A new lecture series focused on ensuring Laredo’s children are healthy, supported, and arrive at school ready to learn was inaugurated Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6 – 7 p.m. and featured Texas A&M University System Regent Elaine Mendoza.
The La Frontera series provides all Laradeons with a forum for generating innovative solutions for ‘Making Texas the best place to be born’. Those, joining the forum will have the opportunity to participate in the ‘Laredo Learns’ competition. The virtual lecture is free of charge and available to all. Chance to win a 200$ scholarship for TAMIU students and $50 gift card for non-students!
To enter you must:
- Join the session on the night
- Register for the competition (a link will be provided in the chat room at the start of the session so be on time)
- Share your idea for Making Texas the best place to be born. (a link will be provided in the middle of the session)
- Prizes will be drawn at the end of each session. You must be present to claim your prize.
The ‘Laredo Learns competition recognizes and rewards Laradeons who are actively engaging in solving local challenges for local families.
Rebecca Klein
director, early childhood systems consulting at start early
Thursday, April 28, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
The virtual lecture is free of charge and available to all. Please use this link to register for the lecture online
(note: password for lecture will be provided after registration) at:
Spring 2022 Speaker Lineup
Elaine Mendoza
Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, Founder, President, CEO of Conceptual MindWorks, Inc. (CMI)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 28, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Inaugural Series guest speaker Elaine Mendoza was appointed to the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System in 2011 by Governor Rick Perry and is Chair of the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs. A member of the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, a Board member of Generation Texas San Antonio, and member of former Mayor Castro’s Brainpower Committee, she serves on the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of The Texas Technology Development Center. Mendoza is founder, President, and CEO of Conceptual MindWorks, Inc. (CMI). Established in 1990, CMI is a biotechnology and medical informatics company in San Antonio. Its strengths lie in building scientific and technical teams to develop and deliver unique solutions to address issues in areas such as chemical/biological defense, trauma medicine, and population health.
David W. Leebron
President of Rice University
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
David W. Leebron has served as Rice University’s seventh president since 2004, a period of growth and transformation for the university. A native of Philadelphia, Leebron is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he was elected president of the Harvard Law Review. Following a judicial clerkship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, he taught at the UCLA School of Law in 1980. After two years practicing in an international law firm in New York City, he joined the faculty at the NYU School of Law in 1983. In 1989, Leebron joined the faculty of Columbia Law School, where in 1996 he was appointed dean and served in that position until coming to Rice. He is a member of the political science faculty at Rice and has written about international trade and investment, torts, privacy, corporate law and human rights. Leebron is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and serves on the Greater Houston Partnership, Fulbright Canada and IMAX Corp. boards. He has also been awarded the Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Mérite by the government of France and the Encomienda de la Orden de Isabel La Católica by the government of Spain, and is the recipient of an honorary degree from Nankai University in Tianjin, China.
Doug Foshee
CEO & founder, sallyport investment, llc
Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Douglas L. Foshee has spent over thirty years in the Energy Industry and is founder and owner of Sallyport Investments, LLC. Foshee is former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of El Paso Corporation, which owned North America’s largest natural gas pipeline system and one of North America’s largest natural gas producers prior to its merger with Kinder Morgan, Inc. in 2012, one of the largest mergers in Energy Industry history. Foshee has been actively involved in civic and philanthropic endeavors for many years. He founded and is a director of NextOp Vets, a non-profit organization that provides job placement assistance, mentorship, support, and education for Veterans. Additionally, he founded Houstonians for Great Public Schools, a non-profit that seeks to increase public understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school board members and to hold members accountable for high performance. He served on the board of Small Steps Nurturing Center, a faith-based preschool for underprivileged children for over a decade. In addition, Foshee currently serves on KIPP Houston Executive Board, Rice University’s Board of Trustees, and the Council of Overseers at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University. Foshee and his family have founded and continue to support scholarship programs at Rice University, separately at the Jones School at Rice University, at Baylor University, at Texas State University and at the Texas Business Hall of Fame, primarily but not exclusively for underprivileged students and military veterans.
Sarah Baray
CEo, pre-k 4 sa
Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Dr. Baray is Chief Executive Officer of Pre-K 4 SA, San Antonio’s award-winning early learning program. Dr. Baray has more than 24 years of experience in education. Before joining Pre-K 4 SA, Dr. Baray was a professor at Texas State University where she directed the Ph.D. in School Improvement program and served as a researcher and instructor in the Educational and Community Leadership program. Dr. Baray began her education career in the Austin Independent School District, serving in various roles including teacher, principal, and district administrator.
Dr. Baray holds a Ph.D. in Executive Public-School Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, where she also earned Master of Education and Bachelor of Science degrees. Her research interests center on policies and practices related to educational equity. As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Baray utilizes research to inform practice, particularly as it relates to the role of high-quality early learning in educational outcomes. Dr. Baray has authored dozens of articles and book chapters and provided extensive professional development to help educators become more culturally responsive.
Rebecca Klein
director, early childhood systems consulting at start early
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2022, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Rebecca Klein is a Director on the Start Early Consulting Team. In this role, Rebecca provides consultation and technical assistance to system leaders to ensure early childhood systems are high-quality, equitable and resourced to be sustainable. With experience including Illinois, Tennessee and Oregon, Rebecca brings expertise in leadership, professional learning, and high-quality teaching with a focus on organizing systems and programs for improvement. She has designed numerous tools and professional learning programs. Rebecca also has deep subject matter expertise in systems implementation, leadership, professional development, and high quality-teaching. Previously, Rebecca led the Investing in Innovation Professional Development Initiative, a federally funded project to build ambitious pedagogical practice and the organizational conditions essential to teaching in birth to five community-based programs.
Rebecca has taught in and led child care, Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Rebecca holds a master’s degree in child development from the Erikson Institute. Rebecca calls Chicago, Illinois home.
For more about the Series, contact Dr. O’Meara at james.omeara@tamiu.edu Information on College of Education programs and resources is available at tamiu.edu/coedu