ALAMO FORWARD
LETTER FROM THE CHANCELLOR
For 80 years, the Alamo Colleges District has transformed lives through education, building a legacy of innovation and community impact. Our solid foundation has enabled us to be innovative and strategic on our journey toward our moonshot: partnering to end poverty through education and training. So, what does it take to build on an award-winning foundation?
As our region grows, so does our responsibility. By Fall 2030, we anticipate enrolling 100,000 learners across our five colleges — becoming the largest education provider in the region. Our new five-year strategic plan, AlamoFORWARD, positions us to meet this moment with bold action and shared purpose. Guided by the voices of our students, employees, and community, AlamoFORWARD centers on four strategic priorities: Our Learners, Talent, Community, and Performance Excellence. These priorities are our blueprint for transformation.
We will deepen our “Students First” commitment — delivering high-quality instruction, career-aligned pathways, and holistic support that helps every learner succeed. From enhancing our nationally recognized AlamoADVISE model, to strengthening dual credit and early college programs, over the next five years, we will prioritize propelling our learners toward their aspirations and into prosperity.
Our faculty and staff are the heart of our mission. AlamoFORWARD invests in their growth, resilience, and readiness to lead through immense change.
Through powerful partnerships with our community, we will continue to bridge classrooms to careers in collaboration with our industry leaders and service providers — subsequently fueling our region's economic mobility and regional vitality. AlamoFORWARD will align our collective work to create real and lasting change for our growing region.
As a two-time Malcolm Baldrige Award recipient, we will remain committed to performance excellence. This plan ensures that our systems are agile, accountable, and aligned to deliver lasting impact. Along with my 5,500 colleagues — we know that when we propel our learners’ success, we uplift families and transform our community. We believe that AlamoFORWARD can catalyze our momentum toward our moonshot.
Thank you for your continued partnership and belief in our mission.
In
service, Dr. Mike Flores Chancellor, Alamo Colleges District
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
At the Alamo Colleges District, we believe in the power of education to transform the lives of our learners and in our responsibility to lead with a shared vision. As chair of the Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees, I’m proud to share that we have taken another step to ensure we are positioned to meet the future of our region.
The Board of Trustees has officially adopted new strategic priorities and goals, known together as AlamoFORWARD, to guide our work over the next five years. This roadmap builds on input from students, employees, and community partners and reflects our collective commitment to the learners and families we serve.
This plan is our board’s promise to stay focused on what matters most: student success. It’s a continuation of our journey as a two-time recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a distinction that recognizes our commitment to continuous improvement, excellence, and results.
AlamoFORWARD strengthens that legacy. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this planning process.
We look forward to the work ahead and seeing how AlamoFORWARD propels us toward our moonshot and into an opportunity-filled future.
With gratitude, Dr. Clint Kingsbery Chair, Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees
ALAMO COLLEGES DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Clint Kingsbery, Chair, District 8
Joe Alderete Jr., Vice Chair, District 1
Anna Uriegas Bustamante, Secretary, District 3
Gloria Ray, Assistant Secretary, District 2
Dr. Lorena “Lorraine” Pulido, District 4
Gerald Lopez, District 5
Dr. Gene Sprague, District 6
Dr. Yvonne Katz, District 7
Leslie Sachanowicz, District 9
Josiah Rodriguez, 2025-2026 Student Trustee
DESIGNATIONS OF EXCELLENCE
WHO WE ARE
Partnering to end poverty through education and training. MOONSHOT
VISION
Empowering our diverse communities for success.
MISSION
The Alamo Colleges District will be the best in the nation in student success and performance excellence.
VALUES
The members of the Alamo Colleges District are committed to building individual and collective character through the following set of shared values in order to fulfill our vision and mission.
Students First Respect for All Community-Engaged Collaboration Can-Do Spirit
Data-Informed
STRATEGIC PLAN
PHASE 1
Launch & Discovery
Board Engagement
Previewed the timeline with the Board of Trustees , which approved organizational charges to the chancellor to execute a strategic planning process that captures stakeholder feedback and positions the Alamo Colleges District on a multi-year path while building on an award-winning foundation.
