Recently retired from her position as Executive Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship at McMurry University, Nancy Smith continues to serve the University as coordinator of the Centennial Celebration. Other positions that Nancy has held during her 23 years with the University are Associate Director of Admissions, Associate Dean of Students, and Executive Director of University Relations. During her eight-year hiatus from higher education in the 1990s, she worked at the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and the West Central Texas Workforce Development Board.

Nancy has served on a number of boards and committees, including the Taylor County Expo Center Board, the Abilene Chamber Military Affairs Committee, Leadership Texas Alumni Association, Rotary District 5790 Assistant Governor, Alliance for Women and Children Board, Texas Economic Development Council Board, Pioneer Drive Baptist Church Finance Committee and Sunday School Department Director.

Nancy is married to Rodney, who is recently retired from the Abilene Police Department. They have two children, Matt and Jennifer, who are both married. She is especially proud of her 4-year-old grandson, Reed, and is eagerly awaiting the birth of a granddaughter in October 2022.

Marsha Kelman, a San Antonio native, enjoyed a long management career in higher education. She led the institutional research and policy analysis units at The University of Texas at Austin and UT System. These offices provided management information and analytical support to executive management. Marsha concluded her career at the University of California where she served as Chief of Staff to the President and then Secretary and Chief of Staff to the UC Board of Regents. During her career, she was a frequent advisor to the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council, and the Association of American Universities.

Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin; on faculty and staff for 35 years from 1974 through 2009. Director of Office of Institutional Studies, 1974-81; Associate Vice President for Budget & Institutional Studies, 1981-1988; Associate Dean for Finance & Administration, College of Education, 1988-1994; Vice Provost, 1997-2003.

Associate Professor, Dept Educational Administration, 1988-2000. Professor 2000-2009, Professor Emeritus, 2009-present

Director, Higher Education Administration Program, Dept of Educational Administration, 1996-99; 2003-06

Fellow, Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership, 2005-2009; Graduate Faculty Associate, John C. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership, Kansas State University, 2020-present.

Taught Higher Education Economics & Finance Policy, Community College Programs, Higher Education Business Management, Legislative Issues in Higher Education, Institutional Research & Planning, Policy Issues in Higher Education

Franklin Lindsay Student Loan Committee, 2009- present; Member, Executive Committee, 2017- present; Secretary: 2017-2019; Vice Chair, 2019- 2021; Chair 2021-present.

1965 Graduate of Texas A&M with a BS degree in Finance. Retired from Texas A&M University as Director Emeritus of Scholarship and Student Financial Aid in 2002. Proudly served as Head Usher for Texas A&M Football for 50 years. Enjoy spending time with my family and wife of 60 years, active member of my Church Choir and Lions Club. Enjoy cattle ranching and being a good steward of the land.

Margaret Dechant is the Associate Vice President for School and Community Relations at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She has had a successful career at A&M-Corpus Christi for 35 years. Margaret has served on the Franklin Lindsay Board since February 2022.

Margaret began her career at A&M University-Corpus Christi in 1987 in the Financial Assistance Office as the Scholarship and Work Study Advisor. Over the course of her higher education career at the University, she has served as an Admission Counselor/Recruiter; promoted to Director of Admissions; and promoted once again to Director of Admissions and University Registrar.

In 2006, she became the first Hispanic female to hold the position of Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. A position she held for 12 years. During her tenure in that position, she grew the University’s enrollment to over 12,200 students, and developed several new student programs.

In November 2018, Margaret was named the Associate Vice President for School and Community Relations. She is the first person and first Hispanic female to hold this position at the University.

Margaret has a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Corpus Christi State University (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi).

She has served as President for the following organizations to include the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrar’s and Admissions Officers, the South Texas Association of Collegiate Registrar’s and Admissions Officers, and the Nueces County Census 2020 Together Board. She served as Chair of the ApplyTexas Advisory Board with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. She was selected by the current Mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas to serve on the Mayor’s Transition Team. Currently, she serves on the Education to Employment Board, is a member of the Mayor’s Food Bank Task Force, and the Mayor’s Environmental Task Force.

Margaret is the recipient of the YWCA Women in Careers Award in 2005, the Student Engagement and Success Rising Tide Award for Service Excellence in 2021 and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society in 2022.

