Articles
HCC Foundation welcomes six new members to governing board
Sep 15, 2022
The Houston Community College Foundation Board has elected six new members to serve three-year terms.
The HCC Foundation supports HCC in attracting and educating Houston-area students who embody the desire and dedication to learn, including many nontraditional students and those who have traditionally faced barriers to higher education.
New board members come from the ranks of disparate fields in business. They include:
- Joseph Avila: regional director, Memorial Hermann Health System
- Vanessa Carter: executive director of Angels On Call Home Care, a licensed home healthcare agency in Texas
- Carlos Cruz: Ernst and Young Houston office external audit manager
- Jennifer Waldner Grant: chief sustainability officer at AIG, a global insurance firm
- Douglas Hohertz: senior portfolio manager and former managing director at Salient Partners, an asset management and advisory services firm
- Al M. Payton: vice president of safety and technical training at CenterPoint Energy, an electric and natural gas utility firm
“We are delighted to welcome these new board members to our team and to the HCC family,” said Ryan McCauley, an executive with Northern Trust who was named new board chair. “Each of them brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will help us achieve the HCC Foundation’s ambitious goals to support HCC, its students and faculty.”
McCauley, who previously served as vice chair, replaces business leader David Regenbaum, who continues to serve on the 26-member board. Regenbaum is a local business leader who also serves as entrepreneur in residence at HCC’s West Houston Institute.
The HCC Foundation annually provides thousands of scholarships to deserving HCC students and has a long-term goal of building an endowment sufficient to award scholarships to all qualified students. It provides financial assistance for selected HCC programs and capital projects as well as grants and awards to faculty for enhancing student learning and professional enrichment.
“We are extremely grateful to these leaders for their energy and enthusiasm in supporting HCC student success through the work of the HCC Foundation,” said Karen L. Schmidt, CFRE, president of the HCC Foundation. “Having their voices and ideas on our board will help the HCC Foundation and HCC move forward with making a difference in the lives of our students, faculty and community.”
To learn more about the HCC Foundation, visit https://www.hccsfoundation.org.