LAREDO COLLEGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Compliance and Risk Management
Job Titles:
- Member of the Division Leadership Team
- Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Student Success and Enrollment
Job Titles:
- Provost / Vice - President of Academic Affairs
Minita is the first female president in the College's 76-year history. As a Laredo native, she understands the desperate situation of the community in need of educational and job training support in the tri-county area that Laredo College serves. It is through their initiation, that several workforce programs are expanding, and new ones are in the works. She understands the crucial role that partnerships with four-year institutions and the community play and works closely with them to strengthen and improve them.
The responsibility and preservation of the College's home, the Historic Fort McIntosh, is one she feels privileged to assume. "It is an honor to preserve and protect the historic grounds where U. S. Army soldiers from the 1st Infantry guarded the Texas border as ordered by President Zachry Taylor in 1849." Laredo College's ongoing commitment to supporting Veterans as they return home after their service is why Laredo Jr. College was established in 1947 and continues to be central to the institution's mission. She is transforming lives and collaborating to enrich the communities she proudly serves.
Dr. Minita has held numerous leadership positions in higher education and has served on local, state, and national boards but has also worked diligently for the community, to name a few: President of the Washington Birthday Celebration Association, Chair of the Mr. South Texas Committee, President of the Society of Martha Washington, President of the Texas Council of Directors of Student Affairs and proud board member of the Laredo Boys and Girls Club. In addition, Dr. Minita has served on the Laredo Independent School District Board of Trustees, where she chaired the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. She is a member of the Caballeros de la Republica del Rio Grande and has served as a board member of the Sisters of Mercy Casa De Misericordia, Texas Women's Leadership, and a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), to name a few.
Prior to joining Laredo College, Dr. Minita was the Vice President of Student Success at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). She joined TAMIU in 2001 and held various administrative and teaching positions. She developed a division support program for students which helped guide prospective and enrolled students toward graduation. Her responsibilities of Enrollment Management and Student Life created a synergy of understanding the fundamental needs of individuals hoping for a better life.
Prior to joining TAMIU, she taught history and government at the middle and high school levels with the Laredo Independent School District. She also directed the United Independent School District's Technology Innovative Challenge grant, which led the way in infusing technology into the classroom and instructional environment. She has focused her research on "Hispanic Migration to Higher Education," examining the deterrents and hesitations high school students have in their transition to higher education. Ramirez is diverse in her educational background, she was also employed by Silver Burdett Ginn and Prentice Hall, K-12 educational publishing divisions of Simon and Schuster Publishing. During her ten years there, she was part of a team of educational consultants, contributing author of the Reading, U.S. History and Music textbooks, academic coach, and textbook sales representative.
Throughout her career, she has been honored by many organizations and is proud and blessed to have been recognized. To name a few, LULAC Tejano Achiever, The STAR of Texas Award by Representative Richard Raymond, and the NASPA Region III John Jones Award for outstanding performance as a Senior Student Affairs Officer and most recently inducted into The Philosophical Society of Texas.
Dr. Minita graduated from J. W. Nixon High School, Class of 1979, holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from TAMIU, a Master of Science in School Administration from TAMU-Kingsville, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Capella University. In 2016, she earned a graduate fellowship with the National Center for Institutional Diversity at the University of Michigan and graduated from the Texas Governor's Executive Development Program, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, 2017.
In addition, she has helped manage the family business, Carmin's Flower Shop and El Plateado Ranch. Ramirez is very proud of her son Ruben, a graduate of Laredo ISD, Hector J. Garcia Early College High School, and a graduate of A.R. Sanchez School of Business (2018 and 2020) and is now employed with Labatt Foods of San Antonio. She is equally proud of her husband, Associate District Court Judge David E. Garcia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Division Leadership Team
Fort McIntosh was one of a series of forts along the frontier named in honor of fallen officers in the Mexican-American War. Streets running throughout the campus also honor fallen heroes, presidents, fort commanders, officers and soldiers. The military buildings and the fort itself are archaeological landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Finance and Administration
Job Titles:
- Member of the Division Leadership Team
- Community & Media Relations Director