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Building tomorrow's future, today —
Partners in Education throughout the United States
Ana Margarita Guzmán of Texas
Dr. Guzmán is currently serving as Vice President of Cypress Creek Campus and Institutional Campus Development at Austin Community College. Previously, she served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Support Programs at Texas A&M University System and Associate Professor of Education at Texas A&M University in Kingsville. Dr. Guzmán has more than thirteen years of administrative experience in higher education and public schools beginning her career as a teacher. Some of her administrative experiences include serving as Program Officer at the National Science Foundation, principal of a middle school and Director of Staff Development for the Houston Independent School District. Dr. Guzmán has co-authored two bilingual reading series that Texas and California adopted. She served as President of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE) and is a member of the Texas Association for Chicanos in Higher Education. She was named Who's Who in Education in 1993 and Who's Who in American Women in 1989.
Linda Alvarado of Colorado
Ms. Alvarado is president of Alvarado Construction, Inc. She is a leader in business, becoming the first Hispanic owner of a major league baseball franchise, the Colorado Rockies. She serves on several boards and brings the importance of business partnerships to civic and education organizations. Her charitable contributions have earned her numerous awards of achievement. Just recently she was highlighted in "Latino Success," 1996. She is a trailblazer in her field.
Erlinda Paiz Archuleta of Colorado
Ms. Archuleta is currently the Director of the Regional Educational Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Education. Previously, she was a teacher and principal in the Denver Public Schools. She has served as a member of the State leadership team for the Goals 2000 Educate America Act and the Parent, Community, and Business Involvement in Education Task Force for the Colorado Achievement Commission. Currently, she is on the steering committee for the Colorado Rural Development Council, the National Initiative on Rural America. She founded, and is the Chief Executive Officer of, the Colorado Coalition of Hispanic School Board Members and Executive Educators.
Cecelia Preciado Burciaga of California
Dr. Preciado Burciaga is currently Executive Assistant to the President and Director of Long Range Planning at California State University, Monterey Bay. Previously, she was Associate Dean and Development Officer at Stanford University. She is considered one of the most influential Hispanic Women in the field of Higher Education. She served as member of the International Commission on The Observance of International Women's Year and the National Advisory Committee for Women during the Carter Administration. She has worked on various issues of education ranging from teacher training to higher education administration. She is a strong advocate for minorities and women in higher education.
George Castro of California
Dr. Castro is the Associate Dean of the College of Science at San Jose State University. Previously, Dr. Castro held a variety of management positions at the IBM Research Division in San Jose, California, including the Manager of Physical Science.
Dr. Castro is the former President of SACNAS, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, a society which he helped build to national prominence. He has been active in promoting math and science education for minorities on both national and local levels. He serves on the National Advisory Commission of the Equity 2000 Project of the College
Board and many advisory boards of university based math and science K-12 intervention programs. He was recently inducted into the Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Santa Clara County.
Darlene Chavira Chávez of Arizona
Ms. Chávez currently teaches at Wakefield Middle School, playing one of most important roles in our educational system. She has been with the Tucson Unified School District for twenty years. Her work has focused on bilingual education working with Mexican and American Indian students. She serves as Chair of the National Education Association Hispanic Caucus, and as a member of the NEA Board of Directors. She is a mentor teacher, contributing greatly to the formation and education of today's youth.
David Cortiella of Massachusetts
Mr. Cortiella is presently the Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority. He has a long career with the City of Boston. Mr. Cortiella has served in the Office of Affirmative Action programs and the Mayor's Policy office. He stays active in the community by serving on the subcommittee of Latino Health Clinic, the Mayor's Youth Leadership Corp., and the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership; and is a trustee of both the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Boston Local Development Corporation.
Miriam Cruz of the District of Columbia
Ms. Cruz is the President of Equity Research Corporation, a non-profit educational consulting firm that specializes in representing minority institutions of higher education. She has designed and administered various programs to increase the educational attainment of Hispanic Americans. Prior to founding her own corporation, Ms. Cruz served as Deputy Assistant to former President Carter on Hispanic Affairs, and Assistant of Hispanic Affairs to the former Mayor of Chicago, Richard J. Daley.
