President-Elect
Dr. Alicia Huppe
Associate Dean, Recruitment and Programs for New
Students
Collin College
I have been privileged to serve TACUSPA with progressive
responsibilities since 2003. I began as a summer conference co-
chair, then as the newsletter editor from 2004-2005. I was
appointed Secretary from 2005-2006 and have completed two
terms as the Vice-President for Administration. During my time
in office I have worked to overhaul the Operations Manual and
implement the Fellows program along with the other
responsibilities of the positions.
My commitment to higher education can also be found in my
professional experience. I have worked at both four-year public institutions and a two-year
community college with promotions to my current position of Associate Dean. I recently
defended my dissertation for my Ph.D. in Higher Education and will graduate in May.
Having served as a TACUSPA Board member for over five years, I appreciate the history of our
organization with the knowledge and understanding that we must continue to work to serve the
needs of the higher education community. While this organization is healthy financially and in
our membership numbers, we must continue to be judicious in our decisions while our State is
facing economic challenges.
During the three-year term for this position I will ensure progress on our strategic plan. I would
like to see us collaborate with other organizations in an effort to expand our outreach. As a
graduate of the CLARA Leadership program sponsored by the North Texas Community College
Consortium, I see them as a viable partner. I have been given many professional development
opportunities and want to ensure those are extended to our membership, especially our graduate
students.
I want to acknowledge the support of the numerous individuals who have served on the
committees that keep this organization going. While only one individual can be elected to serve
as President-Elect, I understand that there is a whole team that supports this position and would
be honored to be a part of that.
Dr. Vince Loffredo
Associate Vice President University Student Services
University of Texas Medical Branch
Let me take this opportunity to formally introduce myself I am
Vince Loffredo, the Associate Vice President of University
Student Services at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Included in my responsibilities are the Director of Student Life
and Student Ombudsman. I also oversee the Departments of
Student Wellness, Enrollment Services and Financial Aid. I
started my career at UTMB in the School of Nursing in March
2004 as the Academic Counselor. In September 2005 I became
the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions for the
UTMB School of Nursing. I began my current position as AVP
of University Student Services in the Fall of 2008. I currently serve as the Chair of the Board of
Directors for the Bay Area YMCA’s, and as NASPA Region III Membership Coordinator. My
educational experience includes a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Syracuse
University, and a Masters in Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the University of
Houston. In addition to TACUSPA, I am a currently a member of the following organizations:
National Association of Campus Activities (NACA), American Student Government Association
(ASGA Mentor), American College Personnel Association (ACPA), National Association of
Student Personal Administrators (NASPA) and Council of Student Service Vice Presidents
(COSSVP).
What I would like to bring to TACUSPA as the President elect is the energy and commitment to
help facilitate all TACUSPA members in obtaining the knowledge and skills needed to advance
their professional aspirations and work together in a collaborative atmosphere. My higher
experience, as well as my efforts in program implementation and development, has provided me
with the experience to affect institutional, state, regional and national change in Student Affairs.
I have a passion for what I do and for working with students. My philosophy and strengths are
focused in being student centered and an advocate for improvement of programs and
methodologies that will benefit our students in higher education. I find value in collaborating
with other professionals in student affairs and services; I believe that we can all learn from each
other.
In setting goals as TACUSPA President elect, I would like to raise the level of professional
development among our members. In this time of budget constraints I find it even more useful
for us as student affairs personal to share with our professional colleagues. There is a tremendous
amount of innovation and talent in the State of Texas; we need to share information and
exemplarily models of practice. I believe it is important to maintain, evaluate and develop the
current needs of our institutions and anticipate future trends in student development in Texas.
Finally, it would be essential to my list of goals to provide leadership as it relates to promoting,
assessing and supporting student learning and successful educational outcomes. Above all else,
to have fun, enjoy and educate with all our fellow TACUSPA members!! Thank you for
considering me for this wonderful opportunity!
Vice President for Administration
Mr. Andy Axsom
Director of Student Development
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Professionally, I am the Director of Student Development at the
University of North Texas Health Science Center. Here, I
oversee the Career Services, International Student Services,
Student Life, and Student Events and Programs functions. My
responsibilities include oversight of Orientation,
Commencement, Catalog, Student Governments and
Organizations, as well as all student-related events.
I am currently a Candidate for a PhD in Higher Education from
the University of North Texas, where I expect to complete my
dissertation in 2011. I hold an MBA from the University of
Tulsa and a BS in Accounting from Rockhurst University. I have lived in Texas since 2003,
where I previously worked as an Academic Advisor in the College of Business at UT Arlington.
I have over 10 years of experience in Higher Education, having worked in multiple roles in a
community college, a large public institution, and a graduate professional institution.
