MIAMI, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Today, St. Thomas University President Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale announced a major institutional appointment that will continue to strengthen the University’s academic leadership position (www.stu.edu). A visionary and transformational leader in higher education, Irma Becerra-Fernandez, Ph.D., has been named St. Thomas University’s new Provost.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100709/STULOGO

“Dr. Becerra-Fernandez brings to St. Thomas University a wealth of knowledge and expertise in higher education, and an excellent understanding of our unique community,” said Monsignor Casale. “Her exceptional skills will help us continue to build the University’s educational standing and our Catholic intellectual tradition. Irma’s many scholarly and community accomplishments truly exemplify the spirit of St. Thomas.”

Most recently, Dr. Becerra-Fernandez served as the Vice President, Office of Engagement at Florida International University (FIU). She served in a number of academic and senior management positions at FIU since 1990, and has a broad educational background that spans the fields of engineering, information technology and business. She is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of knowledge management, business intelligence, entrepreneurship, and disaster management, and is known and respected as a “creative innovator” in the design of programs. “St. Thomas University is gaining a star in Dr. Irma Becerra-Fernandez,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “The partnerships she has created and nurtured at FIU have advanced our mission as a solutions center for our community and I’m sure she will bring the same energy, commitment and intellectual rigor to the office of the provost at St. Thomas University.”

During her tenure at FIU, Dr. Becerra-Fernandez succeeded in a variety of complex challenges, from improved graduation rates to donor relations, and increased resource acquirement. She has coordinated various important community partnerships, including the stewardship of the One Community One Goal’s Academic Leaders Council. Prior to her employment in academia, Dr. Becerra-Fernandez was an Engineer at Florida Power and Light.

“Great cities deserve great universities and Miami deserves to have the greatest Catholic University in the Southeast,” said Dr. Becerra-Fernandez. “Saint Thomas is poised to achieve that vision and I look forward to working with Monsignor Casale, the administration, the dedicated faculty and staff, and our community, to continue providing cutting edge academic offerings that enhance the academic and professional success of our students, while producing ethical leaders for our global economy through our commitment to St. Thomas’ Catholic mission of service to our diverse community.”

About St. Thomas University:
The only Catholic Archdiocesan-sponsored University in Florida, St. Thomas University places an institutional emphasis on social justice and ethical behavior. The STU School of Law boasts one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the country, ranking first among all ABA-approved law schools in the proportion of Hispanic students, and sixth among African-American students. STU is one of the only law schools in the nation with a Human Rights Institute and offers a joint M.B.A.- J.D. in Accounting, International Business, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Sports Administration. The University offers 25 undergraduate and 12 graduate degrees at its 145 acre campus in Miami Gardens, Florida, and through distance learning, including one of the oldest (and highly ranked) undergraduate programs in Sports Administration in the Country. Approximately 90% of the faculty holds the highest degree in their fields and the university provides its diverse student body with low student/teacher ratios.

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — ALPFA (pronounced “alpha”), the Association of Latino Professionals For America, selected both Frank Lopez and Verna A. Greer as Senior Vice Presidents of Corporate Development.

As a former president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation, and, during his tenure, also served as a dynamic service executive and as chief development strategist. Lopez was instrumental in establishing a variety of national partnerships among premier national businesses, trade associations and Fortune 500 corporations.

Earlier in his career, Lopez served as a program management executive within a major telecommunications company, focused on projects throughout Latin America. Prior to this role, Lopez was a senior management executive within the State of New York, where he led the development of more than 2,000 residential settings for underserved, disabled individuals in distressed communities. He also was part of Governor Cuomo’s team on the Minority and Women-Owned Businesses program, and has served on a number of philanthropic and social service governance boards.

Lopez has served on a number of philanthropic and social service governance boards, such as SourceAmerica, a congressionally created organization that manages and brokers over $2.5 billion in federal employment related contracts for a network of voluntary agencies across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Greer comes to ALPFA from the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA), where, since 2009, she led its resource development as the senior director of corporate strategic alliances and national programming. At NABA, Greer generated more than 50 percent of the organization’s total revenue. She also developed numerous programs, including the Women of NABA Network workshops.

In her previous role, she enhanced the Leadership Institute, which enlists some of the country’s most renowned universities, such as Harvard and Georgetown, to provide specialized training to executives. Prior to that, Greer served as principal of ATC Services, Inc., as regional director for Accountants 4 Contracts (A4C) and as vice-president of Small Business, Mass Market Operations at Fleet Boston Financial. 

Greer received her Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University with honors and her MBA from the Northeastern Graduate School of Business. She also earned her CFE from New York University and received a certificate from Georgetown University in Executive Leadership Development. 

“We chose Frank and Verna because they both have a solid record of consistently delivering value to all stakeholders, while surpassing goals and expectations,” said Charlie Garcia, ALPFA’s CEO. “They have perfected the art of generating diverse funding sources to implement successful programs.”

ABOUT ALPFA

Founded in 1972, ALPFA is one of largest and longest-standing Latino organizations. Its mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the American and global economy. With 23,000 members, in 42 professional and 130 student chapters across the United States, ALPFA, working with more than 400 diverse partners, provides networking and career opportunities, mentoring, and leadership development.