José Gonzalez of Puerto Rico
Dr. Gonzalez is currently the President of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. Throughout his thirty-five year career he has held research, teaching, and administrative posts at the Puerto Rico public school system, the University of Puerto Rico, and Inter American University of Puerto Rico. He serves on the Advisory Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities and was just recently named outstanding educator of the year 1996 by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
Juliet Villarreal Garcia of Texas
Dr. Garcia is presently the President of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. She is the first Mexican-American woman in the nation to become president of a college or university. Dr. Garcia is responsible for developing the unique partnership between UT Brownsville and TSC which was designed to consolidate resources, increase efficiency and eliminate barriers to improve the Lower Rio Grande Valley's educational system. In addition to her many accomplishments, Dr. Garcia received the National Network of Hispanic Women Hall of Fame Education Award. In 1993 she was named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the nation's 100 Most Influential Hispanics. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Texas Commerce Bank-Rio Grande Valley, Texas Commerce Bancshares, and the San Antonio branch of the Federal Reserve.
María Hernandez of the District of Columbia
Ms. Hernandez is President of National Diversity Concepts, Inc. in Washington, D.C. She has an extensive background in human and civil rights issues with special emphasis in education. As a consultant to various national organizations, she develops and implements programs that provide the ground work for successful and effective interpersonal communication on diversity issues, i.e., cultural and language barriers in the workplace and educational institutions. She recently participated in the White House Conference on Aging and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Her experience in education policy includes working with the American Federation of Teachers, where she focused on bilingual education; the AFL-CIO; U.S. Congressman Esteban E. Torres (D-CA); and former Congressman Robert Garcia (D-NY).
Sonia Hernandez of California
Ms. Hernandez is Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Leadership and is Chief of Policy at the California Department of Education. Prior to this, she was the Director of
Education Policy for Governor Ann Richards. She was Vice President of the National Center on Education and the Economy in New York and directed the Center's initiatives to restructure the Rochester City School District. She has served as Field Associate for the National Alliance for Restructuring and as an education reform consultant for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the New York State Department of Education, and the Vermont Department of Education. She has taught at both the elementary and university level, and was one of the founders of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Martin Koldyke of Illinois
Mr. Koldyke is a founding partner in Frontenac Capital, a major venture capital firm in Chicago and Chairman of the Education Finance Authority for the City of Chicago. He is also a philanthropist who has founded the Golden Apple Foundation to award excellence in teaching and stimulate innovative programs. In addition, he has been a leader in initiatives to create greater understanding between the Hispanic, African American and Jewish communities.
Guillermo Linares of New York
Mr. Linares currently serves on the New York City Council for the 10th Councilman District, Manhattan. He is very involved in Bilingual Education issues, and the overall improvement of public education. He is a Board member of the National Council of La Raza and Toys for Guns foundation. He is also the founding member of the Northern Manhattan Health Action Group.
Cipriano Muñoz of Texas
Mr. Muñoz currently teaches at William Taft High School, Northside School District, San Antonio, Texas. In addition, he serves as coordinator for the Math and Science Department. His teaching experience includes elementary through college level. He participated at various teacher training sessions, demonstrating new strategies to teach math and science. Mr. Muñoz's dedication to educating America's youth and preparing them in the math and science field has been recognized throughout Texas. Recently, Mr. Muñoz was appointed by Secretary Riley to the U.S. Department of Education's "Hispanic Dropout Project", a national research project started in August of 1995.
Eduardo Padrón of Florida
Dr. Padrón is President of Miami-Dade Community College and has served America's largest community college for some twenty-five years. He is best known for his efforts to advance educational opportunity and his innovative approaches to teaching and learning. He presently serves on the Governing Board (formerly Chairman) of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), Board of Directors of the National Community College Hispanic Council of AACC, Board of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute; Board of Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, and the Editorial Board of the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. The long list of awards bestowed upon Dr. Padrón attest to his exemplary contribution to the educational and social well-being of our country.
