Congressional Dinner
José Díaz-Balart
Anchor "NBC Nightly News Saturday's"
José Díaz-Balart is the host of "The Rundown with José Díaz-Balart" weekdays from 9-11 a.m. ET in addition to anchoring two programs on Telemundo, “Enfoque con José Díaz-Balart” and “Noticiero Telemundo.” Díaz-Balart began his career in 1984 and has since become one of the most respected voices in Hispanic journalism in the United States. Over the past 30 years, he has witnessed and reported historic events for prestigious news media such as NBC News and Telemundo. His achievements include being the only journalist to serve as news anchor on two national television networks in Spanish and English on the same day for an entire season.
He has received numerous accolades for his work, including the George Foster Peabody Award, Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award, and the Broadcasting & Cable/Multichannel News 2012 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic Television. Most recently he was honored with the 2014 Life Achievement Award by the Hispanic Federation and the Communications Award by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Follow him on Twitter @jdbalart.
Richard H. Garcia
Mayor
Richard H. Garcia is a Federal Criminal Law Attorney and a senior partner with an established law firm. A native of Edinburg, Mayor Garcia graduated from Edinburg High School in 1964 and continued his education at the University of Texas-Pan American and received a Juris Doctorate at Texas Southern University in Houston. He served as Edinburg Municipal Judge from 1975-1978 and was a County Court of Law Judge for 16 years. Garcia served as chair of the Texas Border Coalition twice and is proud to have been appointed to serve on the Texas Adult Probation Commission. He is currently the President of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. He is married to Myra C. Garcia and they have five children, Gina, Katherine, Chelsea, Daniel and Carlos, a son in law Daniel, as well as two grandsons, Richard Xavier Perez and William Alexander Perez.
Dr. Eduardo Cancino
Deputy Director for Instructional, School Improvement, and College Readiness Support Region One Education Service Center
Dr. Eduardo Cancino has been an educator for 27 years and currently serves as Deputy Director for Instructional, School Improvement, and College Readiness Support at Region One Education Service Center with expertise in curriculum alignment, data-driven instruction, effective instructional and intervention approaches, and systemic continuous improvement strategies. Region One Education Service Center services 37 school districts and ten charter school systems with a combined enrollment of approximately 420,000 students and is one of twenty ESC’s in Texas. In this position, Dr. Cancino has provided leadership over the past four years for the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, the Office of School Improvement, Accountability, and Compliance, the Laredo Extension Office, and the Brownsville Extension Office towards supporting high quality school district support leading to enhanced levels of academic achievement by all students.
Prior to this leadership position, Dr. Cancino served as Superintendent of Schools for the Hidalgo Independent School District from 2007 - 2009. Prior to being Superintendent, he served as Associate Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Executive Director for Teaching and Learning in Hidalgo ISD since July 2000. Dr. Cancino has provided leadership for improvement initiatives to support high quality education for all students including Hidalgo Early College High School, Full day Pre-K 3 and 4, Dual Language Program, Parent Literacy Academies, Summer Educator Business Internship Program, and Dual Language Programs.
Dr. Cancino also served for three years as a District level administrator for the McAllen ISD where he instituted a district-wide student evaluation system to monitor learning on an ongoing basis and a systemic professional development approach to improve teacher effectiveness. He also served as a secondary mathematics teacher for eight years in the Edinburg CISD where he was instrumental in initiating an Advanced Placement program that earned both state and national recognition. Dr. Cancino’s educational service began in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD as a secondary mathematics teacher for Migrant and English Language Learner students.
Dr. Cancino has been invited to share in successful practices for Hispanic students at local, state and national conferences by organizations such as U.S. Department of Education, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, U.S. Dept. of Ed. Office of English Language Acquisition, Education Trust, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, National Association of Latino Elected Officials, Communities Foundation of Texas, and several other organizations. At the professional level he currently serves on the Board of the South Texas Association of Schools, Texas Association of Mid-Size Schools, and Texas Workforce Commission. He also has served on advisory councils for the Education Commission of the States, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities - Hispanic Serving School Districts, and Junior Achievement Hispanic Initiative. Dr. Eduardo Cancino received a BA in Mathematics, MS in Mathematics Education, M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas - Pan American.
