FEEDBACK

Class Notes

Helping you keep up with fellow classmates through a compilation of alumni submissions and reports from newspapers and other media outlets

1977

Sara Dysart, M.A. in education, has been named an Outstanding Lawyer by the San Antonio Business Journal. She is the owner of Dysart Law Firm.

1978

Gilbert “Gil” Gonzalez, B.B.A in accounting, has been named U.S.D.A. Rural Development’s chief of staff. Gonzalez has more than 30 years’ executive experience in community economic development.

1982

Crowdstrike Inc. has announced the appointment of Roxanne Austin, B.B.A. in accounting, to its board of directors. She is president and CEO of Austin Investment Advisors, a private investment and consulting firm.

Farnam Jahanian, B.S. in computer science, math, and systems design, has been named the 10th president of Carnegie Mellon University. He is a nationally recognized computer scientist, entrepreneur, public servant, and higher education leader. Being a Roadrunner runs in his family.

1987

Diana Barrera, B.A. in elementary education, M.A. in educational leadership ’00, has been named superintendent of Kenedy ISD.

1990

Hilltop Securities Inc. announced that Victor Medina, B.B.A. in management, the company’s senior vice president and Fort Worth branch manager, has received the Minority Leaders in Business Award from the Fort Worth Business Press.

1996

Robert “Bob” Bryant, B.A. in history, M.Ed. ’99, has been appointed director of educational technology at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Maria Villagómez, B.B.A. in accounting, has been promoted from San Antonio assistant city manager to deputy city manager.

1997

Todd Wyatt, B.B.A. in accounting, has been named CFO at Conifer Health Solutions.

1998

Danny Derrick, B.S. in architecture, has been named principal at Wigodsky & Derrick Architects. He joined the firm in 2005.

Robert Garza, M.P.A. in public administration, has taken over as president of Palo Alto College.

Northside ISD superintendent Brian Woods, M.A. in education, Ed.D. ’12, was named the Texas Superintendent of the Year.

1999

Jeanette Ball, M.A. in educational leadership, is now superintendent of Judson ISD.

Helen Petry Stowe, B.A. in English, was elected in November as a Bexar County judge. She has worked as a middle school teacher in the San Antonio ISD and as a Bexar County assistant district attorney.

2000

Cathy Dizon, B.A. in criminal justice, has been named chief operating officer of Active Capital, a San Antonio venture capital firm that she helped found.

Rick Reed, B.B.A. in finance and a former UTSA basketball player, accepted a position with Avant Communications as senior director of channel sales for the south-central region.

Alejandro “Alex” San Martin, B.A. in communication, a legislative intern for the Texas House of Representatives, has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the State Independent Living Council, which develops resources to state and local organizations on independent living and issues for people with disabilities.

2001

San Antonio Business Journal has named Joshua Frandsen, B.S. in biology, who is a lieutenant with the San Antonio Fire Department’s EMS unit, as one of its 2019 Health Care Heroes.

2002

The San Antonio Business Journal has honored Joshua Cude, B.S. in civil engineering, CEO of Cude Engineers, in its 40 under 40 list of rising stars.

2005

The San Antonio Business Journal has honored Ryan Parker, B.B.A. in finance, CEO of BBVA Compass San Antonio, in its 40 under 40 list of rising stars.

2006

Laura Cabanilla, M.P.A. in public administration, vice president for community relations and community development for Wells Fargo, has been elected to chair the Southside First Economic Development Council.

Alyssa Hartlage, M.B.A. in business, senior vice president at Broadway Bank, has been named treasurer of the Commercial Real Estate Women of San Antonio board of directors.

2007

The San Antonio Business Journal has honored InGenesis director of contracting and legal compliance Andrew Casillas, B.B.A. in marketing, in its 40 under 40 list of rising stars.

Michael Sindon, M.P.A. ’10, assistant director of economic development for the City of San Antonio, has also been honored by the San Antonio Business Journal in its 40 under 40 list of rising stars.

2008

Christopher B. Davis, B.B.A. in accounting, M.Acy. ’11, has been promoted to senior tax manager at Sol Schwarz & Associates.

2009

The San Antonio Business Journal has honored UTSA associate professor Kelly Nash, Ph.D. in physics, in its 40 under 40 list of rising stars.

Brett Seybold, M.B.A. in business, has been named Man of the Year by the San Antonio Business Journal. For the past 15 years he has worked his way up the ranks at USAA from an analyst to middle management. He was given latitude at the Fortune 100 company to explore aspects of finance and the organization from creating credit card securities to enterprise planning and financial forecasting, SABJ says.

2010

The San Antonio Business Journal Woman of the Year is Meghan Garza-Oswald , M.P.A in public administration, who is CEO of Community Housing Resource Partners, a national housing nonprofit that empowers families to grow and thrive beyond the constraints of poverty.

2012

Will Garrett, M.B.A. in business, has become Port San Antonio’s new vice president and director for cybersecurity development.

2013

Program manager of the Embrey Real Estate Finance and Development Program in UTSA’s College of Business, Laura Gilliland, M.Ed., has been named director of communications of the Commercial Real Estate Women of San Antonio board of directors.

Caleb Chance, M.C.E. in civil engineering, has been promoted to vice president at Pape-Dawson Engineers.

2014

Tessa A. Benavides, M.P.A. in public administration, has been named a New Leaders Council San Antonio fellow. A diversity specialist at H-E-B, Benavides is passionate about growing a community that supports, embraces, and is inclusive of all the cultures and people who make the community unique. The mission of the NLC is to train and support the next generation of progressive political entrepreneurs.

Kimberly Field, B.B.A. in information systems, has marked 30 years of federal service with the Defense Information Systems Agency San Antonio, located at Port San Antonio, where she works as a cybersecurity specialist.

2015

John Teeter, M.B.A. in business administration, has been promoted to senior associate and is the department manager for the mechanical group at Dewberry’s Raleigh, North Carolina, office.


Alums—Keep in Touch

We want to know what you've been up to lately. New jobs, relocations, accomplishments, marriages—whatever your news, share it with friends and classmates.

Email alumni@utsa.edu

Or write to: Office of Alumni Programs
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249