SHPE - Spring 2009 - (Page 16)

C O V E R S T O RY Lady Di’s SHPE Legacy Few can remember a time when Diana Gomez was not on the National Board of Directors. Prior to becoming the third woman to lead the Society, she served 16 years as Region I vice president, secretary and treasurer under four previous presidents. Before that, she had been president of the Fresno State Student Chapter and the Fresno Professional Chapter. Yet, her most recent accomplishments will forever distinguish her legacy. “Diana has shown true commitment to the SHPE mission and has dedicated herself to improving the organization. Due to her involvement, SHPE is more stable and poised to impact our community and the nation as never before. At a time when the nation is being torn economically, SHPE offers opportunity to the Hispanic community for generations to come. Diana has laid the groundwork for greater accomplishments to be realized.” — Rod Garcia, SHPE Founding President “It has amazed me the amount of time and energy that Diana has dedicated to SHPE over the years. It is nothing short of phenomenal to be capable of dedicating four years as National Treasurer and six very active years as National President while still carrying out a very successful professional career with Caltrans.” — Orlando Gutierrez, 1993-1995 SHPE President “Diana truly cares not only about SHPE as an organization but also about people and their dreams. She has been excellent at listening to all stakeholders (SHPE members, SHPE NBOD and the SHPE IPC companies) and understanding what they all need for success. She also encouraged everyone to be open to change − especially if it could advance SHPE’s goals. As a result, she has produced winning results for everyone and at the same time advanced the influence of SHPE.” — Diana Johnson, Diversity Staffing Manager at Texas Instruments Inc., and IPC Representative “I think Diana’s legacy is stabilization and continuity. Having served for six years gave SHPE a long period of sustained growth, stable relationships and consistent performance.” — Enrique Gomez, SHPE CEO and Science (AHETEMS), with an office at the University of Texas at Arlington. Since 2004, AHETEMS has created partnerships and obtained grants in order to expand resources for and improve SHPE’s educational programs. Currently, with a budget exceeding $1.5 million, AHETEMS has more than doubled SHPE’s scholarships, internships and corporate opportunities. It has also multiplied pre-college and community outreach through several core programs, SHPE Jr. chapters, STEM-related summer camps and various publications. During the six years of Gomez’s presidency, the Society extended its alliances beyond the Industrial PartnerSHPE Council (IPC), which grew from 28 to its cap of 55 member companies. Also, during this time, a three-year partnership with IBM provided vast expertise and financial resources to strengthen the organization from an IT standpoint, which resulted in launching the OneSHPE portal. Gomez also worked to expand SHPE’s presence with an office in Washington, D.C., and extend SHPE’s ties with sister organizations to harmonize a unified voice when lobbying for change before governmental officials. In relation to the professional base, founding a new tier of lifetime members 16 Throughout her tenure, Gomez regularly spoke with student and professional members as well as SHPE’s sponsors. was not enough. Gomez was determined to demonstrate that SHPE was more than simply an outlet for community service, but also a viable source for personal, professional and career growth. With three-term Vice President Manuel Hernández championing the cause, SHPE established professional learning centers such as the Executive LeaderSHPE Institute (ELI) and Management Growth Training to close the Hispanic executive gap in corporate America. “SHPE will provide Hispanic engineers with the necessary professional development and management training to ensure that they are competitive candidates,” Gomez said. The chance to participate in the first ELI was a particular highlight for Gomez. “We had talked about it for years and to finally have this program up and running and be so successful from its inception was very satisfying,” she added. In spite of juggling a demanding SHPE schedule, which often required traveling across country and back on most weekends, it was still a volunteer commitment. All the while, Gomez was gaining increased responsibilities as a senior-level electrical engineer with the California Department of Transportation. Through it all, her career didn’t skip a beat as she accumulated awards, recognition and accolades. Most recently, Gomez was promoted to Chief, Office of System Management, Caltrans, at the organization’s headquarters in Sacramento. The fact that SHPE is well positioned for even greater growth is greatly a result of Gomez’s leadership. During her final public address as president, Gomez recognized that any accomplishment, or obstacle, is in fact shared with the NBOD, IPC, national and AHETEMS staff and all of SHPE’s members. “Your input and continued dedication is what has made this organization the success that it is today,” Gomez said. “Our work is not over. We must continue to strive for excellence. Our country faces many challenges, and it will need the engineering community and the Hispanic community to provide resources and solutions. The solution is a better, stronger, larger and more unified SHPE.” As she retires from the position of president, Gomez dispels the misconception that being president requires one to be some sort of genius. “I’m an average person whose strength is bringing people together,” she said. “I also listen to everybody and pride myself in being accessible.” However, she is not done serving her SHPE familia. Gomez’s next task will be to produce similar results as she structures and assembles a board of directors for AHETEMS and establishes partnerships to further strengthen the Foundation side of the Society. In a sense, the legacy Gomez leaves behind also serves as the best testament to the type of development that only SHPE offers. “Through the years, people have thanked me for volunteering for the Society,” she said. “I continue to feel that I have been given more than I have given myself, and I am grateful to them, the members, for they have enriched my life beyond words.” ■ SHPE ❘ Spring 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Spring 2009

SHPE - Spring 2009 Contents President’s Letter A Letter from the CEO Calendar Browser Diana Gomez, SHPE: The People's President Grace Lieblein, GM: A Driving Force in Mexico Dr. Elsa Murano, Texas A&M: Education with Impact Regions Connect and Explore Common Base 'Learn by Doing' A Grad Degree, for Free? Programs & Services Think, Pair, Share: Partnering to Increase STEM Awareness Inner Circle Employer Profiles STAR Awards: Call for Nominations Regional Roundup

SHPE - Spring 2009

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