Summary of presenters are alphabetized by last name.
Mr. Edward Avalos, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, United States Department of Agriculture.
Edward is the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture. Mr. Avalos provides leadership and oversight for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service which addresses animal and plant pests and diseases; the Agricultural Marketing Service, which provides standardization testing and marketing of commodities and specialty crops; Read more…
Mr. Ruben Beltran, Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Biomin USA INC.
Ruben Beltran is Chief Operating Officer for the business unit division at Biomin USA INC. Mr. Beltran’s responsibility involves overseeing sales, distribution, and managing the overall daily activities for Biomin USA, which is an international company, represented in 95 different countries around the globe. Biomin provides feed additives that are nutritional solutions available to poultry, dairy, swine, and the aquaculture industry. Read more…
Mr. Pedro Chavarria, Doctoral Student, Texas A&M University.
Pedro, currently a PhD student at Texas A&M University, is the oldest son of a first-generation immigrant family from El Salvador. With a civil war erupting in their native homeland in the early 1980’s, he and his parents fled to set roots in Los Angeles. Since then, with the dedicated support of his parents, Pedro pursued his fascination with animals and the workings of the natural world… Read more…
Ms. Sandra Cortez, Student Program Manager, Hispanic Serving Institutions National Program Office.
Sandra currently works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program Office (HSINP). The USDA-HSINP office promotes the continued growth of Hispanic enrollment in Higher Education. We accomplish this mission through strategic partnerships with colleges and universities across the country. As the USDA-HSI National Student Program Manager, Read more…
Mr. David DeSousa, Senior Transfer Admissions Counselor, Texas A&M University.
David serves as a Senior Transfer Admissions Counselor at Texas A&M University. Currently he is working on his Ph.D in Agricultural Education. Mr. DeSousa’s devotion for college recruiting began when he attended Texas A&M University as an undergraduate student and was involved in recruitment activities for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Read more…
Ms. Ruby De La Garza, Regional Director, Texas.
Ruby S. De La Garza is the USDA-HSI Regional Director for Texas and is hosted at the University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA), located in Edinburg, TX. The USDA, in partnership with The University of Texas-Pan American and other institutions of higher education, is committed to serving the 53 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) located in Texas. Read more…
Ms. Noemi Estrella, Regional Marketing Manager, BIOMIN America.
Noemi Estrella currently works with BIOMIN America who is a provider of natural, non-antibiotic solutions to a host of animal health and nutrition issues. BIOMIN is an international company with offices located globally has recognized the value of diversity within its organization to meet the world’s needs. The BIOMIN America offices located in San Antonio, Texas is ideally centralized to meet the needs of their customers… Read more…
Mr. Orlando Gil, President, TCTS Global, LLC.
A native of Venezuela, Orlando came to the United States to further his education. He attended Oklahoma State University and received B.S. degrees in Animal Science and Agronomy in 1983. Orlando owns and operates TCTS Global, LLC a consulting company that helps businesses “bridge the gap” with Latino talent in agricultural and food related industries as they meet their needs for a professional and skilled workforce. Read more…
I. Miley Gonzalez, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor, New Mexico State University; Dean, Graduate School, Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education, Costa Rica.
Dr. Miley Gonzalez is Professor Emeritus in Agricultural and Extension Education from New Mexico State University. He retired in 2010 after a 42-year career in both the private and public sectors in education and agriculture. He currently holds the position of Dean of the Graduate School at an international university, the Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education, CATIE, in Costa Rica. Read more…
Maria Gutierrez, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Institute of Renewable Natural Resources
Dr. María Gutierrez currently works for the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources at Texas A&M University in San Antonio, Texas. María also serves on the American Cancer Society High Plains Division Board of Directors and has been the recipient of the Harold P. Freeman Service Award for her commitment to underserved medical populations. She also received the 2006 Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Award for… Read more…
Paul H. Gutierrez, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Economist, New Mexico State University.
Dr. Gutierrez is a Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Economics at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, where he works in applied research and does extensive work with range livestock producers, dealing directly with production, and marketing and financial management issues in range livestock production. Read more…
Irma Lawrence, Ph.D. National Program Leader, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.
Dr. Irma Lawrence currently works as a National Program Leader at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. As part of the Division of Communities and Education, Dr. Lawrence participates in the administration and implementation of programs and initiatives dedicated to promoting quality of education in the food and agricultural sciences. She serves as project officer to the HSI Education Grants Program, which…Read more…
Roel R. Lopez, Ph.D., Associate Director, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, San Antonio Office.
Dr. Roel Lopez is Associate Director of the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources and Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. He has more than 20 years experience in natural resource and land management issues with academia, federal agencies, and private industry. Read more…
Mr. Abel Maldonado, Farmer and Politician. Former Lieutenant Governor of California.
Former Lieutenant Governor of California, Abel Maldonado, is the oldest son of immigrant field workers. Like many other immigrants, his father came to this country with little more than the shirt on his back. Abel’s father believed that through hard work, his family could share the American Dream. As a child, Abel worked in the fields picking strawberries alongside his father to help support the family. Read more…
Mr. Angelo Mancuso, Producer & Director, White Hot Films, Rochester, New York.
Angelo started college majoring in Natural Resources Conservation. Realizing that he missed his calling, he then began his career as an actor and apprentice at Theatre West in LA in 1982. Over the years he’s worked both in front and behind the camera on numerous projects, including writing, producing and directing films, commercials and PSAs. Angelo manifests a distinct edge and perspective into filmmaking. Read more…
Steve H. Murdock, Ph.D., Professor, Rice University, and Former Director of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Dr. Steve Murdock is the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor of Sociology at Rice University and Director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas. He previously served as Director of the U.S. Bureau of the Census having been nominated for the position by President Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2007 and serving until the change in administration in January of 2009. Read more…
Ms. Christina Perez, Aspiring Agricultural Change Agent.
Christina Perez was born and raised in Weslaco, Texas, a town located in deep South Texas, about 15 miles North of the Mexican border. Christina received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Development at Texas A&M University and a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural and Extension Education at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Read more…
Edward W. Romero, Ph.D., Founder and Manager, AgForLife, LLC.
Dr. Edward Romero has over 18 years of experience in academia and business, dealing primarily in higher education in areas related to administration, agriculture, agricultural literacy, agricultural careers, diversity, minority student recruitment, retention, and student development. In addition, he also has experience in the financial services industry dealing primarily in insurance sales and investments. Read more…