Janice Petrovich of New York
Dr. Petrovich is a Deputy Director of the Education, Media, Arts, and Culture Program of the Ford Foundation. Prior to this position, she served as Executive Director of the ASPIRA Association. She has also held research, administrative and teaching posts at the American Council on Education, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto Rico, and the University of Massachusetts. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Women and Philanthropy, the Center for Community Change, and Mount Holyoke College.
Gloria Rodríguez of Texas
Dr. Rodriguez is President/CEO of the Avance Family Support and Education Program, an organization she founded in 1973. Avance, a nonprofit organization supporting low income predominantly Hispanic families in early childhood, parenting and family support, has received national and international recognition, including the New York Times, ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, Education Week, Business Week and is included as a model in Barbara Bush's and Hillary Clinton's books. Dr. Rodriguez has received numerous awards including the Texas Hall of Fame, Parents' Magazine Social Action Award, Lifetime Television's Attitude Award, National Association of Elementary School Principals' Distinguished Service to Education Award, and was included in Hispanic Business "100 leading Hispanic leaders." She currently serves on the Christian Childrens' Fund International Board of Director's, the Council of Families in America and served on the Carnegie's Zero to Three Task Force, Family Resource Coalition and was the Chair of the Texas HeadStart Collaborative Project.
Waldemar Rojas of California
Dr. Rojas is Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District. He has been involved in all levels of the educational pipeline, especially the adolescent years. He currently serves on California Academy of Sciences, Education Advisory Council; the California Commission, Future of the Courts Panel; The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Trustee, and various other boards and committees.
Isaura Santiago Santiago of New Jersey
Dr. Santiago is President of Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College, the City University of New York. She previously served as Associate Professor of Education and Program Head in Bilingual Education at Teachers College of Columbia University. She has served on several boards and panels including the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, Bronx Cable Television, the International Education Committee of the American Council on Education. Former New York Governor Cuomo, Secretary of Education Richard Riley, and President Clinton have recognized her long and reputable career in education by appointing her to various advisory committees on education. Dr. Santiago's most recent appointment is to the U.S. Department of Education's "Hispanic Dropout Project," a national research project started in August of 1995.
John Phillip Santos of New York
Mr. Santos is a television producer and author completing his first book, which deals with his family's story in Mexico and Texas. Prior to that, he has been the Director of New Program Development at WNET, New York City's Public Television Station. He received, three Emmy nominations for his documentaries at CBS News. In 1979, he was the first Mexican American to be named a Rhodes Scholar. He also received a Danforth Fellowship at Yale University and was a Fellow at the Gannett Center for Media Studies.
Samuel Vigil of New Mexico
Mr. Vigil is a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, where he is Chair of the House Education Committee. He has been both an educator and administrator. His thirty-eight years of experience in elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and higher education provides him with the experience to develop and implement actionable policy. He is a member of several education organizations and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer for the Luna Vocational-Technical Institute, Las Vegas.
Diana Cendoya Wasserman of Florida
Ms. Diana Cendoya Wasserman is a member of the School Board of Broward County in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, serving as Chair for one year. She has served as a member of Florida's Inner-City Schools Task Force, Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and the Job Training Coordinating Council. In 1991 she was appointed by the Governor to develop pragmatic leadership skills with a global vision for eleven southern states, as a member of Global Leaders for the South.
Rubén Zacarías of California
Dr. Zacarías is the Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the Los Angeles Unified School District. He has served in the Los Angeles system as an Associate Superintendent, Regional Superintendent, elementary school principal, and coordinator of adult basic education. He serves as a member of the Los Angeles City Commission for Children, Youth and their Families and has served on many Advisory Panels, including the National Association of Public Continuing and Adult Education, and of the Western Region of the College Board. He is the highest ranking Hispanic official in the Los Angeles school system.
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