TITLE: Recognizing Cesar Maldonado for his service as Chancellor of Houston Community College.

SUMMARY: Recognizing Cesar Maldonado for his service as Chancellor of Houston Community College.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Dr. Cesar Maldonado has made significant contributions to higher education and workforce development as chancellor of Houston Community College; and WHEREAS, Named chancellor of the six-college system in 2014, Dr. Maldonado has fostered an inclusive, supportive culture for students and staff while boosting academic achievement through innovative programs; his restructuring of HCC has increased the number of graduates by over 12 percent per year, and the scholastic performance of first-year students has improved markedly; and WHEREAS, Dr. Maldonado has established academic partnerships that allow students to transition seamlessly to specified four-year programs at such institutions as Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Tyler, and Stephen F. Austin State University; in addition, he has developed partnerships with local industries to open pathways for students eager to enter the workforce after obtaining an associate's degree or certificate; and WHEREAS, Ably steering the institution through such challenges as Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Maldonado has focused on fiscal stability, including debt reduction and strengthening of reserves, as a key element of strategic planning; at the same time, he has overseen the expansion of HCC to 19 campuses and facilities; among HCC's 14 new Centers of Excellence are the Challenger Learning Center for Space Science and the Resiliency Operations Center; moreover, HCC has been reaffirmed twice as an Achieving the Dream Leader College, signaling a solid commitment to educational access and quality; and WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous honors, Dr. Maldonado was presented with the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award; he was also named Most Admired Non-profit CEO by Houston Business Journal,and he has been elected to the Philosophical Society of Texas, the Texas Tech University Engineering Academy, and the Phi Theta Kappa Texas Hall of Fame for Student Engagement; and WHEREAS, Dr. Maldonado brought to HCC an unusual breadth of experience; after more than 25 years as a business executive, he served as president of Texas State Technical College and as vice chancellor for institutional effectiveness and commercialization for the TSTC System; he holds bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and a doctorate in systems and engineering management from Texas Tech University; and WHEREAS, Through his adept leadership and commitment to excellence, Cesar Maldonado has greatly advanced the important mission of Houston Community College; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, hereby honor Dr. Cesar Maldonado for his service as chancellor of Houston Community College and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Dr. Maldonado as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Miles, Alvarado, Whitmire President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 25, 2023.