Leadership is about lighting the path for others and keeping the flame of progress alive.
At Leadership Elsa, we’re igniting that spark in emerging leaders to keep Elsa thriving.
Dr. Irma Pye Gavito has a PhD in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Certified in Healthcare Human Resources (CHHR). Dr. Pye is also a Six Sigma Green Belt.
Over the past 5 years, Dr. Pye has proudly served as a professor at UTRGV in the Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship teaching Human Resources, Compensation, Organizational Behavior, and other management-related topics, as well as an adjunct professor at Our Lady of the Lake University in the Leadership studies programs.
Prior to UTRGV, Dr. Pye was the Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer at Valley Baptist Health System for 34 years and just prior to joining UTRGV, she served one year as the Vice President of Human Resources for Doctors Hospital at Renaissance.
Irma is a Past President of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration and of the Texas Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration.
Mike Flores has over a decade of hospitality and tourism experience and currently holds graduate degrees in Business Administration, Marketing Research Analytics, and Business Analytics. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing, sales, eMarketing, destination marketing, and hospitality at UTRGV.
Since his departure from the military, he has had the opportunity to work in high-traffic tourism destinations such as the City of South Padre Island Convention and Visitor Bureau and has conducted several event impacts, customer satisfaction, and sports research and training projects In his career, Mr. Flores has acquired a wealth of experience in convention sales, sporting and special events, destination marketing, international tourism, business development, and tourism analytics. Mr. Flores also works frequently with RGV business and destination marketing agencies to teach a Customer Guest Service Gold course, which includes the latest in digital-avatar training software. In 2023, he also began incorporating AI in all his classes and training.
Alex Garrido is a seasoned digital marketing expert and educator, currently serving as the Director of Digital Marketing & Marketing Analytics at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). With a robust background in both technology and psychology, Alex has a unique ability to harness the power of digital tools to enhance productivity and efficiency. He is also a part-time faculty member at the UTRGV College of Business, where he teaches Social Media & eMarketing.
Alex is passionate about staying at the forefront of technological advancements, consistently integrating cutting-edge tools into his professional and teaching practices. He has taught various professional certificate courses and is a sought-after speaker at numerous professional conferences, where he shares his insights on leveraging technology for strategic advantages.