Ana Rummer – Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Transformation for Student Affairs at Austin Community College (ACC)
Ana Rummer is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Transformation for Student Affairs at Austin Community College (ACC). In this role, she leads student and internal communications, division-wide change strategy for student support systems, staff professional development and onboarding, and technology implementation and continuous improvement.
Ana joined ACC in 2017 as the inaugural Director of Student Affairs Communication and has since helped shape how Student Affairs aligns people, processes, and systems around student success. She partners with executive and regional leaders to reduce student runaround, strengthen a culture of clarity and care, and ensure students experience support that is connected, proactive, and purposeful.
Before transitioning to higher education leadership, Ana built her career in the nonprofit sector, where she worked in direct client support, fundraising, multi-channel marketing, public relations, and employee engagement. That foundation in mission-driven service continues to shape her approach to leadership and organizational transformation.
A certified Clifton Strengths coach and Prosci change practitioner, Ana brings a strengths-based, human-centered lens to her work. She is passionate about helping individuals and teams understand their unique talents and apply them in meaningful ways.
A proud community college alumna of Central Texas College, Ana holds a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tarleton State University. Her work is grounded in service, growth, and a deep belief in the power of community colleges to change lives.
Suzanne Morales-Vale – Senior Director in the Division for Student Success and Institutional Partnerships at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
As Senior Director in the Division for Student Success and Institutional Partnerships at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Dr. Suzanne Morales-Vale oversees the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), the statute requiring assessment and advising of all entering, non-exempt undergraduate students., as well as the instrument used for this purpose, the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA2). Dr. Morales-Vale also oversees the review, implementation, and evaluation of the statewide plan for serving underprepared students, including through corequisite models, which co-enroll most underprepared students in entry-level college courses and aligned, targeted interventions and support. Statewide student-centered reform and evaluation efforts, funded through College Readiness and Success (CRSM) and Student Success Acceleration Program (SSAP) grant opportunities, continue to emphasize scaling and enhancing such models, as well as advising and other accelerated, innovative strategies leading to improved persistence and completions in support of the state’s higher education strategic plan, Building a Talent Strong Texas. Dr. Morales-Vale oversees research and evaluation of internal and external student success initiatives and programs supporting successful P-16 transitions that increase the number of prepared students enrolling in postsecondary education and training opportunities, supporting their momentum and completions leading to increased economic mobility for all students, including adult learner populations.
Prior to joining the Coordinating Board in 2011, Dr. Morales-Vale taught eighteen years at Central Texas College in the areas of developmental writing/reading and college-level English courses through traditional, hybrid, and online delivery, with additional teaching experiences in university and secondary settings in Texas and California. She has held numerous leadership positions at institutional and state levels and directed initiatives for a wide range of programs, including faculty professional development; institutional reaffirmation of accreditation; faculty advising; and non-course, competency-based curricular options, along with other student interventions promoting acceleration and improved outcomes. Growing up as a member of the military family community, Dr. Morales-Vale was fortunate to participate in the DoD school system in Germany, later returning there and to England for study abroad graduate programs. She holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, College Station.
Ashlie Resendez, MA – Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Engagement, Lone Star College – CyFair
Ashlie Flores Resendez brings over twenty-five years of higher education experience, having built her career at Lone Star College through progressive leadership roles spanning Academic Advisor, Financial Aid Director, and Dean of Student Services. She currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Engagement, where she provides strategic oversight for a comprehensive portfolio of student-facing programs including dual credit, foster care liaison, parenting student liaison, behavioral intervention, and the Student Navigators Program—connecting campus resources and dedicated liaisons to students with lived experiences in foster and adoptive care. She has also worked closely with veteran services and contracted counseling. Ashlie holds an Associate of Arts from Northwest Vista College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word, a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. A past President of the Texas Association of Community College Student Affairs Administrators and current Secretary of the Education Reach for Texans Board, she brings recognized state-level leadership and an unwavering commitment to expanding access and opportunity for all Texans.
