Vela official

New president inauguration held 

The stage in front of the College Hall stood filled with past university presidents, Texas A&M University (TAMU) System and Board of Regents members, loved ones and friends. Chairs lined University Boulevard as students, faculty, staff, guests and more gathered as Texas A&M University-Kingsville inaugurated its 22nd president – Javelina Alumnus Dr. Robert Vela – on Nov. 29.

“This is an exciting day for the university. The installation of a new president… is an important part of life of the university for many reasons. It is a ceremonial symbol of a new beginning it is a time for reflection, a time to recall the institution’s history and to reflect on its mission. It is a time for celebrating and for rededicating ourselves to the tradition of learning. It is a time to strengthen the enterprise of education,” Master of Ceremonies and KIII News Anchor Rudy Treviño said. “Installation is a time to reflect on the respect that we have for the university’s heritage and celebrate our institution’s role in shaping South Texas for nearly 100 years. It is also a moment to set our sights to the future as we continue to light the way with resolve.”

The theme of President Vela’s inauguration was Lighting The Way, Illuminado El Camino, symbolizing the impact TAMUK has had on its students, lighting the way to education.

TAMUK Student Government Association President Tyler Larraga, Staff Council President Sarai Flores, Faculty Senate President Dr. Tanner Machado and Javelina Alumni Association President Monica Hysquierdo shared remarks on behalf of students, faculty, staff and alumni welcoming Vela as president in a video played during the inauguration ceremony.

“Your reputation truly does proceed you. The way you interact with students, faculty, staff, alumni and all those involved in the institution, just goes to show that we are in good hands and to know that we are in good hands is because we have one of our very own Javelinas serving as our president,” Hysquierdo said. 

Photos by Jessica Tijerina and Dominic Valdez

TAMUK First Lady Anna Lisa Vela spoke on behalf of the Vela family. 

“It is a privilege to be standing up here to honor a person that most of you know as Dr. Robert Vela Jr., the 22nd president of TAMUK, but today I would like to honor a person that is so much more to a lot of us here. To our girls – he is a dad that loves, protects and guides and puts them first above all else. To our family and friends, he is someone that will go above and beyond especially when it comes to them getting a higher education. To me he is my husband…who I get to walk this journey of life with,” she said.

The Velas married at 19 and 21 years old. 

“We were clueless on what we were doing and the only thing we did know was that we loved each other, and we needed to get an education to get where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do in life, but most importantly to be able to build a stronger foundation for our children to come,” she said. “This amazing university was a place that helped us figure out what we were doing. It was a place that gave us hope for our future and it gave us confidence to go out into the world and make a difference.”

Their daughters were in attendance and as a family presented a special presidential ring to commemorate him as president. 

The ring is adorned with depictions of mesquite and the number 22, similar to the Javelina Ring.

TAMU System Board of Regents member James “Randy” Brooks officially introduced President Vela before his inauguration speech. 

“Dr. Vela was made to be the leader of this great university and if you look at his resumé you can tell that he was made to be here and to have this job. I’m proud to say that this great institution helped make him the man that he is today,” Brooks said.

Before returning to the university as President, Vela served as an Upward Bounds Coordinator for TAMUK in 1997 and was president of San Antonio College, leading them to an Aspen Award of $600,000 in 2021.  Vela obtained his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&I and his master’s and doctorate degrees from TAMUK.

Brooks presented President Vela with his Symbol of Office, a saber adorning the university’s seal.

Applause from those in attendance welcomed President Vela into his inauguration speech.

“For generations of South Texas this tower has reflected the hope that this institution has embodied for nearly a century, lighting the way for students in our communities – Iluminando El Camino,” President Vela said.

During Vela’s inauguration speech he recognized Humberto Gonzalez, the first Hispanic graduate of the university who graduated with the first class in 1927.

“I am a proud alumnus of this amazing university, so is my wife, Anna Lisa. As it did for Humberto and his family, this institution has changed the course of our lives. It’s brought me here this evening in a role I could never have dreamed of, that of president of our esteemed university,” he said. “This university has been the place for many communities to advance their education and their prospects for a brighter future, that’s what Texas A&I and Texas A&M University Kingsville did for me, a young man from a small ranchito in Alice, Texas. As a first-generation college graduate, school wasn’t always easy. It required self-discipline determination and the mentorship of faculty, administrators and staff who ensured I stayed the course keeping my vision firmly focused on my future. There were times when I didn’t know if college was even right for me but having Texas A&M Kingsville in my backyard meant the tower behind me called to me as a beacon of hope. I knew my future had to come through TAMUK.”

During his speech, President Vela announced The Javelina Relight Program. The program is open to students with 90 credit hours who have stopped our paused their education in the last five years. Eligible students can be awarded $2,500 in scholarships.

“I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to work for our students and our region. May the tower in front of you that has lit the way for so many of us illuminate the path toward a new exciting future,” he said.

After his inauguration speech President Vela was presented with the presidential medal by A&M System Chancellor John Sharp.

“The best part of Robert Vela is that he walked the same streets, he studied in the same buildings that all these students are studying in now,” Sharp said. “He worried about paying for college just like all of them are worried about it. He got nervous before final exams just like they did. He learned the traditions of what this great university is all about and the storied history of what this great university is about. He is a Javelina. He is invested in this, he is a son of the Javelina, he is the person that takes to heart every failure of any student, every success of any student and he is going to be a wonderful president of this university,” Sharp said.

The ceremony concluded with the traditional TAMUK holiday campus lighting, a conclusion lighting the beginning of President Vela’s tenure serving the university.