Frank Reyes

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) established the HACU Hall of Champions to honor those who embody the mission of the Association through exemplary efforts “To Champion Hispanic Success in Higher Education.” The seventeenth and eightteenth inductees into the HACU Hall of Champions are Salme Harju Steinberg, Ph.D. and Mr. Frank Reyes who were honored on October 25, 2021 during HACU’s 35th Annual Conference.

Reyes is a member of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees who oversee San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College, the Economic Development & Corporate Training division and KVCR TV/FM – the PBS and NPR affiliate station for the Inland region. 

He was elected in November 2016 to represent Area 1, which includes the areas of Bloomington, Colton and Grand Terrace. As a member of the governing board, Trustee Reyes and his colleagues serve 24,000 students and oversee SBCCD’s educational enterprise that produces an economic impact of $621 million to the region each year.

Prior to being elected, Trustee Reyes established a 35-year career in public higher education and workforce development as a student advisor at San Bernardino Valley College, California State University San Bernardino, and as Vice Chancellor of Governmental Affairs at SBCCD. During his tenure, Trustee Reyes helped secure more than $120 million in state and federal grants to advance the district’s educational mission. Trustee Reyes’ leadership and commitment to the region has led him to serve as Executive Director of the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Foundation and being a leading voice for the Inland Empire with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). 

Trustee Reyes resides in Colton, with his son Kristofer and wife Assembly member Eloise Gomez Reyes.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) launched the HACU Hall of Champions on October 31, 2011, with the induction of Dr. Antonio Rigual, founding Executive Director of HACU, during the association’s Silver Anniversary Gala.  Under the following guidelines, HACU will invite nominees and induct individuals to the Hall of Champions annually.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Nominees may be living or deceased.

2. Nominees must have made extraordinary contributions to HACU and Hispanic higher education success.

3. Nominations shall document evidence of nominees’ special accomplishments in championing Hispanic higher education success.

4. The award shall be accepted by the nominee in person or, if the nominee is deceased, by a family representative.

Nominations:

1. HACU will invite nominations via communication to member presidents/CEOs in early Spring of each year. This communication will include explicit criteria for the nomination of nationally or internationally recognized individuals. Only one nomination per member institution shall be allowed. The call for nominations will include the list of prior awardees.

2. Nominations will be reviewed and rated by a HACU senior staff ad hoc committee in April of each year.

3. Nominations and corresponding recommendations will be prepared by HACU senior staff for review by the Executive Committee of the Governing Board.

Selection:

1. The President of HACU will submit to the Executive Committee of the HACU Governing Board the list of nominees, along with relevant nomination information and appropriate recommendations or observations on nominees for consideration.

2. The Executive Committee members will consider staff recommendations on nominees.

3. The Executive Committee shall decide on their final selection(s) at least two months before the HACU Annual Conference either via e-ballot or teleconference.

4. Only one finalist will be selected per year, unless the Executive Committee decides to name a second, but in no case shall more than two persons be inducted in any given year.

5. The Executive Committee may decide not to select an inductee for any given year and may also choose to review nominations on file from prior years for further consideration.

Inductee(s) will:

1. Be honored at HACU’s Annual Conference.

2. Receive a HACU statuette.

3. Be featured in The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education.

4. Be featured in a virtual Hall of Champions web page on HACU’s website.

5. Be listed on a Hall of Champions plaque at HACU headquarters.  

 
Criteria and procedures are subject to change

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