Presidential Bio Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán began her duties on Aug. 13, 2001, as the fifth president - and first woman president - of Palo Alto College. Until then, Guzmán was executive vice president for institutional advancement, administration and community relations at Austin Community College for four years. In this capacity, Guzmán balanced the college’s budget, was involved in the promotion of a new image and logo for the college, successfully negotiated a $12 million campus facility brought in within budget and was responsible for a more than 100% increase in grant funds within a year’s time. Previously at ACC, Guzmán served as the campus CEO/vice president of the Cypress Creek Campus. Guzmán holds an Ed.D in education from the University of Houston, a master’s in sociology from Texas Southern University in Houston and a bachelor’s in education from Stout State University in Wisconsin. A native of Cuba, she was a doctoral fellow of the U.S. Department of Education and was selected for the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and for the Superintendent’s Work Conference at Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York Bilingual Education. Before joining ACC, Guzmán served in several high-level capacities for The Texas A&M University System. She was associate vice chancellor for academic support programs, program director for Alliances for Minority Participation, and associate professor of education. At the national level, Guzmán has served in several high-profile positions in education. Under the Clinton administration, she was a senior advisor to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Richard W. Riley and chair of the Presidential Commission on Excellence in Education for Hispanic Americans. She also served as program officer of the National Science Foundation’s Alliance for Minority Participation in Washington, D.C. Guzmán’s teaching experience includes positions at universities, community colleges and public schools. Guzmán has participated in local, state and national community activities. She served as honorary chair of El Buen Samaritario and co-chair of the Austin ISD Comprehensive Plan there. At the state level, she was an advisor on educational issues to Rep. Irma Rangel, president of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE), and a member of the State of Texas Task Force on Literacy. Nationally, Guzmán served on the board of the National Sciences Resource Center and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, as vice chair of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and as a national consultant for the National Science Foundation’s State Systemic Initiatives Technical Assistance team. She is also the author of numerous articles and publications and has appeared on a number of TV and satellite programs on education. She serves on the board of the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Palo Alto, a college of the Alamo Community College District, enrolls 6,600 students and is the only higher education institution on the Southside. Texas A&M University-Kingsville offers junior- and senior-level classes on the Palo Alto campus. |