I serve TACUSPA as the Co-Chair of the 2011 Fall Conference in Austin. I previously served
on the Conference Committees for two conferences – 2010, where I was the AV/Technology
Chair; and 2007, where I was involved in the Registration Committee for the
TACUSPA/NASPA Region III/SACSA conference.
I have a strong history of managing organizations utilizing Robert’s Rules of Order, as well as
maintaining the constitution and by-laws of organizations, through my current position as
Director of Student Development. Likewise, I currently work with awards for our student
organizations as well as oversee the maintenance of our Student Organization Handbook and
Student Worker Manual.
My goals as Vice President for Administration include the continued operations of our
association at the very high level with which we now operate. I would seek out new
opportunities for efficiencies, including the use of new technology to improve our monthly
Board meetings and communication therein. Likewise, I would work diligently with the Past
President to ensure the appropriate communication and collaboration regarding officer elections
and the administration of our awards. Specifically, I would seek out faculty members to ensure
awarding of our Faculty Member of the Year award. We currently have difficulty finding the
appropriate nominees for this and I believe my experience in working on the Conference
Committee provides me with the correct skill set to recruit faculty to attend the conference and
be present for the awards ceremony.
Ms. Sheila Bustillos Reynolds
Coordinator, Retention Management and Planning and
Student Affairs Master’s Program
Texas State University-San Marcos
Since 2006, I have been an active member of TACUSPA by
volunteering for conferences, acting as the Graduate Student
Caucus Chair in 2008, acting as the 4-Year Public University
Caucus Chair in 2010, and by hosting a TACUSPA Graduate
Student Site Visit in 2008 at Texas A&M University. Due to my
commitment to TACUSPA, I received the Graduate Student
Scholarship in 2006 and served as a 2009-2010 TACUSPA
Fellow. As a student affairs professional at Texas State, I have
chaired and/or served as a member of several Texas State
Student Affairs Teams and Committees. As a graduate student
and as a new professional, I have held several leadership positions within local/regional
organizations. Recently, I was directly involved in creating the first ever Texas Reach
Convening for foster care alumni. I served as the logistics chair for this conference and helped
obtain funding for the event. Organizing a conference/convening takes a lot of hard work and
dedication which exhibits my commitment to follow through with detailed tasks.
Collaboration, teamwork and attention to detail was very important to my experience in working
with TACUSPA and staff at Texas State and will continue to be values I hold close as the Vice
President for Administration for TACUSPA. I am organized, dependable, friendly and persistent
which are qualities I believe to be important for this position. I love this organization more than
any other organization I have worked with. If chosen for this position, I will be more than
honored.
My goals for the position are as follows:
1. To support the TACUSPA Board and TACUSPA members by precisely documenting
meetings and conferences to preserve the history of the organization.
2. To evaluate current TACUSPA policies and practices and provide suggestions on how to
better the organization.
3. To help the VP for Membership and Marketing recruit new members into the
organization, specifically individuals from 2 year institutions and graduate students.
4. Be available to assist TACUSPA members with questions and concerns.
5. Provide support to the TACUSPA conference committee members.
6. Increase the number of available programs and perks of being a member of TACUSPA.
Ms. Heather Snow
Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards
University of Texas at Arlington
I moved to Texas 2 ½ years ago to serve as the Director
of Student Conduct and Community Standards at the University
of Texas at Arlington. In this position I serve as the co-chair of
the University’s Behavioral Intervention Team, and oversee
three other functional areas (Relationship Violence & Sexual
Assault Prevention, Mediation Services and Student Conduct).
Prior to moving to Texas I served as the Assistant Dean of
Students and Director of Student Engagement at Bellarmine
University (a small private 4-year institution) in Louisville,
Kentucky. This role was a generalist position that allowed me to
work directly with student leaders in a co-curricular transcript program and in leadership
development programs as well as to function in an administrative capacity for Division strategic
initiatives, crisis management response, assessment and budget management. While in Kentucky
I was involved in the College Personnel Association of Kentucky as an Executive Board Member
overseeing Professional Development (Graduate Student Institute, New Professional Institute,
Conferences) and as the Program Chair for the 2007 State Conference. Since moving to Texas
I’ve been involved with TACUSPA as a presenter at both the state conference and the Texas
Higher Education Law Conference, as a member of the Awards and Recognition Committee for
2011, as the Conference Program and Keynote Committee Chair for the 2010 Annual
Conference, and currently as the Liaison to the TACUSPA Board for the 2011 Texas Higher
Education Law Conference.
