Past SHPE President endorses Manny Hernandez
By Melissa Villegas Drake
Please VOTE for Manny Hernandez!
The position of National President is the most challenging and critical position within SHPE. I know this from personal experience having served as national president myself, 1995-1997. SHPE is a much more complex organization today than when I was president. The challenges are greater. The issues are more intricate and the solutions more elusive.
Manny Hernandez is the best candidate for SHPE President.
I met Manny Hernandez when I was serving as a committee chair for SHPE in the 1990’s and was immediately impressed by his commitment to the organization. Manny has served SHPE in many capacities and has made SHPE a part of his life. He believes strongly in what the organization promotes: “Better Opportunities for Hispanic engineers”. I have seen first-hand Manny’s growth as a leader within the organization. He is without a doubt the best candidate for SHPE National President. He is ready to lead.
One of Manny’s major focus areas is the SHPE National conference which he has championed, and has chaired over the last 20 years, including the SHPE 2009 conference, the most successful SHPE conference to date. The SHPE national conference is our premier event and has enjoyed great success under Manny’s leadership over these years. The national conference has the most impact on our membership, new and existing, as well as our corporate partners in that it serves as a showcase for our best Hispanic technical talent. With Manny as National President, I am certain our conference will continue to enjoy great success.
Manny’s other passion has been the establishment of professional development programs. He has championed these efforts longer than any other director on the national board. Several SHPE members have attributed their career advancement to skills acquired and honed in these programs. SHPE’s offering of these types of professional development programs has resulted in increased professional membership. SHPE must continue to offer these programs for our member’s future career growth. Manny is the only candidate that will make this a priority for SHPE.
Melissa Villegas Drake
Past National SHPE President
Lifetime Member
Tolleson Union High School Junior SHPE Chapter Advisor
