Texas Border Business –
AUSTIN – Texas State Technical College, the state’s leader in technical education, announces the appointment of Javier De Leon, whose distinguished service has spanned three decades, to its Government Affairs Division.
As Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, De Leon will join TSTC Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Government Affairs Officer Roger Miller and his team in Austin in legislative and agency outreach. He will also work with TSTC Provost in Harlingen Stella Garcia in serving as liaison to elected officials and community leaders throughout South Texas.
“This is the right time to improve our government relations presence in South Texas, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the state and home to our flagship Harlingen campus,” said Chancellor Mike Reeser. “Javier is a respected member of the community and the right person to keep our lawmakers and other public sector leaders abreast of our work as we place more Texans in great-paying jobs.”
De Leon has served Texas State Technical College for 30 years, growing the College Readiness and Corporate Education programs on the Harlingen campus. Among the programs he has been responsible for establishing or managing: Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program (TexPREP); High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Upward Bound; Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST); Robotics; and the Center for Science and Math Education. All these programs target high school students and are designed to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) studies and careers.
De Leon has also been responsible for establishing the Challenger Learning Center, an interactive learning experience featuring simulated space missions for junior high and high school students, on the Harlingen campus. Under his guidance, a second Challenger Learning Center is set to open on the Waco campus in September.
During his tenure with TSTC, De Leon has successfully managed contracts with the Department of Education and Workforce Investment Act/Workforce boards. Most recently, De Leon served as Vice President of College Readiness and Corporate Education for TSTC statewide.
De Leon, a Harlingen native, is an active member of his hometown community, serving as a trustee on the Harlingen School Board since 2005. He also currently serves as a chairman commissioner of the Civil Service Commission Board for Cameron County. De Leon is a past recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for his commitment and dedication to TSTC and its students.
“It’s been a blessing to work for TSTC, and now to be chosen by the Chancellor to represent not only our South Texas campus, but all campuses statewide, is humbling,” said De Leon. “I’m extremely excited about strengthening the TSTC relationship with local, state and federal elected officials, both at home, in Austin, and at the state capitol.”
De Leon holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Therapy and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas-Pan American, today known as UT Rio Grande Valley. TBB