Community Input
Engaged approximately 200 stakeholders, including students, community-based partners, board trustees and staff from across the district and colleges through eight listening sessions, ensuring that AlamoFORWARD will be grounded in an understanding of current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, both internally and across our landscape.
PHASE 2
Refinement & Approval
Priority & Goal Development
Engaged approximately 50 district-wide staff and faculty, over four work sessions to translate listening session feedback into changes that build on an awardwinning foundation and create a multi-year path that anticipates future opportunities and shifts in our landscape, concluding with four new priorities and 12 goals.
Board Adoption
Conducted three Board of Trustees feedback sessions to review, refine, and adopt the final priorities and goals for the Learners, Talent, Community, and Performance Excellence areas.
TIMELINE
PHASE 4 PHASE 3
Plan Development Implementation
Facilitated six district-wide, highengagement workshops with 80 staff, faculty, and students, each averaging three hours.
Finalized the AlamoFORWARD strategic plan that includes 36 key strategic actions and 12 indicators that will measure our success.
Starting in 2025 and continuing through 2030, we will advance and monitor the impact of all strategies through shared leadership across the district, periodically providing updates to the Board of Trustees and our community.
OUR 2025-2030 PRIORITIES LEARNERS
At the core of AlamoFORWARD are four key priorities that anchor the district’s mission, vision, and values. These priorities organize and align current and future work, and represent the collective contributions and aspirations that will drive the Alamo Colleges District toward our moonshot: partnering to end poverty through education and training.
Each priority is a critical area of focus needed to create lasting impact over the next five years.
OUR GOALS & STRATEGIES
Each priority anchors key goals and actionable strategies that will guide the Alamo Colleges District on a multi-year path to meet the demands of the future, with a keen focus on how we can proactively plan for and contribute to our region’s demand for education, training, employment, and economic mobility.
LEARNERS
Propelling our learners’ success from connection through post-completion
GOAL
Our learners connect to and enroll in a learning pathway aligned with their aspirations.
The Alamo Colleges District supports learners on every step of their academic journey. Our student success framework is driven by an understanding of our learners’ needs and aspirations so we can deliver a customized experience that enables each learner to select the best pathway to their goals. Through these strategies, we will continue to build and optimize systems, programs, and models that support our learners to stay on course from enrollment to post-completion.
STRATEGIES
• Integrate new tools and technology that empower each learner to stay on course toward timely completion.
• Expand and enhance full academic year registration to anchor more learners in their learning pathways.
• Adapt our advising model to reflect the realities of both full- and part-time learners, ensuring that all learners’ needs are served.
GOAL
Our learners receive quality instruction and career preparation, with the support needed to persist along their educational journey.
The Alamo Colleges District understands the many challenges, in and out of the classroom, that may stand in the way of our learners completing their academic journey. By applying insights and feedback from learners with various life experiences — including recent high school graduates, parenting learners, and individuals returning to college after several years — we can create solutions that allow every learner to access the education they want in the way they need.
As we prepare to serve nearly 100,000 students by 2030, we will ensure that how we teach, support, and prepare each of them for their future is deeply informed by their realities.
STRATEGIES
• Evolve support systems and calibrate course offerings to increase accessibility and enable all learners to persist through their pathways as quickly as possible.
• Ensure that every course at every college delivers high-quality instruction to every student on any pathway.
• Elevate online learning to a high-quality experience that empowers students to thrive, just as they do in the classroom.
GOAL 3
Our learners complete their learning pathways, attaining necessary credentials, transferring to a higher education institution, and/or securing a job in a high opportunity field.
When each learner successfully completes an educational journey that sets them up to thrive, we make meaningful progress toward our moonshot. By embracing a student-first perspective, the Alamo Colleges District ensures that each engagement with our learners places them on their best, most timely pathway to completion. Whether they are a working parent pursuing a career credential or a high school student jumpstarting their college journey, our processes and strategies must align to facilitate a rewarding learning experience that provides the right guidance to the right opportunities at the right time.
STRATEGIES
• Ensure enrollment strategies support target completion outcomes, placing learners on pathways that guide them toward opportunity.
• Guide “undecided” learners toward workforce pathways that lead to high-opportunity careers.
