LA ACADEMIA DE LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Leadership Team

Drawing on 100-plus years of leadership experience in higher education, the Leadership Academy/La Academia has assembled a team that is unparalleled in breadth and depth on issues related to higher education in general and Hispanic-Serving Institutions/Emerging HSIs in specific. Our team of experts have served as Presidents and CEOs in many sectors of higher education including faith based, private/public universities, and community colleges.  The team brings a unique set of ideas and experiences to help train and develop the next generation of college leaders within an ever-changing environment of higher education.   

La Academia's leadership team includes:

• Program Director who serves as the chief point of contact and administrator of the program.

• Executive Director who serves as the lead administrator for all of HACU's professional leadership programs.

• Faculty recognized as national experts on specific course content.  

• Mentors who interact regularly with Fellows beyond the three seminars.

• Steering Committee who advise HACU on the development and assessment of La Academia.

Program Director

Dr. Tito Guerrero serves as the Director of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. Prior to joining HACU, Dr. Guerrero served as a Vice President for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  He has also served as President of Cambridge College, Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Southern Colorado.  Among other positions that he has held, Dr. Guerrero served as Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity at Texas A&M University and as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Biology from Texas A&M University, a Masters of Education from the University of North Texas and a Doctorate in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University. He has served as a Director for the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges & Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, the Society for Advancement of Management and American Humanics, Inc.

Executive Director

Dr. Paul Machen is the executive director of the Institute for Professional Leadership for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. In this role, he oversees and executes HACU’s vision for increasing diversity in leadership roles at colleges and universities, as well as providing strategic direction for the Institute for Professional Leadership. Machen also provides administrative oversight for the Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo, as well as events and grants, workshops, webinars, presentations, and information sessions for HACU conferences and other events with a leadership-focus. Dr. Machen has over 31 years of higher education faculty, curriculum development, and student affairs experience and served 12 years as a college Director, Dean, and Interim Vice President administrative levels. He has served as a faculty member at both graduate and undergraduate levels for West Texas A&M University, University of Phoenix at San Antonio, Southern Illinois University, and the Department of Defense Louis F. Garland Fire Academy. He earned a doctorate from Kansas State University, a master's from City University, and a bachelor's from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.