Ranjit Sidhu
President and CEO National Council for Community and Education Partnerships
Ranjit was appointed President &amo; CEO of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) in May of 2015. He has a long history of service to NCCEP and its primary constituency, GEAR UP, having served on NCCEP’s Board of Directors, and years prior as a member of the staff executive team. His career has been consistently anchored in creating opportunities for students from low-income families, and in leading organizations to enhance social impact and growth.
Prior to assuming this role, Ranjit served as senior vice president for strategy and new product development at the College Board. There he was responsible for the development and integration of the organization’s comprehensive strategy, working across the organization to determine how all current and future work can achieve significant and positive social impact. Ranjit also directed new product development, including career and technical education work, and higher education product strategy and offerings.
Ranjit’s previous roles include serving as senior vice president for strategic initiatives at ACT, where he played a significant role in developing the education division’s strategic plan and future product development efforts. He led ACT’s national efforts focused on policy development, advocacy, and partnerships in the education and workforce development arenas. Ranjit also served as executive vice president at NCCEP, and as executive vice president & COO at the National Association of Partners in Education. Early in his career he was a high school social studies teacher in the Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md., public school districts.
Ranjit holds a master’s degree in education from George Washington University, a master’s degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Mary Washington.
Veronica Gonzales
Vice President for Governmental and Community Relations
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Veronica Gonzales is a native of San Marcos. She learned firsthand the importance of education when she became the first in her family to go to college. She graduated cum laude from Southwest Texas State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish. She later earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University Of Texas School Of Law in 1991. Upon graduating from law school, she moved to McAllen and spent two decades building an acclaimed career as an attorney. Until, July, 2012, she was a name partner in the law firm of Kittleman, Thomas & Gonzales, L.L.P. and in 2008, she was recognized as one of 30 “Extraordinary Woman in Law” by Texas Lawyer. For four consecutive years, she was named a Super Lawyer by The Texas Super Lawyers.
In 2004, voters in the McAllen, Mission, Edinburg and Alton area elected Veronica Gonzales to serve as the first female representing District 41 in the Texas House of Representatives. She was re-elected three times, and in her eight years in the Texas House, earned numerous accolades and was appointed to several leadership positions, including Secretary of the State Democratic Caucus, “freshman of the year” by the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus and Secretary and Legal Counsel of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus.
Veronica earned a new title in the 2009 session when Speaker of the House Joe Straus appointed her as Chairman of the Border & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, only one of 34 chairs out of 150 members. Recognizing her leadership on border and security issues, the Speaker also appointed her to the National Conference of State Legislators' Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Taskforce. In addition, Veronica has served in state and national leadership organizations such as the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship, which each year chooses only 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans nationwide to participate in its Public Leadership Program and on the Board of Directors of the Texas Lyceum Association, a statewide leadership organization.
Healthcare issues in the Rio Grande Valley are of great concern to Veronica and for three legislative sessions, she sat on the Public Health Committee, giving her a key decision-making role on issues affecting the public’s health, like disease prevention, medical licensing and access to care. Addressing the health care needs in South Texas led Gonzales to pass legislation to increase up to $165,000.00 the amount of loans forgiven for doctors who agree to practice in Health Professional Shortage Areas like the Rio Grande Valley. The measure earned her the "Legislative Champion Award" from The Texas Association of Community Health Centers, the "Patient Advocacy Award" from the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, as well as and praise from several medical and health care organizations.
In September 2010, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named Veronica one of eight "Ultimate Latinas" in the nation, recognizing her legislative achievements that benefit the business community.
In March 2011, Veronica received the “Voice of the People” award from the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network.