I’m honored and excited to have been nominated to serve TACUSPA as the Vice
President for Administration. As you can tell from my biography although I’ve only been in
Texas for a short time I’ve quickly gotten involved in TACUSPA and am excited by the prospect
of joining the leadership team in this capacity. If selected to represent you as a member of the
Board I’d be committed to making the vision of the current board, as outlined in the 2010-2015
Strategic plan, a reality. The current board has worked tirelessly to ensure that our practices and
policies are in alignment with our current mission, vision and values as an organization and if
selected as the VP for Administration I would continue to oversee the process of aligning our
practice with the policies in place for the organization.
The primary job functions of the VP for Administration as outlined in the TACUSPA
Bylaws include providing an annual review of the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws and
maintaining the Operations manual. My professional background as Director of Student
Conduct has me constantly evaluating our campus policies and procedures so the transition into
doing this for TACUSPA would be an easy one. I recognize that tough fiscal times limit the
professional development opportunities available to many professionals in the state and if elected
to the board would focus on providing affordable opportunities within the state of Texas that
rival the quality you see at many large regional and national conferences. Most importantly I’ve
accepted the nomination as a candidate for this position because I see the work of TACUSPA in
ensuring the professional development of Student Affairs administrators and practitioners across
the state of Texas as invaluable. This recognition of TACUSPA’s important role makes me
committed to continue serving the organization and hopefully to do so as the Vice President for
Administration.
Dr. Howard Patterson
Vice President for Student Auxiliary Services and
Intercollegiate Athletics
The University of Texas at Tyler
Graduate of Springfield College (BS) in MA, Midwestern State
University (MA), and the University of North Texas (PhD).
Served 16 ½ years at Midwestern State, 11 at the University of
the Incarnate Word, and completing my tenth at UT Tyler. 30+
years in higher education, 10 in Student Affairs at UT Tyler as
an Assistant Dean, Dean, Assistant VP, Interim VP and VPSA
at UT Tyler. Currently VP for Student Auxiliary Services and
Intercollegiate Athletics. A strong student advocate with a
solid history of helping students grow and become involved.
I would have two primary goals. The first would be to enhance TACUSPA’s award and
recognition programs. My efforts would be centered on aggressively promoting each and every
award and recognition program to insure, as best as possible, a wide range knowledge of
TACUSPA’s recognition programs. Secondly, having helped serve as a liaison for UT Tyler
during 79th and 80th Legislative Sessions and serving as the University liaison for the 81st
Legislative session, I have a strong background in this area. I feel I could be able to serve as a
good coordinator of legislative affairs for TACUSPA in Austin.
Dr. Gilbert Hinga
Associate Vice President for Student Life
Tarleton State University
I have extensive experience in Student Life that spans over 18
years and have worked with very diverse populations, including
international students. My experience addressing the holistic
needs of students includes addressing wellness needs and needs
related to campus climate and transition into college from
abroad or from diverse family or cultural backgrounds. My
experiences with educational systems, both private and public
institutions, in the United States and in East Africa, have given
me unique perspectives into the value of education. My
commitment and drive to work with students comes from a
deep abiding belief that education (the amalgamation of in and
out of classroom learning) is a critical foundation for
developing a citizenry that takes responsibility for the status of its community. My Board
membership experiences include being a current member of the Board of Trustees for the Texas
Health Resources, Harris Methodist Hospital, and the Board of Directors for Cross Timbers
Family Services (CTFS). I am also currently participating in Leadership Stephenville, a program
sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. I have helped develop major strategic plans, the
development of an institution diversity plan and a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for SACS
accreditation.
I bring with me a cross cultural perspective in our efforts to develop, support and promote the
student affairs profession at the state level.
My goal in TACUSPA is to assist in assuring that the TACUSPA Constitution and Bi-laws are in
synch with a progressive agenda to further the relevance and value of student life/affairs in
Higher Education.
Director of Technology
Ms. Hope Garcia
Director of Student Affairs Administration
University of North Texas
Greetings, TACUSPA members!
My name is Hope Garcia, and I am running for the Director of
Technology position on the TACUSPA board. TACUSPA was
the first professional association I was introduced to as a
graduate student and I have maintained membership within its
supportive walls, as it is the perfect organization to seek out
mentor relationships, professional networking and best practices
across our state.
In my current position at UNT, I oversee areas such as the
Distinguished Lecture Series, NTDC Internship Program, a
candidacy preparation program for aspiring peer leaders, and divisional marketing and web
management. I have also had the wonderful privilege of working within our residence life
program as a hall director, perhaps the closest job on the front lines of student work one can get –
and equally rewarding.
