Vice Chancellor for Student Success Search

Forum Date & Location:

September 2 – 12:00 -1:00 p.m. in the Broadway Room 100, ACCESS Building

Bio:

Dr. Ruth Rodriguez Reinhart is a seasoned higher education leader with more than 19 years of experience advancing student success in community colleges. A native of San Antonio and a first-generation college graduate, she has dedicated her career to expanding student access, persistence, retention, and completion through student-centered, data-informed strategies.

Dr. Rodriguez Reinhart currently serves as Associate Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Basic Needs at Austin Community College, where she co-leads the development of a comprehensive, districtwide basic needs support system to enhance student persistence and completion. Previously, as Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Support Services, she provided strategic leadership and operational oversight across ACC’s 11-campus district, advancing cohesive policies, elevating the student experience, and implementing innovative programming.

Her career spans higher education, public education, and social work, giving her a broad perspective on student needs, institutional collaboration, and community engagement. She currently serves as Board Vice Chair for Ascender – Catch the Next and is a member of the Wayside Schools Board of Directors. Additionally, she is a graduate of the National Hispanic Community College Council Leadership Fellows Program and the American Association of Women in Community Colleges LEADERS Institute.

Dr. Rodriguez Reinhart holds an Ed.D. in Community College Leadership from National American University, an M.S.W. from Our Lady of the Lake University, and a B.A. in Psychology from St. Mary’s University. Having experienced firsthand how education can change the trajectory of a life, she is committed to creating pathways that open doors to education, support economic mobility, and prepare every student for a meaningful career by empowering them to improve their lives, uplift their families, and contribute to the economic vitality of their community.

Forum Date & Location:

September 3 –12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in the Broadway Room 100, ACCESS Building

Bio:

Deborah “Debi” Gaitan is a distinguished higher education leader, a champion for student success, and a steadfast advocate for under-resourced students, bringing more than three decades of transformative leadership that has expanded access, elevated achievement, and advanced institutional excellence. She has dedicated her career to advancing the success of all learners, especially underrepresented and academically underprepared populations, ensuring they have the resources, support, and encouragement to achieve their educational goals. Guided by a blend of strategy, compassion, and innovation, she has driven measurable gains in enrollment, persistence, retention, and completion while cultivating inclusive campus cultures where all students can thrive.

Her impact is most visible through her leadership within the Alamo Colleges District and Northwest Vista College, where she served as Interim President, Vice President for Student Success, and most recently, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Success. At Northwest Vista College, she helped increase enrolment from its first 200 students to more than 18,000, achieving record-breaking retention and transfer rates. As Interim Vice Chancellor and College Vice President for Student Success, she has worked in close collaboration with colleagues across the Alamo Colleges to design and expand many of the district’s signature student success initiatives. She played a key leadership role in co-creating guided pathways, the AlamoEXPERIENCE engagement platform, and an advanced, ratioed, certified advising model, while also helping lead the development and growth of the districtwide Advocacy Network.

Together with dedicated faculty, staff, and community partners, she co-led the creation of a coordinated, sustainable system that removes barriers to learning by addressing essential needs such as food, housing, childcare, and mental health. Her collaborative leadership contributed to the district’s two-time receipt of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the establishment of nationally recognized, scalable models that strengthen persistence, completion, and post-graduation success. She has also championed the implementation of early alert systems, fostered deeper faculty and staff collaboration, and advanced a human-centered approach throughout the student journey, from first enrollment to credential attainment and transition to a bachelor’s degree and/or workforce.

Earlier in her career, Debi built a strong foundation in student engagement and advocacy at Our Lady of the Lake University and expanded her reach in the nonprofit sector with Communities in Schools and San Antonio Positive Solutions, empowering young adults to overcome barriers and access higher education.

A proud community college alumna, Debi attended St. Philip’s College before earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree in human sciences from Our Lady of the Lake University, with additional studies at Texas Tech University. She brings to her role as Vice Chancellor for Student Success a proven ability to align vision with action, inspire collaborative excellence, and deliver transformative results. As Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores notes, “The Alamo Colleges District is our area’s best economic development strategy, offering the opportunity for a better life to so many residents in our community.” Under Debi’s leadership, that mission continues to transform lives every day.

Forum Date & Location:

September 4 – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in the Board Room, ACCESS Building

Bio:

Dr. Shantay Grays is the provost and executive vice president at Howard Community College, a position she has held since August 2023. In this capacity, Dr. Grays provides visionary leadership across the college’s academic affairs, student services, faculty development, and the Center for Institutional Transformation. With a focus on fostering student achievement and equity, she sets institutional priorities that empower faculty, support staff, and enhance the overall student experience.

Before joining Howard Community College, Dr. Grays served at Houston Community College District from 1998 to 2023, in roles that included vice chancellor of student success, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management, chief of staff to the chancellor, director of student success and special projects, and manager of student services initiatives. As vice chancellor, she was instrumental in leading eCorts related to student success, and she championed equity and inclusion throughout the institution.

Dr. Grays’s leadership and contributions to higher education have earned her numerous distinctions, such as being named one of the Top 40 Women Leaders in Higher Education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education (2024), a 2023 Texas Titan by the Texas Black Expo, a 2023 Aspen Rising Presidential Fellow, and recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Leadership Award from the National Women of Achievement Organization (Southwest Region).

She is actively involved in several professional organizations, including NASPA Student Affairs Association, the National Council on Black American Affairs, The Presidents’ Roundtable, the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), and the NAACP.

Dr. Grays holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration with a concentration in Community College Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Public Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Grambling State University. Her services extend to several boards and councils, including AACC’s Commission on College Readiness, the Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) Board, the Houston Guided Pathways Governing Council, the

#RealCollege Texas Advisory Council, the Texas Talent Regions Coalition, and the City of

Houston My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.