Antonio Garcia Has a Destination: Opportunity

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“I just kind of fell into it.”

That’s what many human resources leaders say when you ask them how they got into their field. The common refrain is something of a joke in HR circles. When you stop to think about it, though, it makes sense. HR is a broad field that attracts diverse individuals with talents in communication, marketing, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. A passion for people helps too.

Antonio Garcia, director of talent at Frontier Airlines, is an HR leader who fell into his line of work. A Texas native, Garcia grew up in Corpus Christi and graduated from Texas A&M University with a marketing degree. He started his professional life with a financial services and sales role at JMFA, where he excelled. He hit $800,000 in sales during his first four months and surpassed $1.6 million by the end of his first year.

His success attracted the attention of JMFA leaders, and soon, they asked Garcia to start an executive search group. Suddenly, the young marketing graduate found himself working in talent and recruitment. That led to an executive recruiter position with an agency, and Garcia’s career in corporate recruiting took off.

“I see HR as the best of both worlds, where I can be myself, bring talent to an organization, and then market that organization to our potential and current workforce.”

Antonio Garcia

While he once dreamed of a long career in marketing, Garcia couldn’t deny he had found a home in HR. “I started seeing what happens when candidates and employees discover opportunity and unlock their potential,” he says.

An unexpected move to HR didn’t require Garcia—a jazz musician and passionate creator—to abandon his marketing training or artistic talents altogether. He uses those skills to make himself a more effective human resources leader. “I use marketing and creativity every single day now,” he says. “I see HR as the best of both worlds, where I can be myself, bring talent to an organization, and then market that organization to our potential and current workforce.”

After working mostly in oil and gas and healthcare, Garcia joined Frontier Airlines in 2022, in part for the chance to make a significant impact at a smaller company. While some of his previous employers had more than 100,000 employees, at the time, Frontier had only six thousand. Garcia knew he could import best practices from other industries and bring a fresh perspective to drive outcomes for the airline’s workforce.

“My diverse background sets me apart because I can learn new industries quickly and think in a fast and nimble way in uncertain environments, where change is a constant,” he explains.

The last few years have ushered in an era of growth at Frontier. With post-COVID demand even higher than experts predicted, the company has expanded its workforce to more than eight thousand people. Frontier wants to recruit pilots while providing strong customer service and extending its bases throughout the US. Garcia, who manages talent acquisition for both corporate and operational positions, has had times when he couldn’t find pilots or flight attendants fast enough.

To address this problem, Garcia tapped into his creativity and used strategies that have worked in other industries. He’s adopted new technologies, partnered with universities and technical schools, and launched critical cadet programs.

For example, Frontier now offers an F9 Pilot Cadet Program that provides a two-year pathway into a first officer commercial pilot role. Candidates don’t need prior flying experience and can train at one of seventy flight schools nationwide. Other programs at Frontier, such as The Transitioning Military Technician Program and the Rotor Transition Program, provide essential training and certifications for military helicopter pilots and maintenance professionals to move into commercial aviation after concluding their military service.

Garcia knows firsthand just how valuable these programs can be. While he’s not a veteran himself, Garcia has parents, grandparents, and uncles who served in the military, and he lived in Germany for four years when his father was stationed in Europe. “I know that there’s not always a clear road map to the corporate and operations environments for veterans, so we try to build paths and match skills so we can help veterans be successful in the civilian world,” he says.

Frontier’s business resource groups (BRGs) help accomplish this goal. Several small communities made up of volunteer employees provide networks, support, and advice for people from shared backgrounds. Current BRGs include groups for veterans, African Americans, Latinos, women in leadership, environmental initiatives, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Garcia leads the committee for the Veteran BRG, and volunteers with the new Hispanic BRG. His goal for 2025 is to take a more active approach in connecting with the students at the high schools within our base locations to speak about opportunities with Frontier and commercial aviation.

In doing so, he hopes to serve as an example of a successful Hispanic leader while helping young people see what’s possible. “I want students to know that they can attain their dreams and find success in the real world,” he says. Garcia also mentions that “I believe it’s extremely important as a rising Hispanic leader to send the elevator back down and provide opportunity for the next generation of Latino professionals.”

BRGs are just one way Frontier is demonstrating its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Garcia has seen improvement regarding overall diversity numbers at Frontier but now wants to ensure employees from diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities to advance into leadership positions.

“Inclusion matters,” he says. “We’re now focusing on making sure our entry-level and middle management employees have a voice and feel like they are part of the mission at Frontier.” This focus on employee inclusion and culture is strongly driven by new programs and education offerings, which is largely driven by the HR learning and development team that he manages.  

From its headquarters in Denver, Frontier operates more than one hundred aircraft that together serve about 120 destinations in the US, the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. The company is in growth mode, and Garcia is on board to recruit and develop the talent that will help Frontier Airlines soar.

---