In 2012, Veronica was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC). That same year, she was named a Distinguished Alumni by Texas State University as well as by the alumni association of San Marcos High School. In 2013, Veronica was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley’s Walk of Fame, having been nominated by the City of McAllen.
In July, 2012, Veronica took a retirement from the practice of law to assume the position of Vice President for University Advancement at the University of Texas-Pan American. In this role, Veronica oversaw fundraising, marketing, public affairs and alumni relations at a university that is one of the largest Hispanic serving institutions in the nation.
Most recently in November 2014, Veronica was named Vice President for Governmental and Community Relations for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). In this new role, Veronica has taken on initiatives at the local, state and federal level that will greatly benefit UTRGV. Veronica serves as lead representation for UTRGV in the areas of developing, advancing and maintaining positive and productive relationships and partnerships with the external community and for engaging governmental officials, bodies, and agencies via positive and ongoing dialogues. Responsible for monitoring legislation and public policy, her extensive experience as former State Representative guides her confident approach to advise administrators of their potential impact on The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Veronica’s extensive background, experience and knowledge have allowed her to build strong relationships with leaders at all levels and set a platform for her to create a channel of communication with them about issues impacting higher education and the Hispanic community. Her belief that it is necessary for UTRGV to have a presence at the local, state and national levels is helping to accelerate the creation and growth of UTRGV’s School of Medicine. Veronica has always credited her success and the many opportunities she has received to education and it is her mission to play an integral part in making college education more affordable and attainable to students throughout the State of Texas.
Congressman Ruben Hinojosa
U.S. Congressman (TX-15)
Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, a longtime businessman and native of the Rio Grande Valley/ South Texas, was elected to represent Texas' 15th Congressional District in November 1996.
The Congressman serves on two House Committees: Education and the Workforce; and Financial Services. He is also a Co-Chair of the Democratic Caucus Education Task Force, and in this capacity will develop a strong education policy in the 107th Congress.
Congressman Hinojosa has distinguished himself as an advocate for education, Social Security, health care, agriculture, veterans' issues, economic development and infrastructure projects. He demonstrated his ability to serve as a bipartisan consensus builder when he helped in the fight to create an emergency relief package providing $25 billion over a four year period for farmers and ranchers who suffered devastating losses due to natural disasters from 1998 through 2001.
Hinojosa was also instrumental in expanding local access to quality health care for South Texas veterans. For the first time, inpatient services (including surgery) are available at approved hospitals in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties, eliminating 80% of the need to travel to San Antonio. Hinojosa also worked with the Veterans Administration to establish primary care community-based outpatient clinics in the cities of Alice, Beeville, Kingsville and Uvalde. Hinojosa is also working with state legislators to secure a U.S. tate Veterans Memorial Cemetery in South Texas.
Congressman Hinojosa's lifetime commitment to education on the local, regional, state and federal levels has created opportunities for all students to pursue higher education. His Education Committee assignment, as well as his appointment to chair the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Education Task Force, was critical to the success of his first major legislative initiative entitled "The Higher Education for the 21st Century Act." This bill secured an increased authorized funding level of $69 million for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs); enhanced visibility of HSIs within the Higher Education Act; relaxed the restrictions for institutional eligibility for HSI designation; and improved the ways and financial means by which HSIs strengthen curriculum development, academic instruction, mentoring, and college libraries.
As a member of the Financial Services Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is a member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises; Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, Technology, and Economic Growth; and Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. As a former member of the Small Business Committee, Hinojosa increased access to capital and loans for small businesses; removed tax and regulatory burdens; and promoted business growth and opportunity in economically depressed areas through the new and improved Small Business Administration programs of today. He also led the successful effort to create a Women’s' Business Center at the University of Texas-Edinburg.
Not only has Congressman Hinojosa made his mark in Washington, D.C., but he has also brought Washington to South Texas. He has invited and hosted many high-profile leaders to the 15th Congressional District to speak directly with residents about their needs and concerns. Among them were President Clinton, Vice-President Al Gore, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Secretary of Commerce William Daley, Secretary of Education Richard Riley, Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel Gober, Small Business Administrator Aida Alvarez, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Congressman Hinojosa also accompanied President Clinton as a member of various trade and commerce delegations to Mexico and South America from 1997-2000.