• Provide high-quality, accelerated programs accessible to all learners and designed to propel timely completion.
Alma Dental Hygiene Student
Nurturing a mission-driven workplace that enhances performance, collaboration, and leadership among all our employees
GOAL GOAL
We attract, recruit, and retain exceptional talent to serve our learners and community.
The Alamo Colleges District is committed to the 5,000+ faculty and staff who steadfastly support our mission, vision, and moonshot. Over the next five years, as our region’s changing landscape increases the demand for our teaching and training services, we must facilitate opportunities that support and prepare our talent, so they can rise to the occasion. By bolstering their skills through cross-training and leadership development, we proactively position them to succeed.
STRATEGIES
• Foster a culture of growth that encourages and retains employees’ talents, equipping them to be adaptable contributors who can thrive in a dynamic environment.
• Prepare all employees to meet anticipated growth and change.
• Empower mid-managers and supervisors with the training, tools, and mentorship necessary to strengthen their leadership and team's impact.
We continuously learn and adapt to better serve our learners and community.
Our employees’ dedication to continuous improvement has been pivotal to making the Alamo Colleges District a model institution of performance excellence, including recognition as a two-time recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. When we adequately and intentionally invest in our employees’ development, their training becomes a catalyst for excellence in their work. These strategies promote a culture of learning that provides clarity, support, and development resources, deepening our investment in the preparation and wellbeing of our staff and faculty as we anticipate tremendous growth in our region.
STRATEGIES
• Align professional development with employees’ roles and strengths to support missiondriven growth and performance.
• Promote a culture of learning that allows employees to invest in their professional development and growth.
• Assess the value of mission-core trainings and their impact on our performance excellence.
GOAL
3
We partner to create a culture and environment where all employees thrive and are valued.
As a Certified™ Great Place To Work®, we are committed to nurturing a workplace where all employees thrive and are valued. Our most recent feedback highlights clear opportunities that can create more consistent experiences of care and support across the Alamo Colleges District. By implementing strategies that boost employees’ workplace experiences district-wide, we further empower them to support our collective mission.
STRATEGIES
• Partner with faculty to strengthen communication and improve workplace experiences.
• Coordinate a collaborative approach that creates consistent workplace experiences across colleges.
Janessa Social Media & Digital Marketing Program Student
COMMUNITY
Strengthening our community through collaboration and service
We engage and collaborate with our stakeholders to address the diverse needs of our learners.
GOAL
The Alamo Colleges District has a robust ecosystem of partners, supporters, donors, and resources, which directly enhances our learners’ educational experiences. Over the next five years, we will further formalize and streamline the collaborative processes that we use to facilitate meaningful partnerships and initiatives that help our learners thrive and honor our partners’ contributions.
STRATEGIES
• Apply our understanding of learners’ needs to build partnerships and resources that mitigate barriers to pursuing education and training.
• Cultivate collaborative practices that activate bold ideas into impactful and sustainable strategic initiatives.
• Implement a cohesive, student-centered engagement model that connects every learner to the support and resources they need to succeed.
We meet the demand for talent in high-opportunity occupations and industries.
GOAL 2
Our partnerships with regional industries empower the Alamo Colleges District to build bridges from classrooms to careers. When we are agile to respond to industry needs and adequately prepare learners to secure and perform in high-demand and high-wage jobs, we accelerate progress toward eliminating poverty through education and training. Furthermore, aligning and refining our systems to track our learners’ success in rewarding careers allows us to fully capture the impact of our services and measure progress toward our moonshot.
STRATEGIES
• Ensure our learning pathways meet the region’s evolving workforce needs as industries’ preferred partner of choice.
• Empower learners entering the job market to be fully prepared to secure and succeed in a high-opportunity role within six months of graduation.
• Enhance our capacity to connect our graduates’ educational attainment to their economic mobility, charting our progress toward our moonshot.
We leverage our resources, investments, and services to improve our community’s economic and social mobility.
While our mission begins with our learners, our reach extends beyond the classroom. From our facilities, to support of local businesses, to communitywide events, how we deliver our mission has a tangible and transformative effect on our community and subsequently our region's economic mobility. As we look to the future, we believe that being a good neighbor that stewards our resources to uplift the community deepens our impact beyond our learners — and this is how our community wins.
