LLILAS Advisory Council
The Mission of the LLILAS Advisory Council is to strengthen the core activities of the institute and to amplify their effectiveness. This mission is achieved through three principal contributions.
- To provide advice on the scholarly and educational program of the institute, drawing on council members’ extensive experience and expertise related to Latin America.
- To serve as a bridge between LLILAS and the broader communities to which the Advisory Council members belong. LLILAS has much to offer to business, government, cultural, and civil society sectors in both the U.S. and Latin America, and has much to learn from such interactions beyond the university. These sectors, in turn, have much to gain from greater involvement with LLILAS. The Advisory Council helps us connect with these communities and, in so doing, helps these mutual benefits to be realized.
- To provide strategic advice and practical assistance in our development goals. The institute is already well endowed, but needs to develop further in a number of key areas if we are to maintain and strengthen our stellar reputation. The Advisory Council helps the LLILAS Director and staff formulate effective fund-raising strategies, identify potential donors, and conceive specific fund-raising activities.
The Advisory Council meets twice a year to receive a report on past activities, and to make plans toward the achievement of these goals.
Miguel Alemán Velasco
President, Fundación Miguel Alemán
Mexico City, Mexico
Miguel Alemán Velasco is a well-known Mexican politician, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and journalist. He graduated in law from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Mr. Alemán has been Senator, forty-fourth Governor of the State of Veracruz (PRI), and Vice-President and CEO of Televisa S.A. de C.V. At present he is Chairman of the Board of Interjet-ABC, President of the Board and President of the Executive Committee of the Miguel Alemán Foundation, President of the Mexico Business Summit, CEO of Alemán Velasco y Asociados A.C., President of the Board of Trustees of the National San Carlos Museum, Trustee of the Dolores Olmedo Museum, and Board Member of the National Prado Museum in Spain. Mr. Alemán also has had a successful journalistic career with Siempre and Visión Latinoamericana magazines. He has been a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) since 1953 and has held important positions within it. He has written twenty-one books, seven of which are historical novels. At present, Mr. Alemán is a columnist for El Universal newspaper. He has received decorations of honor from the governments of Spain and Panama, as well as the highest decoration of the Legion d’Honneur from France. In 2007 he was elected President of the Société d’Entraide des Membres de la Légion d´Honneur.
Alonso Ancira
President, Altos Hornos de México
Mexico City, Mexico
Since April 2004, Alonso Ancira has served as President of the Mexican industrial consortium of Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) and its affiliates, where he was previously Executive Vice President and General Director (1991–2004). He was President of Mexico’s National Committee of Iron and Steel (CANACERO) from 1993–1995, 2003–2004, and 2006–2007. As a promoter of environmental initiatives in Mexico, Mr. Ancira served as President of CESPEDES (Commission for the Study of the Private Sector for Sustainable Development). As a result of his corporate leadership and his contributions within the Mexican steel industry, Mr. Ancira was named “Executive of the Year” in 1996 by the Industrial Association and “International Executive of the Year” in 1992 by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of San Antonio, Texas. He received his bachelor’s degree in law from Anáhuac University in Mexico City and is a member of the board of directors of several universities. He was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Mining from the University of Guanajuato and a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Arts from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio in recognition of his contribution to bilateral relations. Born in Mexico City, Alonso Ancira and his wife, Susana, have a daughter, Sofia.
William M. ArnoldProfessor in the Practice of Energy Management, Rice University
Houston, Texas
As a senior executive in energy, government, and banking, William Arnold engaged in the highest levels of government in the U.S. and abroad to provide geological insights to develop business strategies and advance multimillion dollars projects. He earned a BA in economics at Cornell University and an MA in Latin American Studies and MBA in international finance from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Arnold served as Director of International Government Relations of Shell Oil Company for more than a decade. He has been an international commercial banker, as well as Senior Vice President of the Export Import-Bank of the United States. Mr. Arnold also has been a Governor of the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., for fifteen years; a Director of the Asia Society in Houston; and a member of the Executive Committees of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations and of the Mexican Center of LLILAS at UT Austin. He previously served on the boards of directors of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, University of Texas Health Science Center, American Turkish Council, American Red Cross (Houston Chapter), and the Houston World Affairs Council. Mr. Arnold is currently Professor of Energy Management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.
Antonio Benjamin
Justice, High Court of Brazil (STJ)
Brasília, Brazil
Antonio Benjamin was appointed Justice of the High Court of Brazil in 2006 by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He was Assistant Attorney General of the State of São Paulo for more than twenty years, heading its Environmental Protection Division for four years. Professor Benjamin was founding president of the Brazilian Consumer Law and Policy Institute and the Law for a Green Planet Institute. He is currently chair of the Brazil-U.S. Law Society and co-president of INECE (International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement). Professor Benjamin also is former president of the Brazilian Fulbright Alumni Association, a member of the UN Secretary General Legal Expert Groups on Crimes against the Environment, and for many years a member of CONAMA, the National Environmental Council. He received his LLB from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, his LLM from the University of Illinois, and his PhD from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. He is emeritus editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Consumer Law Review and the Brazilian Environmental Law Review, and has been a Visiting Professor at the UT School of Law for the past fifteen years.
Pam M. Giblin
Attorney at Law and Partner, Baker Botts LLP
Austin, Texas
Pam Giblin is a senior partner in the Austin office of Baker Botts and chairs the firm's environmental department. She received her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 1970. Ms. Giblin has practiced environmental law since then and has had extensive experience in advising clients on a broad array of environmental issues, particularly in the area of air quality. She has served on the EPA's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and is listed in the environmental law section of The Best Lawyers in America. She is the first woman to receive the Distinguished Lawyer Award from the Travis County Bar Association. Her areas of practice include air and water quality; waste and remediation; industry solutions, and toxic tort and environmental litigation.
Chris G. Jordan
Dallas, Texas
Elio King
President, King Global Investments LLC
Austin, Texas
Elio King is President of King Global Investments LLC, an international investment firm counseling clients in both Latin America and the United States. With more than thirty years of experience, Mr. King brings broad expertise in asset management and financial planning to his role managing private investment portfolios for high net worth estates. Prior to founding King Global Investments in 2010, Mr. King served as Senior Vice President for Southwest Securities, Smith Barney/Citigroup Capital Markets, and Prudential Securities. Mr. King received a bachelor's degree in economics from The University of Texas at Austin in 1976 and a master's degree in economics and international business from LLILAS in 1978. He recognizes the invaluable opportunity that LLILAS provides its students, and as a member of the LLILAS Advisory Council, he is strongly committed to the program's continued success. Mr. King was born in Lima, Peru, and has called Austin home for forty years. A lifelong soccer player, he is a former member of the UT soccer team and continues to play soccer weekly.
Miguel Krigsner
Chairman of the Board, Grupo Boticário
São José dos Pinhais, Brazil
In 1977, Miguel Krigsner opened a small prescription pharmacy in Curitiba, Brazil, called O Boticário. It was a pioneer in franchising in Brazil and today is the largest perfume and cosmetics franchise in the world. In 1990, applying an entrepreneur's vision to environmental conservation, Krigsner founded the Grupo Boticário Foundation for the Preservation of Nature. For more than twenty years, the foundation has promoted and carried out nature conservancy projects throughout Brazil. Krigsner graduated in 1975 from the Universidade Federal do Paraná with degrees in pharmacy and biochemistry.
Myra Leo
Government Affairs Advisor, K&L Gates LLP
Austin, Texas
Myra Leo is a Government Affairs Advisor in the law firm K&L Gates LLP. Her areas of specialty include municipal and county government, higher education, pharmaceutical, financial services, and environmental and vehicle regulatory matters, including procurement-related issues. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, she served as the Intergovernmental Relations Manager for the City of San Antonio, where she had chief responsibility for managing federal, state, and local matters on behalf of the city. In 1985, she served as chief of staff for the first Hispanic woman elected to the Texas Legislature, State Representative Irma Rangel (Kingsville), a position she held until 1994. Ms. Leo also served as the interim acting director of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus from 1993 to 1994. In that capacity, she managed policy issues and coordinated information for caucus members. Ms. Leo worked in the policy division of Lt. Governor William P. Hobby, Jr., from 1982 to 1985. She received her BA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981.
Joe R. Long
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Foundation
Austin, Texas
Joe R. Long, born in San Antonio, Texas, is a well-known Austin lawyer and banker. He received his BA in 1951, with a major in government and a minor in history and anthropology, at the University of Texas. He also completed his ROTC training there, and upon graduation was called immediately into the service during the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in August 1958 with a JD degree. Over the next twenty years, he worked as a sole practitioner and as a member of several partnerships, ultimately organizing his own firm. In 1968, he began working in the banking industry as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First State Bank. He served in that position until 1998, when the bank was sold to Norwest Corporation. Since then, he has overseen his private business affairs and has spent much of his time in philanthropic activities with several colleges and universities in Texas, as well as with several nonprofit corporations. He has been married to Teresa Lozano Long since 1958, and they currently make their home in Austin, where they are both heavily involved in community activities and philanthropic endeavors.
Teresa Lozano Long
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Foundation
Austin, Texas
Teresa Lozano Long was born in Premont, Texas, to Arturo V. and Elvira D. Lozano. She completed a BS in 1948 and MEd in 1951 at the University of Texas at Austin, where she later became the first Mexican American to earn a doctorate in physical education. Dr. Lozano Long has earned a reputation as an inspiring role model for all women through her continuous dedication to the improvement of public education in Texas and through her philanthropic spirit supporting arts programs in Austin. As a distinguished alumna, she supports the university through donations of time and funds to its schools and colleges. She and her husband, Mr. Joe R. Long, have a keen interest in Latin America and Latin American affairs. In 2000, they endowed the Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas with a $10 million gift, the income of which is used principally for scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students and supplemental pay for faculty members who specialize in Latin American history, politics, government, art, and history.
Tara Gremillion McCown
Dallas, Texas
Tara McCown’s affinity for Latin America came naturally. The daughter of a career U.S. diplomat, she grew up in Central and South America, living in Guatemala, Brazil, Paraguay, and El Salvador. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she was well suited to obtain her degree in those languages. After graduating from the University of Texas, she attended the University of Lisbon for graduate studies in Portuguese. Soon after, she used her language to counsel and promote through Spanish language television and print media the Montopolis Housing Development in Austin. Following that, she worked as an airline executive for twelve years until she began the task of raising three sons, all who are UT Exes. A lifetime UT Ex, she and her husband, Steve (also a lifetime UT Ex and Business School graduate), live in Dallas. She has been involved in many civic and philanthropic causes and currently serves on the Liberal Arts Foundation Council at the University of Texas at Austin. She and her family are dedicated Longhorn Fans!
Rubens Ometto Silveira MelloChairman of the Board, Cosan and Raízen
São Paulo, Brazil
Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello is Chairman of the Board of Cosan and Raízen and a leading voice in Brazil on energy policy. Cosan is one of the principal ethanol and sugar producers in Brazil, and recently formed a joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell to create Raízen, the world's largest bioenergy company. He holds a degree in mechanical production engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Universidade de São Paulo (1972), and has more than thirty years of experience in managing large companies. He has served as managing director and chairman of the Board of Directors of Costa Pinto SA since 1980, vice-president of Pedro Ometto SA since 1980, executive officer and board member of Cosan Operadora Portuária SA since 1998, chairman of the Board of Directors of FBA–Franco Operadora Portuária SA since 2001, and CEO and board member at Da Barra since 2002. Additionally, he has served as a board member at UNICA, the Federation of Sugarcane Industries of São Paulo State. Mr. Mello served on the Board of Directors of UNIBANCO, União de Bancos Brasileiros SA from 1971 to 1973; from 1973 to 1980, he was the finance director for Indústrias Votorantim SA.
Héctor Morales, MD
President, Devenir Aesthetics
Austin, Texas
Dr. Hector Morales has extensive experience in the field of healthcare for the Hispanic community. He is currently president and principal shareholder of Devenir Aesthetics located in Austin. Dr. Morales graduated from the University of San Luis Potosí School of Medicine in Mexico, performed his residency in general and vascular surgery in New York City, Washington, D.C., Utrecht (The Netherlands), and Detroit, and served as professor of surgery and anatomy in San Luis Potosí. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and Advanced Cardio-Vascular Technology. Dr. Morales is the author of numerous scientific papers published in the United States and Europe and speaks on medical, surgical, and educational topics in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe.
Jane E. Schlansker
President and CEO, InterStar Public Relations
Fort Worth, Texas
Jane E. Schlansker is President and CEO of InterStar Public Relations, Inc., Fort Worth, providing marketing, PR, and strategic communications consulting services to clients from regional to international in scope. Schlansker is a past president of Fort Worth Sister Cities International and currently serves on the executive committee and board as Development Chair. She is a member and past director of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and a member of TCU’s International Performing Arts Board of Visitors. She serves as Chair of the nationally recognized Mimir Chamber Music Festival, hosted on the Texas Christian University campus. Schlansker has a BA in communications from DePauw University in Indiana, where she serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.
Martha E. Smiley
Enoch Kever PLLC
Austin, Texas
Martha Smiley is a member of Enoch Kever PLLC’s administrative, energy, public law, and appellate practice. She has extensive regulatory, legislative, and administrative experience in public utility law, including communications, cable, and private networks. Martha has represented a variety of competitive telecommunications interests before administrative agencies and legislature. In addition, she counsels clients on developing legal and legislative strategy, considering overall regulatory issues, and advising public entities in all areas of public law. Prior to joining Enoch Kever, Martha was of counsel at the Austin office of Winstead PC. She also served as executive vice president at a communications corporation and had her own law firm for fourteen years after working as a regional counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency. Martha is a Founding Member of the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law. She received her JD from the UT School of Law in 1972 and her BA from Baylor University in 1969.
Darryl W. Traweek
SVP Regional Director with RBC Wealth Management
Houston, Texas
Darryl Traweek has been an SVP Regional Director with RBC Wealth Management for the past fifteen years. Previously, he worked as a financial consultant and a branch manager in the financial services industry since 1986. At RBC he has worked to put together a lecture series on the “Impact of the Latin American Markets on Texas Markets.” He graduated from the Cown University of Texas in 1982 with a BBA He plans to continue to give back both money and time, for without his education and experiences at UT, he says, he would not have had a fraction of the success and opportunities presented over the years. While at UT Traweek was, as he describes it, “always interested in watching this great organization continue to gain national and global recognition academically and socially.” Today he continues his involvement with UT as a member of the Chancellors Council, Longhorn Foundation, Lifetime Texas Exes, UT Eastside Club (founding member), LLILAS Advisory Council, UT Golf Club, and as a longtime season-ticket holder.
