HACU announces agenda of Fourth Annual Women’s Leadership Symposium

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has announced the agenda for its Fourth Annual Women's Leadership Symposium, a pre-conference event taking place Oct. 30, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, California.

The symposium, themed "Vision, Voice, Value," will be moderated by Beatriz González, Ph.D., president of Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College and will feature a keynote presentation "Leading with Purpose," by Sonya Christian, Ph.D., chancellor of the California Community Colleges System.

Following the keynote, attendees will participate in the session "Visibility and Thought Leadership," led by Sunita Cooke, Ph.D., superintendent/president of MiraCosta College, and a panel presentation, "Career Growth by Design: Strategy, Sponsorship, and Opportunity," featuring Teresa Ramos, Ph.D., secretary of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood; Kristen Soares, president of the Association of Independent California Colleges & Universities; and Emelyn Dela Peña, Ed.D., president and CEO of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.

Afternoon sessions include "The Difficult Conversation Studio," led by Julianna Barnes, Ed.D., chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District, and "Negotiation and Money Lab," with Patricia Mota, president and CEO of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and Amy Diaz, Ed.D., vice chancellor for strategy & operations and chief of staff, Rutgers University-Newark.

The closing session, "How to Lead con (Co)Razón," will be led by Dania Matos, J.D., vice president for Institutional Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at DePaul University.

The daylong event is designed for higher education professionals at all career stages and explores leadership, career advancement and strategic networking through presentations, panel discussions and interactive workshops. For more information about the symposium click here. To register online, click here.

A PDF of the speaker flyer can be downloaded here.