STRATEGIES
• Mobilize a network of our regional partners to prepare each learner to successfully secure a job that sets them up for success.
• Communicate the full scope of our impact on our community’s economic and social mobility.
Shaun Advanced Manufacturing Program Student
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE
Delivering efficient and effective instruction, services, and operations
GOAL
1We practice exemplary stewardship through adept policies and procedures and principled governance.
The Alamo Colleges District business processes are aligned with the best in the industry and are recognized as a noteworthy framework for organizations in our sector. While we are proud of how far we have come, we remain committed to continuous improvement because we understand that this is required to become the best in the nation in student success and performance excellence. Proactively anticipating needs before they arise, prepares us for the future. This will be key to ensuring that our nationally-recognized performance model continues to deliver lasting results over time.
STRATEGIES
• Improve existing business processes to align with recognized standards.
• Increase staff awareness and capacity to resolve external audit findings efficiently.
GOAL
Our instructional, operational, and financial processes are efficient, effective, and ensure accountability.
Great institutions are learning institutions — and at the Alamo Colleges District, we are always learning. Over the next five years, we will continue aligning our policies and procedures with innovations and best practices in our sector and operate coordinated systems that allow us to routinely troubleshoot and address inefficiencies before they become barriers to success.
STRATEGIES
• Update organizational policies and procedures to maintain our strong foundation.
• Increase staff awareness and expand leadership capacity to resolve internal audit findings efficiently.
GOAL 3
Our operations, facilities, and technology are sufficiently resourced to evolve with educational and workforce demands and innovations.
As our region rapidly changes, so must our ability to evolve in anticipation of the future. The Alamo Colleges District must continue to develop visionary strategies that position us to become a futureready institution capable of delivering transformative impact that addresses our region's long-term needs. Our foundation of performance excellence showcases our ability to create best-in-class solutions, and we will continue to develop innovative practices that keep us poised to address our community’s changing needs.
STRATEGIES
• Adapt financial models to reflect strategic priorities and sustain desired impact.
• Steward and execute all bond and capital projects successfully to fulfill learner and community needs.
• Develop practices that anticipate and address our region’s future needs.
• Exemplify our award-winning performance excellence and innovation across our sector and in comparison to our peers.
• Complete the $100M Comprehensive Campaign to expand access to education and drive student success
Abram
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The comprehensive strategic planning process to develop AlamoFORWARD included gathering feedback from over 200 individuals within the district community: faculty, staff, students, community representatives, and members of the Board of Trustees.
We are especially grateful to the following leaders who dedicated their time and talents to ensure the plan was thoughtfully developed and completed. Their participation and commitment helped us reach this important milestone, providing the institution with a clear direction and framework to guide our path forward.
LEARNERS PRIORITY TEAM
Leadership
Dr. Amy Bosley – President, Northwest Vista College
Dr. Adena Williams Loston – President, St. Philip’s College
Debi Gaitan – Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Success
Dr. Luke Dowden – Chief Online Learning Officer
Dr. George Railey – Vice Chancellor for Academic Success
Victoria Moe – Director of Strategic Initiatives, San Antonio College
Membership
Amith Varkey – Student District Council
Amy Carcanagues – Director of Scholarship Programs, Alamo Colleges Foundation
Anel Flores Ibarra – Student District Council
Diane Hester – Faculty, St. Philip’s College
Dr. Sammi Morrill – Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic & Workforce Development Operations
Eliron Rosin – 2024-2025 ACD Student Trustee Alternate
Eliza Hernandez – Director of College Institutional Readiness, Northwest Vista College
Erica Meza – Director of Student Communications