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Linda Gonzalez-Hensgen retired after forty-three years of service in higher education. She served thirteen years at El Pao Community College (EPCC), six years as Director of Financial Aid and Veteran Affairs and seven years as Vice President of Student Services. Prior to that, she worked at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for thirty years; working her way from student employee to Director of Financial Aid.

Linda has been a leader on the national, state, and local levels on issues affecting students in higher education serving on the boards of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Southwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SWASFAA) and serving as President of the Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA). She made several presentations regarding college access and affordability, outreach to minority families and collaborative initiatives in higher education.

Her awards include TASFAA Hall of Fame (first Hispanic, female) and the NASFAA Leadership Award.

Community involvement includes:

• Leadership El Paso Class XVII

• El Paso Children’s Model Court Committee for foster care/adoption 1999-2001

• Parent Advisory Group-UTEP Child Care Center 2001-2004 (President 2003-04)

• Eastwood Heights Elementary School PTA Board of Directors 2004-06

• Volunteer Reynolds House, Shelter for Women and Children 2003-2014

• Eastwood High School Orchestra Boosters Club 2012-2016, Treasurer 2013-14

• Board of Directors Family Services of El Paso 1995-1999 (President 1999), 2010-Present, (Treasurer 2012, President 2017, Vice President 2018, Treasurer 2019-2022), President 2023

• All Saints Catholic Church – Pastoral council 2019 - present, Finance Council 2010-2018 (chair 2012- 2018), lector and usher ministry coordinator 2010 -present

• Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) 2018 -2021

• evolve credit union Board of Directors 2018 – present, board secretary 2018- 2019, 2 nd Vice Chair 2019-2022, Chair 2022

• Volunteer for Dessert Spoon Food Hub 2019-2022

Linda was raised and educated in El Paso graduating from Burges High School and UTEP. Her husband, Pete Hensgen is a retired UTEP Police Lieutenant. John Paul, her son is a full-time graduate student at UTEP and part time employee at EPCC.

Laura graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She worked at Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District teaching Elementary Education for twenty-seven years and was also the Special Education Department Chairperson. Laura also taught two years in Adult Education and as a work study supervisor at Brownsville Independent School District. Laura is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and has held the position of Vice President and Secretary.

I currently teach Government and serve as faculty chair for the Department of Government & Geography at Lone Star College – Montgomery, where I’ve worked and taught for the past 27 years. Over the course of my teaching career, in addition to my role as Professor of Government, I’ve been blessed to serve as Associate Dean of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Founding Director of the LSC-Montgomery Honors College, and Faculty Advisor for our student LSCS National Model United Nations team which competes annually in the world’s largest collegiate Model UN simulation held in New York. I have a passion for working with college students, teaching political science, fostering undergraduate student research, and educating/assisting students in making smart financial choices regarding college education and student loan debt. I’ve had the privilege to serve the past fourteen years on the not-for-profit Franklin Lindsay Student Aid Fund committee, advising and assisting students in achieving their higher education goals through one of the lowest interest fixed-rate student loans available today.

Mr. Rapp is a retired (30 years) Senior Director of Student Affairs in the School of Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has a M.Ed. from The University of North Texas in Counseling and Student Services. He and his wife, Carolyn, enjoy out-of-doors activities and spending time with their grandchildren.

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Representing the South Texas region, Alfred (Fred) Rodriguez has been a member of the Franklin Lindsay Student Aid Fund loan committee for over 25 years. He has chaired the program’s Executive Committee, and currently serves as its senior advisor. Mr. Rodriguez is a seasoned higher education executive with over three decades of leadership experience in university admissions, student services, and registrar offices. He has a comprehensive knowledge of academic and student affairs through his background at a wide range of small and large institutions, both public and private, and graduate and professional schools. Mr. Rodriguez most recently served as University Registrar at Trinity University in San Antonio. Previously, he directed enrollment services offices at the Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and the University of Houston. He has been actively involved in professional organizations on the state, regional, and national level, including service as president of the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Mr. Rodriguez earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, and his masters in higher education administration and supervision from the University of Houston. He and his wife Laurie currently reside north of San Antonio in Boerne, on the edge of the Texas hill country.

A native Texan born in Eagle Lake. Attended Baylor University for a Bachelors, a Masters and a Doctorate. Retired after 46 years in education