Castro Begins Service as Bulverde City Manager

Bulverde (August 5, 2025) – Following a comprehensive search for a City Manager, Mike Castro, PhD, most recently City Manager of Yukon, a suburb of Oklahoma City, has begun his service as the Bulverde City Manager. The City Council approved the appointment at a Special Meeting conducted on May 8, 2025. Castro began his tenure with the City on August 4th. 

A California native, Castro brings more than a quarter century of local government managerial experience to the position. He has served as the chief executive of the Texas communities of Garden Ridge, Stephenville, Jersey Village, and Murphy, as well as Yukon, Oklahoma. 

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served five years on active duty as an Army Engineer in Europe and Asia, completing his military career at Ft. Hood. He subsequently earned master’s degrees in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin; Political Science from the University of Houston; and a doctorate in Political Science from the same institution. His doctoral studies concentrated on Public Administration as well as Public Policy and American Government. 

Active in civic and service organizations in each of the communities in which he has served, Castro most recently served on the Board of Directors of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he has twice served as a Rotary Club President. 

“I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to work with the staff in Bulverde,” he said. “The city is poised to achieve great things, and credit goes to the City Council and staff.” 

Castro is married to the former Lisa Ort, a seventh generation Texan and member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. “My wife and I are looking forward to getting to know the community and making Bulverde our home,” he said. 

Mayor Helen Hays said, "The City Council and staff are extremely impressed with Mr. Castro's background. He is clearly a skilled and respected city manager who will bring a tremendous amount of value to the City. At the same time, we express our sincerest thanks to Danny Batts for his service in the interim. His steady hand was very much appreciated.” 

Posted on August 8, 2025 at 1:54 PM by Sandra V. Ham