Leadership Team
Natalie A. Sánchez-Lopez, M.P.P.
Executive Director & CEO, Latino Texas Policy Center (LTPC)
Natalie is the Founding Executive Director and CEO of the LTPC. LTPC is a newly established statewide organization based in San Antonio whose primary objective is to increase the policy-making power of Latinos. Natalie is a native Tejana, born and raised in San Antonio, and a proud hija of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican ancestry. After completing her Master in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2008, she continued living in Boston, where for the last 15 years, she worked in grassroots organizing and advocacy, as well as holding positions in local and state government focused on increasing the political and economic development of Latinos and all communities of color. She was one of the 50 individuals to organize and lead the first National Women’s March in 2008.
She is one of the founders of We Are March On and has helped cities across the country develop their local sister march chapters. She also worked throughout the Middle East and South Asia on developing multi-national and multi-stakeholder consensus building focused on poverty alleviation and improving education access and attainment – curriculum development and teaching and implementation of training to increase individual and organizational negotiation and consensus building capacity.
Juan H. Flores, M.U.P.
Board Chairman
For over 40 years Juan was engaged both as an activist and in leadership roles to help address Latino health and social policy concerns at the local, state and national levels. He founded the Chicano Health Policy Development, Inc. (1978-1992) targeting health professions development, health promotion and prevention, health care access, and advocacy.
He served as Chief Executive Officer and Administrator at multiple Community Health Centers (1993-2005) and directed the La Fe Policy Research and Education Center (La Fe PREC) in San Antonio, Texas from 2006 to 2013. The Center conducted social and health policy research, leadership training, and advocacy. He remains active in state and national social and health policy issues.
Juan conducted doctoral work at the University of Texas, School of Public Health in Houston, and received his Bachelor of Public Health and Masters in Urban Planning degrees from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and the University of Washington in Seattle respectively.
Rogelio Sáenz, Ph.D.
Board Member
Dr. Rogelio Sáenz was formerly the Dean of the College of Public Policy and holds the Mark G. Yudof Endowed Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Sáenz has written extensively in the areas of demography, Latina/os, race and ethnic relations, inequality, immigration, public policy, social justice, and human rights. His work includes publishing numerous Op-Ed’s in local and national media outlets on critical issues impacting the Latino community, as well as interviews that inform and calls for policy action.
His most recent published works have focused extensively on the impact of COVID- 19 on the Latino communities. He co-authored “Latinos in the United States: Diversity and Change” (Polity Press) and is also co-editor of “The International Handbook of the Demography of Race and Ethnicity” (Springer Press). He obtained his B.S.W. in Social Work from Pan American University, and his M.S. and PhD. in Sociology, from Iowa State University.
Daniel Solano Meza
Board Member
Daniel has over 25 years of experience building partnerships that foster public-private collaboration. This experience includes an understanding of local city and county government policymaking and political influences and their impact on Latino families. His work engaged local government officials and elected officials toward improvements in infrastructure and quality of life in disadvantaged neighborhoods. He has demonstrated policy and program development achievements in education, health, economic development, and technology.
His leadership positions have included Principal Consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Grant Administrator for the Edgewood Independent School District, and Associate State Director of Outreach for the AARP of Texas. Daniel received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UT Austin and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan.
Jackelin Trevino
Board Member
Jackelin has over a decade of experience targeting social justice concerns impacting Latino and disadvantaged communities. Her research, organizing, advocacy, and training skills are focused on engaging and building capacity among residents and organizational stakeholders to address their concerns. Her work and experience with arts organizations are an essential part of her toolbox for utilizing storytelling and other art forums to inform and organize communities to action. Her intersectional organizing and campaign management experience targets relationship development and cultivating shared understanding across different issues and collaborative solution approaches,
Jackelin is currently the Manager for Membership Movement with the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. Her prior work experience includes Program Grants Manager for the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, Consultant, South Texas Border Capacity Assessment Project Manager, and founding Executive Director of the Pluma Blanca Community Theater in McAllen. She holds a B.A. in Communications Studies from UT Rio Grande Valley.
Paul Ruiz, Ph.D.
Board Member (Emeritus)
Paul Ruiz, Ph.D., Principal Partner, Emeritus and co-founder of the Education Trust, Inc., is recognized nationally for his work in helping schools and school districts in their efforts to improve academic achievement and close gaps. He devoted over 35 years of professional and advocacy work to the education success of all students, with a particular focus on improving achievement and closing the Latino and African American achievement gap.
At Central Michigan University, he served as an assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs, and while serving as a school principal in Saginaw, he was selected “Hispanic Educator of the Year” in 1982 by the Michigan Department of Education for his extraordinary work with inner city children, with a particular focus on migrant students and English Language Learners.Dr Ruiz has been a school principal, director, and served as Chief Academic Officer for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He also directed the Hispanic Student Success Program at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Before he retired, he served as Director of P-16 initiative at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Dr Ruiz holds a B.A. from St. Mary’s University (1971), a Master of Arts from Central Michigan University (1975), and a PhD from The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1977). He is the initiator and founding Chair of the recently created Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI) located in San Antonio, Texas.
Founder Members
Paul Ruiz, Ph.D.
Andres E. Jimenez Montoya
Juan H. Flores, MUP
Natalie A. Sanchez, M.P.P.