Evangelina “Vangie” Flores, is a native San Antonian. She is President of Flores Riverwalk Properties. She and her late husband, Roger, owned and operated Little Mitla Restaurant, La Paloma del Rio Restaurant on the Riverwalk, and later with her children, Paloma Riverwalk Restaurant at the same location. “Vangie” and the family operated their restaurants for over 35 years. Now retired from the restaurant business, she continues to manage her river walk property while devoting much of her time to serving on community boards. She is committed to building a strong future for her community. In particular, she supports the Arts, Preservation of Green Spaces, Historical Preservation, and Higher Education.
Evangelina is Chairman of the Board of Arboretum San Antonio which is scheduled to build a 186-acre Arboretum in South San Antonio. It will showcase heritage trees of the South Texas region as well as other adaptable non-invasive tree species. It will create educational spaces, children’s learning areas, meditative areas and an event and meetings center. She is a past Chair of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, past Chair of Texas A&M – San Antonio Foundation, Past President of FIESTA San Antonio, and past Chair of the San Antonio Parks Foundation. She is a former member of the World Affairs Council San Antonio and has served on the Las Misiones Advisory and Capital Campaign Committee and the River Expansion Oversight Committee, which developed the current River Walk footprint. In 1998, as Trustee , she chaired the opening of the Nelson Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art at the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Evangelina has been recognized for her accomplishments and contributions to her community. She was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011 in the Business category. She received the Department of the Army (Army North and Fort Sam Houston) Commander’s Award for Public Service in 2012. In 2013 she was inducted into the Order of the Cascaron for outstanding impact and volunteerism in FIESTA San Antonio. She received the Civic Award from the La Presa Foundation in 2011 and was recognized in Profiles in Philanthropy by Our Lady of the Lake University in 2007. Evangelina received the “Premio de Oro” for community service from Univision, KWEX TV in 2005.
Evangelina is an alumnus of Our Lady of the Lake High School and San Antonio College. She is an artist and loves to paint in her spare time. She and her life partner David love to travel and cherish time spent with family. Evangelina has two grown children, Roger O Flores, III and Mariela Flores Lopez (husband Orlando). She feels blessed for the many adventures in life, but especially those shared with family and her greatest pride, her eight beautiful grandchildren.
