HACU announces four new members of its Governing Board

SAN ANTONIO - The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has announced four new Governing Board members. The appointments were made on November 1, 2025, in Aurora, Colorado. HACU Governing Board members serve two-year terms with the opportunity to be re-elected for a second term.

"HACU's Governing Board members are the stewards of the Association's mission, and provide essential guidance on the critical issues facing our member institutions. We are grateful for the leadership they provide in their home institutions and for the extra work they take on as HACU Board members to ensure all our students achieve their higher education and career aspirations," said HACU Interim Chief Executive Officer John Moder.

The new members joining the current Governing Board members are Katrina E. Bell-Jordan, Ph.D., Christopher M. Reber, Ph.D., Antonio Leaño Reyes and Laura R. Márquez who will serve their first two-year terms.

Katrina E. Bell-Jordan, Ph.D., is president of Northeastern Illinois University, as well as a professor in the department of communication, media and theatre. She has held various teaching and leadership roles at the university since 1997, including serving as a department chair, associate dean, and interim dean. Bell-Jordan was appointed dean of the college of arts and sciences in 2020 until being appointed NEIU's Interim President in 2023. Bell-Jordan earned a bachelor's, master's and doctorate from Ohio University.

Christopher M. Reber, Ph.D., is the eighth president of Hudson County Community College. Before arriving at HCCC, Reber was president of Community College of Beaver County. Prior to that position, he served for 12 years as executive dean of Venango College of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, leading the development and approval of Clarion University's first doctoral degree in nursing practice. Reber earned a bachelor's from Dickinson College, a master's from Bowling Green State University, and a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Antonio Leaño Reyes is president of the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, the first private university in Mexico. He has served in a variety of leadership positions at the university, and was appointed President in 2005. Since taking office, he has worked to change and modernize the university's management approach, which has included the adoption of a corporate governance model. He received an honorary doctorate in 2009 from the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru, and an honorary doctorate in 2014 from Caucasus University in Georgia. He earned a bachelor's from UAG, and a master´s degree from the University of Arizona.

Laura R. Márquez is a strategic advisor with more than 25 years of experience across technology, government, and the nonprofit sector. She has held senior leadership roles at Google and as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, managed a legislative team on Capitol Hill, and co-founded two nonprofits to build diverse networks of leaders. She spearheaded efforts to strengthen partnerships with HACU while at Google, including launching the Latinx Student Leadership Summit. She earned concurrent master's from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, and a bachelor's from the University of Texas at Austin. Márquez serves as chair of HACU's Corporate and Philanthropic Council.

HACU extends its sincere thanks to members completing their terms and their contributions during their service to HACU's Governing Board:

Emma Grace Hernández Flores, Ph.D., president of Universidad de Iberoamérica

Brad Mortensen, Ph.D., president of Utah State University

Greg Peterson, Ed.D., president of Salt Lake Community College

Luke Visconti, chairman and Founder of Fair360, LLC