Latina Presidents Leading U.S. Institutions
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Leadership, planning, vision, goals are a few duties that fall under a University and College president.
Meet U.S. Latina heads of University Presidents, Vanya Quiñones, California State University, Monterey Bay; Minita Ramirez, Ph.D. President, Laredo College; Melissa N. Gonzalez, Ph.D., President, Lone Star College-Kingwood; Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade College; and Dr. Veronica Garcia, President of Northeast Lakeview College (NLC). These Latinas continue to evolve and succeed in an ever-changing world, opening doors for future generations of Hispanic women to pursue their dreams and make their mark on the world.
The values instilled in her by her Hispanic roots, including the importance of family, community, service, and hard work, have been the cornerstone of her career. These values have translated into a deep commitment to building strong relationships with her community, students and their families. They have also fueled her dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment.
As the President of St. Edward's, her responsibilities are multifaceted, but at the core of her role is a commitment to students' success through a transformative education. She collaborates with the community, colleagues, and parents to ensure that students receive the best possible education and support. She also serves as a mentor and role model, guiding students in their academic, social, and emotional development.
“My greatest accomplishments in this role have been witnessing the growth and success of our students and seeing St. Edward's gain recognition for our unwavering commitment to serving our students,” she shares. “Watching our students thrive academically and personally, knowing that I played a part in their journey and development, has been incredibly rewarding. Witnessing St. Edward's rise in rankings and receive numerous national recognitions, awards, and grants for our dedication to our students has been the most gratifying experience.”
Vanya Quiñones California State University, Monterey Bay
Melissa N. Gonzalez Lone Star College-Kingwood
Dr. Montserrat ‘Montse’ Fuentes St. Edward’s University
Dr. Montserrat ‘Montse’ Fuentes, the first Hispanic president of St. Edward’s since February 2022 shares being the first in her family to attend college was a pivotal moment in her life. She could never have envisioned the prospects that a higher education would provide to her and today she is motivated by this experience to work towards a position where she can provide others with the same opportunities.
“I wanted to be in a position where, through education, I could elevate the lives of individuals, just as my education had transformed mine,” she shares. “Today, at St. Edward's, we are committed to serving the underserved and using education to bring about transformative changes in people's lives, just as my own life was transformed.” As a first-generation immigrant, she celebrates diversity and cultural differences, recognizing the strength they bring to the educational community and society.
Appointed CSU Monterey Bay's fourth president in August 2022, Puerto Rican born, President Vanya Quiñones is also a neurobiologist, biopsychologist, and noted researcher who arrived to CSUMB after serving as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Pace University since 2018. As president of California State University, Monterey Bay, a public university on the Central Coast of California that serves a student body that is majority first-generation, Pell-eligible students and a large number of minority students, she plays different roles. For Quiñones, assuring set strategic goals for the university that align with the values of the institution and ensuring the voice of every single individual is heard when making decisions about the future of the university is her most important role. “My job is to demonstrate the value of our university and to speak on the needs of our students and institution to our internal and external community,” she shares.
“I also advocate for our university statewide and federally. So, I would say that combines goal setting, communication, outreach, risk management and being the world’s greatest cheerleader.”
Her beginnings in higher-education started at Rockefeller University as a postdoctoral and research associate, and as an adjunct research faculty member for about five years. She recalls being the only person of color or the only woman in the lab spaces there. And while she loved the research she worked on, that experience inspired her to find a way to support other Latina and Latinos who go through what she went through.
“I wanted to make a difference in our community and that is why I left a private research institution and went to a public university,” she shares. “I knew I would have more chances to help people like me, creating paths for their future successes. Since then, I have actively worked in diversifying the academy and creating opportunities for our students. This is the reason I ultimately made the decision to move from New York to California and work at California State University, Monterey Bay, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is one of the top 50 universities to graduate the most Hispanic and minority students in the United States.”
Minita Ramirez Laredo College
Born in Laredo, TX, Dr. Minita Ramirez, President of Laredo College, recalls she always thought she’d become a school principal like her mother. Dr. Ramirez remembers that her high school counselor advised her to think about going to beauty school because she was not suitable for college. Her father disagreed, urging her to pursue her college education instead. She did not think she was college material or that she was an intellectual during her time in college, and one of her history teachers helped her see things differently.
“Dr. Jerry Thompson is one of the people that I credit a great deal of my success to because he changed my attitude,” she shares. “And then Dr. Ray Keck, who was the provost who hired me and then became president, told me if you're going to stay in higher ed, you need to get a Ph.D., and we're going to make sure you do. I do believe that there's room in our world now for just as many female leaders as there are male leaders.”
Ramirez began her career in education as a middle school and high school teacher. After her master’s in School Administration, she worked in textbook publishing for 10 years, worked in the school district, and one day she received a call from a friend who told her about a job opening at the university. Encouraged to apply, she submitted her application and was called in for the interview. On the day of her scheduled interview, her dad passed away. She missed the interview but received a call from the provost for another interview opportunity, and she took it. As she narrates, she interviewed in December of 2000 and in January of 2001, she started her career in higher education.
“After 21 years at the university, I decided to apply for this position and was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to lead Laredo College, which is a school I attend,” she shares. “Laredo Jr. College now Laredo College, gave me my start in education, this is my home, my life, my career, my everything. And it's been a wonderful 16 months.”
An educational leader who has excelled both in the public and private sectors of education and is committed to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of underserved students and communities in South Texas and Northern Mexico, Dr. Ramirez is the first woman president in the College's 76-year history. As president of Laredo College, Dr. Ramirez sees her role as a responsibility.