Prior to his being elected to the House of Representatives, Congressman Hinojosa served twenty years as President and Chief Financial Officer of a family-owned food processing company, H&H Foods. With over 300 employees, H&H has received national awards of recognition from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C.
Born in Edcouch, Congressman Hinojosa attended Mercedes High School and earned a BBA and MBA from the University of Texas in Austin and in Edinburg, respectively. He is married to Martha Lopez Hinojosa and has five children.
Congressman Filemon Vela
U.S. Congressman (TX-34)
Congressman Filemon Vela represents the 34th Congressional District of Texas, which is anchored in Cameron County in the southernmost tip of Texas and runs nearly 300 miles north to Gonzales County. Brownsville is the largest city in the 34th District, which also includes the King Ranch, Kingsville Naval Air Station, and the historic Texas town of Goliad. Land and sea ports are critical to the 34th District’s agricultural producers and the region's rapidly expanding energy production facilities.
Born in Harlingen, Texas, and raised in Brownsville, Congressman Vela has deep roots in South Texas. His ancestors purchased land from the McAllen family to establish the Laguna Seca Ranch where the first citrus orchard in Hidalgo County was planted. Congressman Vela's father was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas. His mother, Blanca Sanchez Vela, served as the first female mayor of Brownsville.
Vela attended Saint JosephAcademy in Brownsville, Texas. After graduating from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., he attended the University of Texas School of Law. His interest in public service grew from his work helping individuals seek justice in state and federal courts as an attorney for over 20 years in South Texas.
He brings his expertise on border issues to his work as a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security where he was appointed by House leadership to serve as the top Democratic Member of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and on the Committee’s Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Border Caucus, he has led efforts to reform the nation's immigration laws and expand investments in border communities and infrastructure, including ports and roads to expand trade.
Congressman Vela also sits on the House Committee on Agriculture. He was the only Texas Democrat appointed by House leadership to serve as a negotiator on the Conference Committee which drafted the most recent Farm Bill, a comprehensive law, which sets agriculture policy and funding for nutrition programs, including food stamps, for the next five years. Congressman Vela is a member of the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit and the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.
In Congress, Vela has been a strong advocate for immigrant rights, education programs including Head Start and Pell Grants for college students, and our community's federal healthcare centers. He is currently focused on bringing peace and security to our neighbors in Matamoros and Reynosa, and he is working to bring jobs and economic development to South Texas through many efforts including transforming the Port of Brownsville into a competitive deep water port.
Congressman Vela is married to Rose Vela, a former Justice on the Texas Court of Appeals, and they reside in Brownsville, Texas.
Guy Bailey, Ph.D.
Founding President
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Guy Bailey, Ph.D., was named Founding President of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in May of 2014.
Prior to being named President of UTRGV, he served as President of the University of Alabama and of Texas Tech University; Chancellor of the University of Missouri Kansas City; Provost and Executive Vice President at The University of Texas San Antonio; Dean of Liberal Arts at the University of Nevada Las Vegas; Chair of the English Department at Oklahoma State University and the University of Memphis; and as a faculty member at Texas A&M and Emory Universities.
During his time at Texas Tech, the university met the criteria established by the Texas State Legislature for participation in the National Research University Fund; enrollment grew by 3,905 students (14%); research expenditures grew by $89.9 million (170%); and graduation rates increase by five percentage points.
During his tenure at UTSA, the university was named an emerging research university by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; 16 new doctoral programs were added; external funding for research more than doubled; enrollment grew by more than 40%; and graduate enrollment grew by almost 50%.
While Bailey was at UMKC, the university completed a $200 million capital campaign and built or gained approval for $175 million in new construction. From 2010 to 2012, Bailey served on the Board of Directors of the NCAA and on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Big XII athletic conference. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of Midwest Research Institute since 2007.
