JUNE 28, 2022 — UTSA will welcome 31 new employees from the Southwest School of Art (SSA), including six faculty and 25 staff. These employees will bring their respective areas of expertise to UTSA and help facilitate a seamless transition to expand arts education for our region.
All new employees will start their first day with the new employee orientation, Bold New Journey, on July 1. In preparation for the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, new faculty will also attend Bold Beginnings at Roadrunner Nation, a seven-day program in August that is part of the New Faculty Academy.
“We are thrilled to partner with our new colleagues from SSA as they join the UTSA familia,” said Veronica Salazar, UTSA chief financial officer and senior vice president for business affairs. “Together, our teams will work collaboratively to ensure a successful transition for our growing downtown community.”
“Together, our teams will work collaboratively to ensure a successful transition for our growing downtown community.”
Since the two institutions announced their intent to combine programs last August, UTSA has worked diligently to support employees throughout the transition process. As part of the agreement between the two institutions, UTSA offered employment opportunities to all SSA employees. Throughout the process, the university’s Talent Acquisition team worked with each employee to provide support through workshops and one-on-one meetings.
Now that all employment offers have been accepted, the university is ready to onboard the talented professionals from the Southwest School of Art, supporting the long-term continuity of high-quality arts education in San Antonio.
Join us in welcoming these new faculty and staff colleagues to UTSA:
| Pete Aceves | Mechanical Maintenance Technician II |
| Alan O. Ballew | Security Manager |
| Kimberly H. Bishop | Coordinator, Teen Program |
| Justin Boyd | Assistant Professor |
| Stephanie P. Canales | Associate Director of Development |
| Breanna R. Castillo | Communication Specialist |
| Edwards G. Conroy | Special Assistant for Development Initiatives |
| Douglas D. Fletcher | Guard |
| Casey Galloway | Coordinator, Fibers Program |
| Joe Harjo | Associate Professor of Instruction |
| Barbara L. Hill | Director of Adult Community Programs |
| Frank J. Irek | Guard |
| Lauri Jones | Sr. Undergraduate Admissions Counselor |
| Robert B. Kennedy | Art Studio Supervisor |
| Keith E. Kisser | Scholarly Resource Librarian (Part-Time) |
| Miguel Montemayor III | Superintendent of Maintenance |
| Michael J. Montemayor | Physical Plant Services Worker II |
| Patricia Morales | Director of Young Artists Program |
| Ramon Muñoz | Coordinator, Young Artists Program |
| Victor Pagona | Associate Professor of Practice & Community Art Education Specialist |
| Yvette M. Ramirez | Housekeeping Quality Assurance Coordinator |
| Teresa Rodriguez | IT Business Analyst II |
| Noelia Saavedra | Budget Analyst I |
| Stephanie N. Sacriste | Enrollment Manager |
| Roger Salinas | Guard |
| Regina Y. Sanders | McNutt Visitor’s Center Project Manager |
| Chris Sauter | Associate Professor of Instruction |
| Marta F. Solis | Events Manager |
| Jillian Sortore | Associate Professor of Instruction |
| Ryan Takaba | Associate Professor of Instruction |
| Jerry Eloy Vasquez | Physical Plant Services Worker III |
Many of the new employees will remain at the UTSA Southwest Campus, while some will transition to the Main Campus for their responsibilities.
“As we continue the work to combine our resources and talents, we have the exciting opportunity to support a full range of arts education programs to benefit our community,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “At every level, from youth and teen to degree-seeking students and life-long learners, we are building a model of arts education that provides access for all students in our community to quality arts instruction and engagement for years to come.”
⇒ Meet Sharon Martinez in the UTSA+SSA video series.
“Throughout this process, I have been impressed with the knowledge and resourcefulness of SSA staff,” said Mary Hernandez, associate vice president for administration and operations and acting associate vice president for people excellence. “Our goal was to provide a smooth transition and personalized support to our SSA colleagues. We are excited to welcome them to UTSA this summer.”
