Strategic Planning Council

Purpose or Function: The Strategic Planning Council is a group charged by the President to oversee the university strategic planning process, including review/revision of metrics, review of progress made on current strategic plan, and development of next strategic plan. A strategic plan committee for each of the university’s strategic plan imperatives will review the assessment data for its respective imperative and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Council.

Membership: The council consists of President’s Cabinet members, Provost's Leadership Council members (deans and directors), Associate Vice President for Planning, Analytics, Institutional Research, and Strategic Initiatives and Chief Data Officer, Speaker of the Faculty Senate, Staff Council President, the SACSCOC Liaison, and the chair of each strategic plan committee.  These faculty and staff representatives are voting ex-officio members.  The council also has an appointed member of Student Government Association who will serve a 1-year, renewable term.

Chair: President

Responsible University Official: President

Strategic Planning Council Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Kelly Miller

President (Chair)

N/A

Catherine Rudowsky

President's Cabinet

N/A

Andrew Rogers

President's Cabinet

N/A

Jaime Nodarse Barrera

President's Cabinet

N/A

Adrian Rodriguez

President's Cabinet

N/A

Ahmed Mahdy

President's Cabinet

N/A

Brenda Harms

President's Cabinet

N/A

John LaRue

President's Cabinet

N/A

Erin Mulligan-Nguyen

Planning, Analytics, Institutional Research, and Strategic Initiatives and Chief Data Officer

N/A

David Ma

Provost's Leadership Council (COB interim)

N/A

Hassan Aziz

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Kyoko Amano

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Robert McKallip

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Joshua Watson

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

David Ma

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Diana Sipes

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Derrik Hiatt

Provost's Leadership Council

N/A

Scott Johnson

Faculty Senate Speaker

May 31, 2026

Stephaine Long

Staff Council President

N/A

Maddy Elliott

Student Government Association

May 31, 2026

Bryan Baker

SACSCOC Liaison/Service Excellence Committee Chair

N/A

Janet Donaldson

Innovation Committee Chair

N/A

Leslie Mills

Student Success Committee Chair

N/A

Levi Esses

Engagement Committee Chair

N/A

 

Service Excellence Committee

Purpose or Function: Review assessment data, analysis, and action plans submitted as part of the annual assessment reporting process and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Council on matters related to the Service Excellence Imperative of the Strategic Plan. 

Strategic Planning Council: Service Excellence Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Bryan Baker

AVP Institutional Excellence (Chair)

N/A

Kevin Kropp

AVP Advancement Services

N/A

Scott Meares

AVP Operations

N/A

Neftali Rivera

AVP Auxiliary Services

N/A

Yolanda Castorena

AVP Finance

N/A

Oscar Reyna

AVP Student Affairs

N/A

Ben Soto

AVP and Chief Information Officer

N/A

Allison Consiglio

AVP and Director of Budgets

N/A

Susan Murphy

Associate Provost

N/A

Cassondra Casanova

Chief Human Resources Officer-Interim

N/A

Rosie Ruiz

Employee Development and Compliance Services

N/A

Missy Chapa

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs-University Registrar

N/A

Elvia Aguilar

Executive Director of Alumni Engagement

N/A

Derrik Hiatt

Assistant Dean of Libraries

N/A

Julie Shuttlesworth

Enrollment Management

N/A

Anissa Ybarra

Research and Innovation

N/A

 

Innovation Committee

Purpose or Function: Review assessment data, analysis, and action plans submitted as part of the annual assessment reporting process and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Council on matters related to the Innovation Imperative of the Strategic Plan.

Strategic Planning Council: Innovation Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Janet Donaldson

AVP Research and Innovation (Chair)

N/A

Joe Miller

Director of Research Engagement

N/A

Anissa Ybarra

Research and Innovation

N/A

Kimberly Becerra

Executive Associate Vice President for Development

N/A

Luisa Buttler

Director of Communications

N/A

Scott Meares

AVP Operations

N/A

Ben Soto

AVP and Chief Information Officer

N/A

Rick Smith

Executive Director of Conrad Blucher Institute

N/A

Veysel Avsar

Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Professor of Economics

N/A

Wanese Butler

Financial Conflict of Interest and Export Control Officer

N/A

 

Student Success Committee

Purpose or Function: Review assessment data, analysis, and action plans submitted as part of the annual assessment reporting process and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Council on matters related to the Student Success Imperative of the Strategic Plan. 

Strategic Planning Council: Student Success Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Leslie Mills

AVP Student Success (Chair)

N/A

Crystal Ridgely

AVP Enrollment Management

N/A

Ann DeGaish

AVP Student Engagement and Success

N/A

Levi Esses

AVP Student Life

N/A

Erin Mulligan-Nguyen

AVP Planning, Analytics, Institutional Research, and Strategic Initiatives and Chief Data Officer

N/A

Lisa Perez

AVP and Dean of Students

N/A

Susan Murphy

Associate Provost

N/A

Isaac Hinojosa

College of Liberal Arts Associate Dean

N/A

Katherine Roberto

College of Business Associate Dean

N/A

LD Chen

College of Engineering and Computer Sciences Associate Dean

N/A

Vacant

College of Education and Human Development Associate Dean

N/A

Christina Murphey

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Associate Dean

N/A

Barbara Szczerbinska

College of Science Associate Dean

N/A

David Gurney

School of Arts, Media, and Communication Associate Director

N/A

Derrik Hiatt

Assistant Dean of Libraries

N/A

Cassondra Casanova

Chief Human Resources Officer-Interim

N/A

Scott Meares

AVP Operations

N/A

Chau Hoang

Director of Career and Professional Development Center

N/A

Kimberly Becerra

Executive Associate Vice President for Development

N/A

Engagement Committee

Purpose or Function: Review assessment data, analysis, and action plans submitted as part of the annual assessment reporting process and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Council on matters related to the Engagement Imperative of the Strategic Plan.

Strategic Planning Council: Engagement Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Levi Esses

AVP Student Life (chair)

N/A

Ben Soto

AVP and Chief Information Officer

N/A

Ann DeGaish

AVP Student Engagement and Success

N/A

Kimberly Becerra

Executive Associate Vice President for Development

N/A

Luisa Buttler

Director of Communications

N/A

Ashley Larrabee

Executive Director of Marketing

N/A

Trent Spofford

Director of Web Services

N/A

Elvia Aguilar

Executive Director of Alumni Engagement

N/A

Jennifer Baker

Director of the Center for Athletic Academic Services

N/A

Joe Miller

Director of Research Engagement

N/A

Lisa Perez

AVP and Dean of Students

N/A

Derrik Hiatt

Assistant Dean of Libraries

N/A

Eric Schultz

Deputy Athletics Director & Assistant Vice President

N/A

Chau Hoang

Director of Career and Professional Development Center

N/A

Last Updated: 07/01/2025