President & CEO
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
In 1996, Antonio R. Flores became the third president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs); its membership includes more than 400 colleges and universities that collectively serve over two-thirds of the more than 3 million Hispanic students in U.S. higher education across the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. HACU’s international membership of leading higher education institutions is also an important HACU constituency with approximately 50 institutions in Mexico, Central and South America, and Spain.
During Flores’ tenure as president, HACU has nearly tripled its membership (from 161 members in 1996 to 489 in December 2013) and its budget, expanded its programs three-fold. Thanks to HACU’s advocacy efforts under Dr. Flores, more than $3 billion in federal funding has been allocated to HSIs.
Flores has received numerous honors for his contributions to higher education.
Most recently he was featured by Univision Network in an Orgullo Hispano capsule honoring notable and influential Hispanics/Hispanic Americans, and recognized by the Educational Policy Institute with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Flores holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, an M.A. degree in counseling and personnel from Western Michigan University, and undergraduate degrees in business administration and elementary education from Universidad de Guadalajara and Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Mexico, respectively.