Vashti C. Bryant, Ph.D. – Dean, Academic Affairs, Lone Star College – University Park
Dr. Bryant advances dual credit initiatives by overseeing partnerships with 21 high schools. Her role includes leading departmental efforts to maintain agreements, coordinate instruction, facilitate enrollments, connect students to campus services, and collaborate closely with high school counselors, teachers, and administrators. Her work also includes guiding Early College High Schools to ensure programs align with institutional standards and student success goals. She’s currently leading campus efforts to increase the number of dual credit students earning associate degrees.
Dr. Hanna Carter – Chief High School Partnerships Officer, Howard College
Dr. Carter coordinates dual credit for the Howard College district and has worked at Howard College for the past year. She has 26 years of experience in K-12 education including four years as a high school principal and four years as a district-level administrator.
Sara Mann – Chief High School Programs Officer, Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Success, Alamo Colleges District
Sara Mann brings over three decades of experience spanning K–12 and higher education, providing a unique perspective on the design and delivery of dual credit programs. As Chief High School Programs Officer for Alamo Colleges District, she leads a comprehensive portfolio of partnerships with more than 100 school districts and organizations, expanding access to college-level coursework for almost 22,000 students. Her work focuses on scaling equitable pathways, strengthening alignment between secondary and postsecondary systems, and driving student success through innovative dual credit, Early College High School, and P-TECH models.
Jason Sanchez – Director, High School Programs Enrollment & Partnerships, Austin Community College
Jason is responsible for the strategic planning and operational management of the administration and collaboration of the district-wide high school programs, including oversight of enrollment, recruitment, and registration of high school students for academic and workforce dual credit.
Kristin Nemain – Assistant to the Director of Strategic Events, Office of Community and Government Affairs, Austin Community College
Kristen Nemain is a student and employee at Austin Community College and an Industrial Engineering Major at Texas State University with minors in Mathematics and Public Administration. A nontraditional student, Nemain returned to school for a new career after two decades as an arts, events, and entertainment professional. She is the founding president of The Scholarship Society, a student organization currently creating the first student-founded scholarship endowment with the ACC Foundation. During her term as ACC Student Body Vice President, she founded Micro Aid, a form of emergency aid for ACC students needing urgent assistance under $100, raising over $23,000 for the cause. Today, she channels this passion for student success and deep institutional understanding into the Rhythm of the Semester framework, helping institutions translate student experience into actionable support systems.
Jacob Cottingham – Senior Director of Government Relations, Texas Association of Community Colleges
Jacob Cottingham is the Senior Director of Government Relations at the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). Prior to joining TACC in January of 2022, he spent more than a decade working in the Texas Legislature, most recently as Chief of Staff to a State Representative. He’s a graduate of Bard College, a former Austin Community College student, and has a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Jacob also has experience in publishing, media start-ups, and political campaigns. He guides the coordinated efforts of TACC’s advocacy for their membership.
Beaman Floyd – Principal at Research, Consulting, Lobbying
Beaman Floyd is an independent contract lobbyist and public affairs strategist with more that 30 years of experience in legislative and public affairs consulting. Since 1997, Beaman has run his own firm with a diverse set of clients, including insurance and financial services companies, public education associations, higher education concerns, and faith groups.
Beaman has been involved in a number of major public policy initiatives, including insurance reform, workers’ compensation reform, Sunset Commission projects, various regulatory reforms, pension and investment legislation, health care legislation, higher education policy, church and state issues, poverty advocacy, housing initiatives, refugee issues, and a host of other legislative and regulatory matters.
Beaman’s services for clients includes direct lobbying, strategic campaign design and execution, coalition building and representation, policy formation and “think tank” exercises, media representation, grass roots advocacy training, advanced advocacy training, and public speaking in a number of diverse environments. He is a frequent guest columnist in media publications, a published author on higher education issues, and a guest lecturer in a variety of educational settings.
Beaman is a champion of lobbying as a profession, and supports the highest levels of ethics and transparency in public affairs representation. He views the honorable execution of lobbying as vital to the exercise of Texans and Americans of their rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition government.
