Meet the Board of Directors
DIANA SANCHEZ CHAIRMAN
Diana Sanchez, Chairman
Diane is a proven c-suite executive with extensive senior management experience as an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, and social entrepreneur. Her experience in developing strategic partnerships, P&L, change management, transformation, acquisitions, and market entry leading corporations who have been recognized as market leaders in transformational technology and innovation have helped drive a successful career.
Distinguished for her consensus building, she is instrumental in working with the public/private sector and taught leaders in the Americas, Europe, and Asia to formulate strategic alliances and collaborative business strategies. Diane has been recognized for her leadership in directly contributing to successful market entry and rapid market growth for strategic corporate subsidiaries, mitigating risk, and the value creation of growth-stage and mid-cap companies. She has directed business in over twenty countries in the Americas Region and Europe with pan-regional experience in business development, sales, operations, and P&L spanning a full range of public, private, and not-for-profit companies.
She has also played several key leadership roles in transforming Information, Communication, and Telecommunications (ICT) infrastructure in the Americas Region and has held senior leadership positions in some of the world's leading global technology companies to include: President and CEO, Telefonica USA; President and CEO, Global Crossing Latin America; President, Terremark; President, Global Operations, Mozido; SVP Sales and Operations - Caribbean and Latin America, and Regional Vice President, Alcatel Lucent.
Diane continues to participate in the expansion and investment in infrastructure, working directly with Private Equity Firms and financial institutions operating in advisory and independent director roles. Active in the community, her activities center on education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and the disenfranchised. Diane also serves on the board of directors of several for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and has an extensive background in board governance. Advocating for the disenfranchised and aligning her leadership and business skills to serve the community, she serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Director for Micro: SA, a social enterprise impact-driven organization promoting economic prosperity through the resurgence of the micro business in disadvantaged communities.
Dr. Hector Gonzalez MD, MPH
Dr. Hector Gonzalez MD, MPH
Héctor F. González MD, MPH has over 40 years of public health experience, graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health Houston, Texas, La Universidad Autonoma De Guerrero Medical School, Mexico. Served as Director of Health for the City of Laredo, Texas for over 19 years, served as Chief Epidemiologist for San Antonio Metro Health, San Antonio Texas (SAT), was Director of the Office of Border Health for the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), Austin Texas; Medical and Health Consultant to AVANCE Inc., SAT; and Clinical Assistant Professor UTHealth San Antonio Health Science Center Family and Community Medicine. At Vida Y Salud Health Systems Incorporated, Crystal City, Texas and South Texas Rural Health in Cotulla Texas, served as Clinical Manager, Physician’s Assistant and Health Educator. Through comprehensive public health department management, and under his leadership in Laredo he led the construction and administrative supervision of a bio-safety level III laboratory in Laredo to serve the entire Texas/Mexico Border to detect and contain any contagion that could cause health threats/emergencies in the US and Internationally. He monitored and addressed infectious/communicable diseases and non-infectious diseases locally, regionally, and internationally. Developed partnerships with the TDSHS, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas A&M International (TAMIU), Methodist Healthcare Ministries, the US Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) and the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration He developed innovative and creative health care evidenced based services for the underserved by integrating disease self-management, behavioral health and substance use services into primary care and enhanced women’s and children’s health and preventive care services as well as community outreach with Promotores and developed comprehensive best practices models for early detection and wellness. He is the former President of the US/Mexico Border Health Association, former Vice-Chair of the Texas Border Health Task Force, Los Dos Laredo’s Binational Council Co-President with his Nuevo Laredo Mexico Counterpart. Had the distinction to serve as a committee member of the Cumulative Risk Advisory Committee to the USEPA, the USEPA Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), USEPA Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the CEC, Local Coordinator for the USEPA Border Environmental Commission Workgroup and the CDC Advisory Committee to the Director on local public health and border health issues. Currently he is an in-office Public Health Consultant for OCI and has consulted with the University of the Incarnate Word (SAT), Texas AM International (Laredo, TX) and other local nonprofit, state, and federal entities. He has numerous recognitions, awards and publications/articles(Cultural Competency, Physicians Guide on Pesticide Health Hazards, Disparities and Healthcare of Mexican Americans) and provided testimony and media interviews on public health, best practices and disparities on the Texas Mexico Border and South Texas, in Washington DC, Austin, TX, CDC, Mexico and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19) testing interview to 60 minutes. Awarded Ohtli Award by the Ministry of Exterior and Foreign Relations of Mexico for promoting public health and safety on the border and in particular for migrants, He is married to Mary Helen Gonzalez, and has 3 children- Ixchell Gonzalez M.Ed., Analco Gonzalez JD, MBA; Luis Gonzalez, JD, 2 grandchildren Anom and Alexandro Martinez. He is a native of San Antonio and is a proud graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Edgewood Independent School District in the West Side. He is an avid soccer enthusiast/coach and is a volunteer and local President of the National Hispanic Institute San Antonio building leadership of our Mexican American Youth today to craft a new tomorrow. (Short Bio-2024)
Dr. Nora Garza Secretary
Dr. Nora Garza
Nora was born in Brownsville, Texas, to parents that believed in education and healthy living. She is a first-generation American on her mother's side and has Mexican citizenship because of her ancestry. Nora was raised in the South Texas Rio Grande Valley, graduated from the University of Texas Medical school in Houston, and completed the Baylor College of Medicine family practice residency program. She eventually returned to the Valley as medical director of one of the largest community health centers in the state.
