CTN’s nominations subcommittee recently reviewed candidates for new board members and board chair and made recommendations to the full board for approval on March 20th. New board members begin their term in June.

Dr. Rogelio Saenz was approved as chair. Dr. Saenz is Dean of the College of Public Policy and holds the Mark G. Yudof Endowed Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He also is a Policy Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. Sáenz has written extensively in the areas of demography, Latina/os, race and ethnic relations, inequality, immigration, public policy, and social justice.

CTN’s current bylaws were amended in order to include alumni as board members and to include practitioners to the board of directors.  Three slots for alumni were created to serve on the board for a one-year period.  CTN Alumni who will be joining the board are Juan Higa, Veronica Gonzalez from Palo Alto College, and Manuel Gonzalez from South Texas College.

To decide on practitioners and people at large, the committee reviewed a profile matrix illustrating the current composition of the board of directors by gender, race and ethnicity, and area of expertise.  CTN also looked at its committees and gaps that exist in its membership’s  expertise that are needed to  operate successfully as an organization.

Practitioners selected for the board are Cynthia Marroquin from STC and Samantha Ackers from Austin Community College.

Attorney Jennifer Rice and Norman Eng, educator, author, and professional development and training expert were selected as applicants at large to join the board.