With Trust CEO Kate Rogers’ Departure, the Alamo’s Future Enters a New Era of State Direction

Kate Rogers has departed from her role at Alamo Trust, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the historic mission and battle site. Reporters that contacted her Friday morning received an automatic email reply confirming that “Kate Rogers is no longer at Alamo Trust, Inc.” The organization has not yet issued a formal statement about her exit, but sources confirmed that staff were informed of her departure Thursday afternoon.

Rogers’ resignation came after Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick publicly called for her removal earlier in the week, citing concerns about her view on how the Alamo’s story should be presented.

In a letter to the Alamo Trust board posted on X, Patrick wrote that “Alamo history should be about the battle.” Highlighting the “13 Days of Glory”.

His comments followed the circulation of Rogers’ 2023 doctoral dissertation, in which she wrote:  

“I would love to see the Alamo become a beacon for historical reconciliation and a place that brings people together versus tearing them apart, but politically that may not be possible at this time.”

Rogers, who had been promoted to president and CEO on September 1, after four years as executive director, recently told the San Antonio Express-News she was proud of the progress made on the long-term redevelopment. The project includes a $235 million visitor center and museum scheduled to open in 2027 as part of a larger $500 million plan to transform the Alamo Plaza area. 

“It takes a lot of commitment by a lot of people and staying the course,” she told San Antonio Express-News at an event earlier this month. “I’m really thrilled, most proud of the team that we’ve built here at the Alamo.”

Her sudden departure marks a turning point in the stewardship of one of Texas’ most symbolic landmarks. The Alamo Trust, while continuing to oversee day-to-day operations, will soon be joined by a new state-controlled commission created by lawmakers to assume direct oversight of the redevelopment. 

The shift means the project will now fall more squarely under the influence of Lt. Gov. Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. The General Land Office, led by Buckingham, has been a primary state partner in the redevelopment effort, and the new visitor center was celebrated by her office last year as the centerpiece of the state’s $550 million investment in the site’s future.

The change in leadership places responsibility for both the project’s direction and its success firmly in the hands of Texas’ top political figures. The Alamo’s redevelopment, combining public and private funding, has often been a flashpoint for debate over how to tell the story of Texas’ origins.