“I really believe that what I do and how I do it is going to determine the confidence that this board and this community will have on future considerations of who the next president will be,” she shares. “I’ve seen plenty of case studies where it goes both ways where you might see an institution or a corporation that was led by a male, and now a female, and then they go back to a male for whatever reason. And I think that the value we establish as female leaders is critical to the future of other female leaders.”
The daughter of migrant farmworkers from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, President Melissa N. Gonzalez, Lone Star College-Kingwood, started her career as a teacher. Growing up in a humble home, Gonzalez shares the values of hard work, community and helping each other instilled in her at a young age have shaped the person she is today. Whether it was receiving food stamp money, working extra shifts, a strong work ethic, and sacrificing for a betterment of their children, Gonzalez credits her parents for showing her the road to success.
“For me, it's that mindset of community, the mindset of picking each other up and helping each other and doing everything we can,” she shares. “When we're in certain positions, we have to help our families because sometimes there are some roads out there that are hard to get through. I'm trying to help, just like my parents did.”
Perseverance, commitment, and not giving up were solid foundations at home and continue to be in Gonzalez’ life. From food distributions to pizza day with students and parent involvement on campus, Gonzalez works hard to inspire, support and provide resources to students and parents, especially the Latino community, who very often are unaware of the resources available.
“I know that people come in with some dreams,” she shares. “We want to make sure we fulfill those dreams, those dreams are not to start classes, the thing is to start and complete their program. Now, we're the third largest college here at Kingwood. Within a year we are now the third largest, which is really significant.” This year, a Career and Transfer Center has been established to support students transferring. In addition to this engagement, she is encouraging Latinas and Latinos to be a part of the higher-education system as faculty or as students pursuing higher-degrees.
Madeline Pumariega Miami Dade College
Madeline Pumariega will always cherish the memories of her childhood, sitting beside her mother and helping her grade papers. “My mom was a devoted Miami-Dade Public School teacher, and I’ll never forget watching her as she poured her heart into her work, instilling in me a deep passion for education and a strong belief in the importance of hard work and determination.”
Raised in Hialeah by her immigrant parents who fled Cuba in the 1960’s to escape the communist regime, she learned at an early age the value of hard work, resilience and the transformative power of education. “My parents came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream,” she shares. “And like my mother, who came to MDC to become a teacher, I’m proud to have followed in her footsteps and attended the college that changed my life and shaped the trajectory of my career.”
Fast forward to the present day, Pumariega is the first woman president of Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the nation’s largest and most diverse institutions, awarding more associate degrees to Hispanic students than any college or university in the US. Prior to that, she served as the first woman Hispanic Chancellor to lead Florida.
Throughout her presidency at MDC, she has launched groundbreaking programs including the Presidential Scholars Program and Rising Scholars Program, which were both created to enhance opportunity and access for students. Most recently, she collaborated with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to establish the Future Ready Scholarship Program, which will provide county residents access to complete an associate degree at MDC debt-free.
As a proud MDC alumna whose career at the College spans over 20 years, Pumariega is committed to paying it forward and ensuring that opportunities, similar to those she experienced, are available for countless others in the community, especially first-generation students who often face obstacles along the way to a college degree.“Our students inspire me every day. They are our “why,” the reason behind everything we do. I am inspired by the belief that we can help every student achieve economic mobility and secure a path to prosperity, and I am committed to ensuring that MDC serves as an engine of opportunity and pathway to the American Dream,” Pumariega shares.
Dr. Veronica Garcia Northeast Lakeview College
“I began my career in banking and worked in mental health. I actually worked at a short stint in the prison system,” says Dr. Veronica Garcia, president of Northeast Lakeview College (NLC). “I was trying to find my way, where I wanted to be. When I was offered a position in financial aid, I thought, “This is a good job.” I was helping people, and I was making an impact. I thought this was great.”
Dr. Garcia shares she wasn’t aware of a career in higher education until she met her first mentor, Dr. Richard Duran. He was the president of Pima Community College Desert Vista campus at the time, and he sat down with Dr. Garcia and said, “You have a potential of being a leader in higher education.” He encouraged her to sign up with the National Hispanic Community Colleges Association to meet other rising Latino leaders and meet other University and College presidents. After attending, she met individuals that mentored her, offered her sage advice, and supported her in her career path.
The visionary Latina, Dr. Garcia began her tenure on March 1, 2017. Through her leadership and guidance, NLC received accreditation, the ability to award federal financial aid, Veteran benefits, and designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. These distinctions provided for expanded academic and workforce offerings to community members in northeast Bexar County and adjacent Comal and Guadalupe Counties. Dr. Garcia contributed to the Alamo Colleges District receipt of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction Certification. Additionally, NLC is recognized as one of the 10 Most Admired Colleges and Universities to Watch in 2018, Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, one of 50 Best Community Colleges in the U.S., and a 2020 Progress Level Performance Excellence Award recipient from the Quality Texas Foundation.
Dr. Garcia strongly advocates for the power of education that transforms and impacts people's lives. She is most proud of the impact she has had on students today.
“To me, it is the greatest gift that you can provide because every day there's a transformation that's happening,” she shares “And I'm part of that. I'm not responsible for all of it, but I'm part of it. It's an honor and a privilege to be here, and it's important that I give back what people gave to me.”
LATINAStyle Vol. 29, No. 5, 2023