Diane Olmos Guzmán grew up in District III and knows the people and traditional businesses of Houston's East End. Here in these blue collar, largely Hispanic neighborhoods where hard work is a way of life, Olmos sees HCC's mission unfolding.
Surrounded by the Port of Houston, Hobby Airport and the industrial complex that makes up the nation's fourth largest city, HCC's Southeast College is adding to its work force programs, increasing its enrollment and renovating and improving its campus for future generations. Olmos believes stakeholders in District III need and want practical programs that tie education and jobs together and link the East End to the global marketplace.
She is working with the Port and other area industries to create partnerships that improve business opportunities and go hand-in-hand with student success. Olmos will continue to support and push programs like the Dual Credit high school/HCC initiative, the business incubator project to nurture new small businesses and industry internships that can turn into lifelong student careers.
She envisions an even stronger connectivity among stakeholders, businesses, community-based organizations and HCC students all working toward the same goal - a stronger community with opportunities for every child and a link to the larger world beyond District III. HCC, says Olmos, is the community steward that will act as the champion of these partnerships.
Olmos is a 1981 HCC alumnus and earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston. She is currently working toward an online master's degree in business administration.
She continues her work as secretary of the HCC Board of Trustees and also chairs the board's Outreach Committee. Six years ago, Olmos and fellow trustees Abel Davila and Yolanda Navarro Flores created the Hispanic Education Leadership Committee which has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving Hispanic students at HCC.
Olmos runs D.O. In Communications, her own public relations and business development consulting firm and is also a certified Realtor. She worked several years for the Metropolitan Transit Authority's small business program and continues her efforts to promote entrepreneurship and economic development projects in her community.
