TTUHSC’s Flores and Gutierrez Named to HACU’s Leadership Programs

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• October 24, 2024
• Education

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) announced two Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) members who will be part of the HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo and the HACU Enlace Mid-Level Leadership program. 

Debra Flores, Ph.D., TTUHSC assistant professor and program director for the School of Health Professions Master of Science in Healthcare Administration, was named a fellow who will participate in the sixth cohort of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. In addition, Michael Gutierrez, campus business operations officer for TTUHSC’s Abilene campus, was selected to the second cohort of HACU’s Enlace Mid-Level Leadership program.

HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education. Fellows participate in an array of leadership development activities designed to prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

The Leadership Academy faculty consists of current and former presidents, chancellors and senior administrators and brings more than 100 years of combined experience in serving various sectors of higher education, including private/public universities, community colleges and faith-based institutions.

HACU’s Enlace Mid-Level Leadership program includes participants from across the nation and is designed to train mid-level college and university staff, including academic or non-academic support personnel, to become effective senior leaders.

The Enlace Mid-Level Leadership program is a six-month development experience for college and university professionals. Selectees participate in an array of leadership development activities designed to prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 

On February 2022, TTUHSC announced its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. At that time, the university was the third health sciences center in the state of Texas to receive this status. Jody Randall, Ed.D., TTUHSC vice president and chief experience officer, said Flores’s and Gutierrez’s appointment to HACU builds on the university’s foundation to educate and train collaborative health care professionals while enriching communities across the university’s 121-county service area and beyond. 

“TTUHSC is in the business of people development and, as such, investing in leadership development of our team members is a direct investment in creating the future of health,” Randall said. “We are proud to celebrate Dr. Flores and Michael’s selections. Their experience will strengthen our ability to expand access to care in the communities we serve.”

Flores has more than 35 years of experience in the health care field, specifically in nursing, health care management and public health. With more than 20 years of experience in community outreach and education, she has been instrumental in building a cadre of community health workers in Lubbock and surrounding areas. She also is a certified community health worker instructor, adjunct faculty for the Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health and a recurring faculty member for the School of Nursing. 

Gutierrez, a first-generation college graduate and a recipient of an Abilene Christian University scholarship, has more than 20 years in operations management. For the past five years, he has worked as the campus business operations officer for the TTUHSC in Abilene. Gutierrez also is a member of the Hispanic Business Council Executive Leadership and participates in the Hispanic Leadership Council.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions. The association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento.