UT San Antonio recognized 27 staff members this spring for completing Lean Six Sigma certifications, a university initiative that strengthens operational excellence and reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to employee development and continuous improvement.
Hosted by Enterprise Operations and Strategy on the academic campus, participants included staff from both operations and Academic Affairs. The program provided training on Lean Six Sigma, a data-driven project management methodology that uses a simple, structured framework to improve how work gets done.
It helps organizations of all sizes reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve work productivity and deliver better results for customers and clients.
Lean Six Sigma combines two approaches: “Lean,” which eliminates wasted time and effort; “Six Sigma,” which reduces errors and defects. Together, these practices help organizations solve problems, boost performance and create better customer experiences.
This year’s cohort was the second to complete the program. Training began in October 2025 and ended in April 2026, combining self-paced coursework with facilitated discussions, simulations, and applied learning focused on data-informed decision-making, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.
Participants earned Yellow Belt, Green Belt, or Black Belt certifications, demonstrating increasing levels of expertise in Lean Six Sigma.
The program was facilitated by Megan Kinkade, manager of strategic services, and Marco Garcia, assistant vice president for supply chain, both Black Belt-certified practitioners who guided participants through the curriculum and its practical application.
“The Lean Six Sigma certification program empowers employees at UT San Antonio to pursue continuous improvement and operational excellence, supporting the university’s efforts to be an innovative institution and a great place to work,” Garcia said. “Through the lessons learned in this program, we build a shared capability to analyze processes, solve problems and improve operations.”
Garcia added, “As more employees develop these skills, we strengthen our ability to deliver high-quality services in support of the university’s strategic priorities.”
A core focus of Lean Six Sigma is eliminating waste — such as delays, redundant steps and reworks — while improving consistency and quality. Through the program, participants learn how to analyze complex processes, identify inefficiencies and implement measurable improvements. The training also supports a shared approach to problem-solving, helping teams collaborate more effectively across departments.
Fiscal year 2026 cohort
This year’s cohort included participants from a range of university areas, including Financial Affairs, Administrative Services, Real Estate and Property Management, People Excellence and Campus Services.
Team leaders included Elisabeth Cuadros, Javier Gonzales, Juan Ortiz, Nikki Lee and Todd Cheslock, who earned Black Belt certifications during the inaugural fiscal year 2025 cohort and returned to support peer learning and mentorship.
Enterprise Operations and Strategy plans to launch a third Lean Six Sigma cohort in fiscal year 2027.
Yellow Belt certified
- Albert Aleman, senior mail clerk
- Ana Morton Rivera, executive director, energy management
- Arturo Bocanegra, procurement to pay analyst
- Bianca Bunton, senior accountant
- Christina Salinas, senior disbursements and travel specialist
- James Jinks, assistant director, utilities operations
- Jeffrey Miller, procurement specialist II
- Justin Lowe, assistant director, operations and maintenance
- Miguel Montemayor, assistant director, operations and maintenance
- Sam Suwal, manager, SIS financial accounting
Green Belt certified
- Cory Garcia, manager, business continuity and emergency management
- Patty Martinez, compensation analyst II
- Sofia Requejado, contracts specialist I
Black Belt certified
- Alex Perez, director, institutional construction
- Analise Lopez, compliance management analyst II
- Catarina Rodriguez, associate director, budget and financial planning
- Daniel Gockley, executive director, housing and residence life
- Jared Shannon, security manager
- Jason Welch, associate director, budget planning and development
- Juan Ospina, employee services associate
- Lauren Beaver, senior director of strategic communications for Enterprise Operations and Strategy
- Monica Perez, business service center specialist III
- Nick Tuttle, associate vice president, design and construction
- Stephanie Edgett, director, university and retail services
- Sylvia Esparza, manager, compliance and risk
- Tyler Boehme, director, major capital projects
- Victoria Downing, senior financial planning analyst