Esmeralda Sweeney – Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Advocacy, Retention, & Completion
Jon Lee – Dean for Academic Success, San Antonio College
Sara Mann – Chief High School Programs Officer
Stephanie Reese – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Palo Alto College
Stephanie Vasquez – Chief Program Officer for AlamoPROMISE
Tyler Archer – Dean for Student Success, Palo Alto College
Vanessa DeMont – College Director of High School Programs, Northeast Lakeview College
TALENT PRIORITY TEAM
Leadership
Dr. Veronica Garcia – President, Northeast Lakeview College
Linda Boyer-Owens – Associate Vice Chancellor for Talent, Organization, & Strategic Innovation (TOSI)
Marsha Hall – Director of Strategic Initiatives, St. Philip’s College
Membership
Alayna Morgado – Student District Council
Andrew Lopez – Student District Council
Anna Kuwamura – Director of Talent Acquisition
Carissa Valdez – TOSI Marketing & Strategic Employee Communications Manager
Cassandra Segura – Director of Districtwide Career Resources & Services
Cindy Katz – United Faculty Senate
Elladean Moreno – Health & Wellness Program Manager
Hakim Hassan – Student District Council
Jessica Cooper – Districtwide Director of Talent Development
Joan Jaimes – Academic Program Director, San Antonio College
Josh Austin – Dean for Student Success, Northwest Vista College
Lisa Juarez – Vice President for College Services, Palo Alto College
Nick Blackeney – Executive Staff Senate
Patrick Lee – Vice President for Academic Success, Palo Alto College
Paul Kailiponi – Director of TOSI Organization Analytics & Reporting
COMMUNITY PRIORITY TEAM
Leadership
Dr. Robert Garza – President, Palo Alto College
Kristi Wyatt – Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications & Engagement
Xavier Urrutia – Chief of Staff & Interim Vice Chancellor for Economic & Workforce Development
Priscilla Camacho – Chief Legislative, Industry, & External Affairs Officer
Dr. Eric Castillo – Associate Vice Chancellor for Arts, Culture, & Community Impact
Rudy Farias – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Northeast Lakeview College
Membership
Abreetta Bonner – Director of Community Collaborations, Northwest Vista College
Bart Simpson – Executive Director, Alamo Colleges Foundation
Christopher Metsgar – Dean for Academic Success, St. Philip’s College
Dr. Christina Cortez – Director of Alamo Colleges District Welcome Center & Districtwide Onboarding
Felicia Andrews – Student District Council
Jennifer Benavides – District Director of P-TECH Programs & Alamo Academies
Julia Stotts – Director of Strategic Planning & Partnerships, Alamo Colleges Foundation
Julie Kirkland-Poirier – Dean for Student Success, Northeast Lakeview College
Ken Slavin – Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications, San Antonio College
Logan Martinez – 2024-2025 ACD Student Trustee
Mauricio Garcia – Director of College Institutional Readiness, Palo Alto College
Michael Thompson – Student District Council
Migdalia Garcia – peaceCENTER Program Director, Northwest Vista College
PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE PRIORITY TEAM
Leadership
Francisco Solis, JD – President, San Antonio College
Dr. Tom Cleary – Vice Chancellor for Planning, Performance, & Information Services and Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration
Christina Brown – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Northwest Vista College
Membership
Alex Midkiff – Student District Council
Anjelica Payne – Student District Council
Dr. Daphene Carson – Director of Ethics, Compliance, & Policy
Jacob Colunga – Director of College Services, St. Philip’s College
Lacy Hampton – Associate Vice Chancellor for G.O. Bond CIP
Dr. Laura Boyer – Vice President for Academic Success, Northeast Lakeview College
Linda Fogg – IT Data Analyst, Palo Alto College
Phong Banh – District Director of Information Technology Services
Dr. Rodell Asher – Director of Districtwide Student Engagement & Leadership
Rosalind Ong – Interim Dean of Performance Excellence, San Antonio College
Dr. Rose Martinez – Director of Bellwether College Consortium
Ross Laughead – General Counsel
Dr. Savithra Eratne – Director of College Institutional Readiness, San Antonio College
Shayne West – Associate Vice Chancellor of Financial Planning & Auxiliary Services
Steven Montemayor – Dean for Academic Success, Northwest Vista College
DATA & ADMINISTRATIVE CHAMPIONS
The Institutional Research Team under the leadership of Dr. Kara Larkan-Skinner along with administrative and operational support from Georgia Prado, Debbie Martinez, Andria Bernal, Julian Ledesma, Fernando Salas and Michelle Lugalia-Hollon.
alamo.edu/alamoforward