaborating with project team members to analyze and develop solutions for special projects, managed various employee development programs for new hires and continuing education for the Retail, Commercial, and Global Wealth Lines of Business as well as consumer loan underwriter. She also has been responsible for leading the Laredo Team in volunteer efforts in the community serving as the Laredo Volunteer Chapter President.
Before her banking career, she held Account Executive sales roles at SARMA Credit Bureau and Coca Cola Enterprises. Rosa strongly believes in giving back to her community by being an active volunteer in various organizations locally which has helped her build a network of long-lasting friendships. She is an active member of the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association Board of Directors serving on several committees. She began volunteering for WBCA in 2016 at the Stars and Stripes Air Show Spectacular, became a member of the Development Team in 2018, served as Presidential Appointee to the Board of Directors in 2019, and elected as a Board of Director in 2020. Since then, she has chaired the Dual Parades Float & Car Coordination, the George Washington Theatre Performance, and most recently the Jalapeño Festival Sponsored by La Costeña for several years. She was recognized as a recipient of the prestigious Matias De Llano Memorial Award in 2022. She also currently serves as 1st Vice-President of the International Good Neighbor Council Board of Directors (WBCA Affiliate Event), and the United High School Larriette Alumni Association. She is a past member of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and she currently serves on the Youth Leadership Laredo Committee and Elevate Laredo Committee.
Rosa is married to Marco A. Cruz and together they have three children, Marco, Victoria and Isabella.
“I am honored and humbled to have been appointed to this role,” says Mrs. Cruz “I look forward to continuing the mission of serving our community.” Rosa added she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, taking time to exercise, and staying healthy, and getting to know new places by traveling.
The Executive Committee members for the 128th Celebration are:
Jaime Fuentes, WBCA President
(Arguindegui Companies)
Albert Salinas, Ed.D, WBCA President-Elect
(Community Leader)
Anabella Herbig ,WBCA 1st Vice-President
(State Farm Insurance)
Rafael A. Martinez, WBCA 2nd Vice-President
(Laredo Federal Credit Union, President/CEO)
Rosa E. Cruz, WBCA Treasurer
(PNC Bank)
Fernando R. Montemayor, Jr., WBCA Ex-Officio (Immediate Past President)
(IBC Investment Services)
The 2025 – 2026 Board of Directors include:
The 2025 – 2026 Presidential Appointees serving one-year terms are:
Save the dates for the 128th Washington’s Birthday Celebration, January 15– February 27, 2026. The Washington’s Birthday Celebration, founded in 1898, is the largest Celebration of its kind in the United States. Throughout the years, the Celebration has grown to be over a month long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling Jalapeño Festival and much more. Combined, WBCA events attract nearly 500,000 residents and visitors, and yearly contributes an estimated $14 million to the local economy.