I have been able to serve as the newsletter editor for two consecutive years and have most
recently been appointed to the vacated position of Director of Technology this past year. While I
do not consider myself the most web-savvy or technological guru, I have enjoyed my time
maintaining our website and keeping updates and information current for our members. A project
that has been discussed for a few years now is the idea of a new TACUSPA website and
membership management system. After the board was able to allocate funding resources for this
project, and consistent agreement that a new look would certainly help in moving our
organization forward, a new membership management system and web redesign will soon be
underway! Several hands have assisted in researching this endeavor have weeded through the
pros and cons of the management system that would best fit the needs of our organization, and I
am happy to say that the time has come that the time investment will soon pay off. New features
will include a job posting site, blog and message board, online payment capabilities, online
registration for conferences and membership renewals, internal email system, and much more.
Non-members will be able to visit our site and quickly understand what we do and the benefits of
joining our organization. And of course, it will serve as an overall resource for student personnel
work across the state and beyond.
This project has taken a good deal of effort and research by past holders of this position and my
hope is to see it through to final fruition. This academic year has mostly been dedicated to the
final decisions and feasibility of which management system will benefit TACUSPA in ways that
make running our organization quick, easy, and convenient. Once the system is in place, a
conversion period will be in effect while all content is moved from one location to another,
which will finally lead to the unveiling of the new site.
From there, the new features will take a bit of learning and as Director of Technology, I will
make every effort to assist members and officers in utilizing the website to their greatest
advantage. Based on a user reassessment early on, we can provide helpful hints to all parties and
also continue to make critical edits or updates to make the new system even more user friendly.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dr. Adam Peck
Dean of Student Affairs
Stephen F. Austin State University
Adam Peck serves as Dean of Student Affairs at Stephen F.
Austin State University. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy
degree at The University of Texas at Austin. He has previously
served as Director of Student Life at Saint Louis University at as
the Senior Student Affairs Administrator for The Texas Union at
The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Peck currently serves on the Finance Advisory Board for
TACUSPA. His service to the profession includes chairing the
Educational Advisory Group for the National Association for
Campus Activities (NACA) where he has worked on projects to
use technology to improve student learning and assessment. He
also served as Regional Business Manager and Business
Networks Coordinator for the Central Region of NACA. In those positions, he worked with a
number of contracted services and provided leadership to a team of other volunteers. He also
previously served as Marketing Coordinator for ACUI which included overseeing the program
handbook, website and other marketing resources for the annual conference.
He serves as webmaster for the Division of University Affairs at Stephen F. Austin State
University. In his previous position at Saint Louis University, he oversaw the Student
Information Technology program (including the website for the Division of Student
Development). He prides himself on keeping up to date with the latest technology and would
bring this interest to the position of Director of Technology.
It is with great pleasure that I ask you to consider me for the volunteer position of Director of
Technology. Since returning to Texas in 2008 to serve as Dean of Student Affairs at Stephen F.
Austin State University, I have been looking for an opportunity to be of benefit to TACUSPA. I
think that this position would match my skills well, and allow me with an opportunity to serve
this organization.
The position description in the TACUSPA operations manual outlines the primary
responsibilities of this position. They include the development and maintenance of the
TACUSPA website and all social media used to market and communicate to the membership,
maintaining the association’s list-serv, supporting technology initiatives, providing direction to
the technology committee and managing the contract with the web-services coordinator. I have
experience in each of these areas through my service to a number of other professional
associations.
Over the past few years, I have enjoyed seeing our use of technology grow in both quantity and
quality. If selected to serve as Director of Technology, I would endeavor to work with the
committee to build upon this work, to advance the awareness and understanding of our resources
among members of the association and to respond to new technologies that can help TACUSPA
advance our mission. While I have ideas about ways that we can use technology to better serve
our group, my top priority would be to work with existing members and to attract energetic new
members to this committee, and to develop their ideas for improving our ability to respond to the
changing needs of our membership.
Thank you in advance for considering me for this position. I would be honored to serve in this
capacity and welcome the chance to support the mission of TACUSPA.
Ms. Christine Self
Unit Coordinator
Texas Tech University
My name is Christine Self, and I have worked in Student Affairs
for eight years. Technology has changed a great deal during that
time, and it has been my pleasure to change with it. As a unit
coordinator in Parent and Family Relations at Texas Tech
University, I have extensive experience in managing membership
databases, electronic communications with thousands of
constituents, and managing web sites. I would relish the
opportunity to use this experience to help TACUSPA reach its
goals as an organization.
I have only recently joined TACUSPA, but I am ready to jump in
and serve the group. My goals, if elected, would be to help TACUSPA maintain excellent
communications with its members via web, email, and social media, as well as to support
initiatives to ensure that membership payment and renewal is a smooth, easy process for
members and leadership alike.