NHCLC Announces New Board Members, Executive Council Member: Education Team Members Expand Their Leadership Roles

SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 8, 2016 – The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC/CONEL) has tapped several education team members to join the NHCLC Board or Executive Council. The new Board appointees include Dr. Andrea Ramirez, Dr. Antipas Harris and Esmeralda Sanchez. Joining the Executive Council is Yvette Santana who will specialize in outreach to women. All four appointees have a long history of service within the NHCLC’s Faith and Education Coalition which advocates for higher education standards and outcomes for Latino students.

“We are excited to add these education advocates to the NHCLC Board and Executive Council,” comments Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the NHCLC/Conel. “They are passionate about shining light on the darkness of inequality and honoring the ‘imago dei’ in every child. Their wisdom and experience are great gifts to Latino congregations around the world.”

“The NHCLC’s education initiative has greatly benefitted from the wisdom and dedication of these leaders for many years,” explains Dr. Carlos Campo, President of Ashland University and Founder of the Faith and Education Coalition. “I’m delighted to see their expertise improving outcomes not only for Latino students and families but also the broader Body of Christ.”

The new appointees bring broad experience to their new roles. New members of the NHCLC Board include:

• Dr. Andrea Ramirez is Executive Director of the Faith and Education Coalition-NHCLC and oversees key education initiatives for the NHCLC throughout the U.S. She is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and Regent University. She joined the NHCLC Board in the spring of 2016.
• Esmeralda Sanchez is the former Deputy Director the Faith and Education Coalition-NHCLC. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Dallas and is currently a PhD student at Rice University. She joined the NHCLC Board this fall.
• Dr. Antipas Harris is an author and speaker who serves as an Associate Professor of Practical Theology & Ministry at Regent University. He is a graduate of Emory University and Yale University Divinity Seminary. He joined the NHCLC Board in the spring of 2016.
• Yvette Santana holds a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and a Bachelors degree in Sociology. She previously served as a K-12 school counselor and currently services as Women’s Discipleship Coordinator for the Church of God (SW region). She joins the NHCLC Executive Council this fall and will specialize in outreach to women.

NHCLC/CONEL education initiatives and resources are found online atwww.faithandeducation.com, alongside links to Christian university and seminary partners.

NHCLC/CONEL is the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization. It serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. For additional information, visit http://www.nhclc.org.