By: Mariah Gonzalez

Five A&M-San Antonio alumni have been elected to the board of the San Antonio chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of human resources. These alumni will play crucial roles in promoting the profession, providing education, certification, networking opportunities, and advocating for issues relevant to labor management within the San Antonio community. 

Dr. Adrian Guardia, executive director of Master Programs for the College of Business, instructed the five alumni in his student HR association while they pursued their Master of Business Administration. He emphasized the impact of their shared experiences at Texas A&M-San Antonio. 

“This is the story of five high-achieving MBA A&M-San Antonio alumnae, each who has achieved success as human resource professionals,” he said. “Return on investment is a critical metric we use in business to measure performance. For our MBA students, ROI reflects how that investment in professional development is applied. We are delighted when we see one of our students achieve professional recognition. When we see five achieve that recognition together, we are inspired.”    

Sandy Hernandez, an alumnae elected to serve as president of the SHRM Board, said that being involved in Guardia’s HR association created a strong bond among the five students.  

“Certainly, he was a motivator for us to give back, whether through a student chapter role or as we matured and got more involved with the local chapter,” said Hernandez. “He started us on our path into giving back to our community and gave us the pride of being HR professionals.” 

As she settles into her role as board president, Hernandez said she’s focusing on fostering personal and professional growth for members, spearheading innovative programs and events for maximum community impact, and growth. Celebrating it 65th anniversary this year, the San Antonio SHRM has more than 500 members, representing more than 200 local and national organizations.     

The newly elected board members from Texas A&M-San Antonio include: 

• Sandy Hernandez, MBA ’16: President; Human Resource Manager at Insco  
• Briana Garcia, SPHR, MBA ’16: President-Elect; Chief HR Officer at Education Service Center Region 20
• Alina Wright, MBA ’20: Membership Director; Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Amtrak 
• Katrina Reyna, PHR, MBA ’16: Conference Director; Director of Human Resources at White Lodging 
• Samantha Guajardo, MBA ’16: Treasurer; Vice President of People at Instapage