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Want To Help Select New Presidents?

Published by Dallas College on November 24, 2020

Last updated on December 4, 2020

Did you know that at Dallas College, students play a role in selecting college presidents? As part of the final process of choosing a new president for El Centro Campus, we will be holding open virtual Campus Town Halls Dec. 7 and 8, which you are invited to attend.

During these virtual events, college employees and student panelists will ask the candidates questions. As a student, you may ask your own questions live during the town hall.

Here is the schedule and links to Campus Town Halls to meet the El Centro Presidential Candidates:

Please note, these dates have been revised and the Mountain View virtual Campus Town Halls have been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances related to the ongoing impact of COVID-19. The Mountain View virtual Town Halls will be rescheduled after the first of the year.

Following is a brief biography for each candidate.

Dr. Mayra Olivares-Urueta (Dec. 7, 10:30–11:30 a.m.): Olivares-Urueta is vice president for student development services at the Tarrant County College Northeast Campus. Her work as an educational administrator is framed by awareness of community cultural wealth, funds of knowledge and critical race theories. She works to create an environment in which students feel safe and cared for. Olivares-Urueta has served as a recruiter, student life coordinator, academic instructor, registrar, researcher and executive administrator. Additionally, she has held administrative roles for research projects through the University of North Texas’s Latino Family College Access Program and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Olivares-Urueta’s research focuses on the success of minoritized students, with an emphasis on Latinx students.

Olivares-Urueta understands that community service is an integral part of giving back. She has served on the advisory board for the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center School of Health Professions; is president of the State Board and chair of the State Conference Planning Committee for the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education; and a board member for Camp Fire-Fort Worth.
 

Dr. Jamonica Rolle (Dec. 7, 2:30–3:30 p.m.): Rolle currently serves as the academic dean of the Judson A. Samuels South Campus and the dean of the Communication Pathway at Broward College in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In these concurrent roles, she is the lead academic administrator for a large, urban campus and for all communication-related disciplines and programs collegewide. She provides strategic leadership related to academic affairs, community building and workforce alignment. She has successfully led numerous student retention and post-completion initiatives, including developmental education reform, a robust co-curricular student and faculty engagement agenda, community and institutional partnership agreements and programs targeting underperforming student populations.

Previously, Rolle served as the associate dean of Communication & Fine Arts on Broward College’s North Campus. Her teaching experience includes being a full-time communication professor at Broward College, instructor at Florida Atlantic University and teacher at Broward County Public Schools. She is a member of several professional and civic organizations and engages in a variety of community and professional service activities.
 

Dr. Bradford Williams (Dec. 8, 10:30–11:30 a.m.): Williams is president of Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC). Driven by a strong commitment to student success, employee excellence and community relevance, he values creativity and innovation, collaboration, and the integration of technology to enhance student experience. He leads initiatives that partner campus and community resources to provide students hope, help and a way forward. Williams models a sense of purpose and a style of servant leadership that is the foundation for a campus climate that values empathy, kindness and the unique contributions of all faculty and staff.

Prior to OSU-OKC, Williams served as the deputy director of strategic planning and initiatives at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. He also directed fundraising efforts at the Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and at the University of Central Oklahoma. A citizen of the Choctaw Nation, he has worked as an ombudsman for the Chickasaw Nation Office of Community Advocacy and for its Division of Housing.
 

Dr. Gaby Hawat (Dec. 8, 2:30–3:30 p.m.): Hawat has more than 35 years of experience, most notably in the fields of education and science. He is currently the executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at the University of Providence. In addition, he is a principal at Catalyst Partners, and serves as chairman of the National Visiting Committee for the National CyberWatch Center, which is charged with supporting national cyber security education and workforce development solutions.

Previously, Hawat was senior vice president for operations and global initiatives at Florida Institute of Technology and spent nearly three decades in progressively responsible positions at Valencia College in Orlando. As special assistant to the president and senior executive for strategic initiatives and economic development, he was responsible for developing new markets, strategic enterprises and partnerships. He has extensive experience working with federal, state and local elected officials and agencies; high tech industries and universities and colleges, nationally and globally.

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