Bailey continues to do research on language change and variation. His research with his late wife, Jan, has been featured in a front-page article in the New York Times, on National Public Radio, on CNN Headline News, on BBC Radio, in Texas Monthly, and in the San Antonio Express News. Since 1984, Bailey has brought in over $1 million in external funding for his research.
Lieutenant Colonel Walter Llamas
Professor of Military Science
U.S. Army
Lieutenant Colonel Walter Llamas is a native of Puerto Rico. He was commissioned as a 2LT in the Quartermaster Branch in 1994 through the ROTC program at University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. In 2005 Lieutenant Colonel Llamas received a Master of Science Degree in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Previous assignments include platoon leader, 528th Quartermaster Company, 80th Ordnance Battalion; Detachment Commander and Executive Officer, 81st Quartermaster Detachment and 528thQuartermaster Company, 80th Ordnance Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington; Company Commander, 289th Quartermaster Company, Special Troops Battalion, 13th COSCOM Fort Hood, Texas; Aide-de-camp for the 21st Theater Support Command Commanding General in Kaiserslautern, Germany; Services Officer and Deputy Support Operations Officer, 15th Sustainment Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas; Executive Officer, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion, 23rd Quartermaster Brigade and Operations Officer and Executive Officer to the 50th and 51st Quartermaster Generals in Fort Lee, Virginia; Operations Officer and Executive Officer to the Third Army/US Army Central Assistant Chief of Staff G4 (Logistics) in Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
Lieutenant Colonel Llamas’ military education includes the Quartermaster Officer Basic and Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Airborne School, Aerial Delivery and Materiel Officer's Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Logistics Executive Development Course, the Command and General Staff College at Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Fort Benning, Georgia and the Demonstrated Master Logistician Certificate. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, Parachutist Badge and Parachute Rigger Badge.
Captain Jason L. Webb
Commodore Region West, Navy Recruiting Command, U.S. Navy
Captain Webb enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1981. His first duty station was USS Shenandoah (AD 44) of which he is a plank owner. Captain Webb’s next duty station was Service School Command Great Lakes where he served as an “A” school instructor. This was followed by a tour onboard USS Scout (MCM 8), again as a plank owner, where he obtained his highest enlisted pay grade of Electronics Technician Chief Petty Officer.
In 1992, Captain Webb obtained his commission from Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island. He then reported to USS Sumter (LST 1181) where he served as Electrical and Auxiliary division officer. Following this assignment was a tour as the Combat Information Center Officer and Assistant Chief Engineer/Engineering Training Officer on board USS Wasp (LHD 1). Captain Webb then reported to Navy Manpower Analysis Center (NAVMAC), Millington, Tennessee, where he worked as a Manpower Analyst and Program Manager in the Research and Acquisition Support and Shipboard Departments. Captain Webb then completed his Executive Officer equivalent tour of duty as Officer in Charge, Personnel Support Activity Detachment, Oceana, followed by a tour of duty on the Flag Staff for Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). His next tour was at Naval Network Warfare Command Headquarters, where Captain Webb served in the Current Readiness/Operations Department, successfully leading efforts to implement the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Navy (DRRS-N), and served as the Naval Network Warfare Command Force Military Personnel Officer responsible for the manning of 10,000 type command billets. Subsequently Captain Webb served as the Executive Assistant to Commander, Navy Recruiting Command at recruiting headquarters in Millington, Tennessee, followed by a tour as the executive officer and commanding officer, Navy Recruiting District San Antonio His next assignment was at Navy Personnel Command where he served as Post-board Selection Matter and Program Manager for the Navy Expedited Transfer and Safety Move Programs. Captain Webb most recently served as the Director of Operations for Commander, Navy Recruiting Command in Millington, Tennessee.
Captain Webb has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Training from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Science degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, and a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. He has also maintained certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) for 15 years.
Captain Webb’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Battle “E”, Good Conduct Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Volunteer Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.