After serving nine years as medical director in the Valley, Nora moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she has been working as a primary care physician for over twenty-two years. She was elected to the Bexar County Board of Directors and served for three years as chairperson of the Medical Ethics committee. Her career has been focused on preventive medicine and healthy lifestyle changes. She is committed to moving the community of San Antonio toward healthier living with a strong emphasis on health prevention and an increase in access to health care. Dr. Nora Garza has two offices in San Antonio and office hours expanded to late nights to allow working children to bring in their elderly parents to the doctor without missing work. Nora believes that with the research and education from The Social and Health Research Center, our community's nutritional education will improve, and more people will make healthy food choices that will improve the health outcomes of all family members. Dr. Garza looks forward to helping her community in this capacity.
Adam Avila, MS, LPC
Adam Avila, MS, PLC
Adam Avila is a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Radius Psychotherapy, PLLC. The practice focuses on providing mental health services to adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Adam’s experience comes from more than 20 years of working with at-risk populations through residential treatment facilities, Bexar County Juvenile Probation, and private practice.
Adam is a graduate of Brackenridge High School. He completed a Bachelor’s program at Texas State University studying Psychology and Fine Art. Adam earned a Master’s degree, in Counseling-Marriage and Family Therapy, from Our Lady of the Lake University. While in college he played football and participated on the Triathlon team. With athletics playing a vital role in Adam’s development of character and community, he continues to stay active and enjoys walks, runs, and bike rides throughout the city.
Adam is certified in Low and High Elements using experiential/adventure-based techniques for team building and leadership development. He also volunteers as a Ropes Course Facilitator for Vision Works Camp Discovery. Adam’s goal is to continue providing services in the inner-city where he was born, raised and continues to live with his family. Through Radius Psychotherapy Adam hopes to educate individuals about the consideration of mental health as a pillar of overall health.
Leonard Rodriguez
Leonard Rodriguez
From an award-winning publisher to White House Advisor to small business owner, Leonard B. Rodriguez has excelled as an entrepreneur, government official, and community developer.
Named as one of the country's "Most Influential Hispanics" by both Hispanic Business and Poder Magazine, Rodriguez is best known for his work as a regional advisor to the President of the United States.
Rodriguez is also known in publishing circles for his 1999 publication, "Celebrating Outstanding Hispanics – 500 Years of Latino Pride," a colossal calendar-book profiling the accomplishments of more than 300 Latinos in the U.S. His publication won the Gold Award for Most Educational and Bronze Award for Most Original Calendar from the Calendar Marketing Association in 1999. Rodriguez credits his publishing venture for helping launch him into national politics.
While working for the President of the United States, Rodriguez served as the president's liaison to members of the Cabinet, Congress, governors, state and local officials in the Southwest, Midwest, and U.S. Territories, where he handled policy and outreach. Among his many responsibilities, Rodriguez was responsible for coordinating the President's agenda through all Federal agencies into more than 30 states, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands.
Rodriguez received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. He is a tenth-generation Texan with roots in San Antonio's Westside. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has two children, and currently serves as the Director of Development for the Center for Health Care Services.
Roger Rodriguez, MA
Roger Rodriguez
Roger Rodriguez started teaching at Storm Elementary School in 1971 after graduating from the University of North Texas with his BS. Roger then got his MA in Education Management from UTSA and moved into administration. During his 47 years of teaching health and physical education with SAISD, Roger aided in implementing various health and fitness programs to better the lives of the children he served.
Roger aided in creating 35 youth soccer teams with support from the San Antonio Thunder, as well as coordinated the building of a new natatorium with the City and then-Mayor Henry Cisneros. Those projects led to the development of new curriculums and grants to promote physical education and health in the SAISD district. His teaching excellence led him to be invited to assist with the development of new UIL and TEKS competencies.
Committed to health and wellness education, Roger created new curriculums for HIV/AIDS prevention, CPR, and AED training and started the SAISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). He also directed grant projects within the district to reduce teen pregnancy and was awarded over $2.5 million in grants by the US Department of Education.
Retiring in 2018 from the role of Senior Coordinator for Health/PE with SAISD has not slowed Roger down. He is still committed to children’s health and physical education through working with the SAHRC team and serving on the board.
Bill Avila
Bill Avila
Bill Avila is an attorney in private practice and a Partner in the San Antonio Office of Bracewell LLP. Bill's practice focuses on state and local municipal bonds, public finance law, specifically providing legal counsel, negotiating, drafting documents, and securing governmental approvals. He has closed approximately 2,000 transactions, totaling more than $200 billion in aggregate principal amount of throughout Texas for a variety of public infrastructure and improvement projects. Bill is a frequent speaker at conferences for the State Bar of Texas, National Association of Bond Lawyers, Texas City Attorneys Association, Mexican American School Board Association, Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials, and The Bond Buyer.
Bill earned is Juris Doctor from The National Law Center, George Washington University in 1981. He earned a Master of Arts in Economics in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts in Quantitative Economics with a Minor in Mathematics in 1977 both from the University of Notre Dame. In Law School he worked as a Research Economist at the Presidential created Southwest Border Regional Commission working on developing an economic development master plan for the US/Mexico Border Region, and at the Congressionally created National Commission on Employment Policy where he designed a national study of Hispanic employment in the US for a report to eth US Congress.
After Law School Bill returned home to take the Texas Bar Exam and begin the practice of law. Before sitting for the Bar Exam, Bill taught Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Introduction to Political Economy at UTSA. After the Bar exam he represented an 8(a) janitorial company on federal procurement, corporate and commercial real estate mattes. He joined the City of San Antonio Office of the City Attorney as an Economic Development Lawyer where he worked for six years before going into private practice.
Bill was born and raised in San Antonio. Attended St. Philip of Jesus Catholic School from Kindergarten through 8th Grade, Joel Chandler Harris Junior High School for 9th Grade, and Geroge W. Brackenridge High School before attending the University of Notre Dame.