Can you provide us with some information about your background? Your education and career?
I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born in Mexico, and had the typical, but not-so-typical immigrant experience. Education was a priority for my parents, and the expectation wasn’t just good grades for me and my siblings: it was excellent grades.
I graduated from UIC with a degree in organizational psychology in 1988 and then got my MBA from the University of Chicago in 1992. I received my certificate in non-profit governance from Harvard. So, my commitments have really had two tracks, the corporate track and the not-for-profit board track. My corporate experience has been in healthcare and insurance where I had national portfolios working for Aetna Insurance, United Healthcare, and the American Medical Association. I have had the opportunity to travel extensively as part of my work and to live in the US, Mexico, and the UK. I have been blessed with the opportunity to get to know lots of different people and places. My time on not-for-profit boards has included a variety of opportunities and has helped me to understand the difference between management and governance.
In 2018, I started my own consulting business focusing on strategic planning, mentoring, business development, and marketing.
Can you tell us more about how you have stayed connected to the University of Illinois since your time as a student?
[Laughter] I never left! I spent six years on the Alumni Association Board. I taught in the College of Business at UIC. I have served on a variety of committees at the University over the years, and currently serve on the Board of Visitors of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. And I give.
I have two alma maters, but my philanthropy goes to UIC.
Giving to the UIC is clearly important to you. Can you explain what compelled you to give and keep giving? What do you hope your philanthropy accomplishes for the University?
My parents believed in education, and they modeled that in our home. We lost them at an early age, and I want to acknowledge them and those values. We are here to make a difference for others. They lived by that, and I live by that. It is what we are born to do.
What advice can you share about how to make a lasting impact at the University of Illinois?
The easy answer is set up a scholarship, but it is deeper than that. I think you need to know your core values. Truly think about them and how they align to your alma mater. I have an unshakable, core value belief in education – my parents’ core value too. So, we established a memorial scholarship in their honor. If that relief gives students a moment to ponder how they can get to the next level or how they might give back too, then, as I said earlier, we are doing what we were born to do, making a difference for others.
What is your favorite University of Illinois memory?
I think graduating with honors my senior year is a moment that I look back on with pride. This moment too. It has been an honor to be asked to be on the Foundation Board of Directors. Honestly, it has been the journey. UIC gave me the vehicle to create everything else.
