GILBERTO PRADO
Board of Directors President
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Gilberto Prado is an executive school finance professional with more than 24 years in public school finance. He spent two decades working for Dallas ISD, where his career began as a
purchasing agent and culminated as the executive director of budget services. At Dallas ISD he served as key contributor to the chief financial officer, superintendent and the school board, managed multiple departments and a budget in excess of $1.6 billion in revenues and expenses. In April 2015, he joined Garland ISD as the Budget Director, responsible for a budget in excess of $600 million. While in Garland ISD, he was promoted to executive director and managed several departments, including oversight of a $455 million bond program.
He currently serves as the chief financial officer for Cedar Hill ISD and is responsible for all business affairs of the district assuring maximum efficiency and provision of the best possible educational services with the resources available. He recognizes the importance of safe guarding the financial resources afforded for the education of our students and he is a strong supporter of public education and holds this belief close to his heart, as all three of his sons attended and graduated from Garland ISD schools.
Gilberto is married to Lisa and has three boys: Jack, Maxx, and Zachary. He enjoys endurance running and spending time with family and friends. Gilberto holds a BA in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College in Vermont.
ESMERALDA OROZCO
Board of Directors Vice President
Esmeralda Orozco earned her master's in Bilingual Education from SMU. She currently serves as the Dual Language, Spanish, LPAC Instructional Coach at International
Leadership of Texas. In the past, she served as administrative assistant to the Division 5 assistant superintendent for Dallas Independent School District.
WILLIAM SMITH
Board of Directors Treasurer
William Smith is the Associate Dean of Academic Transfer at El Centro College, previously he was the Coordinator of Disability Support Services at Tarrant
County College, Northwest. He is also an Adjunct Instructor in the disciplines of Human Development and Teacher Preparation . He holds a Masters from the University of Missouri in Special Education and Human Development/ Family Studies and a Doctorate of Education for American College of Education. His research interest ranges from Minority Males in college, First Generation College students and students with learning disabilities. He is also a Realtor for Judge Fite Century 21.
Board of Directors
JOHN GASKO
Board Member
Dr. John Gasko serves as Special Advisor to UNT Dallas President Bob Mong to work on advancing the university’s
strategic partnerships and community collaborations. Dr. Gasko has served as Dean of the UNT Dallas School of Education for more than three years and created its Emerging Teacher Institute. The school has grown both enrollment and fundraising under his innovative leadership.
Dr. Gasko works closely with President Mong and Vice President of Advancement, Dr. Monica Williams, and oversees important philanthropic initiatives that he has led in collaboration with The Meadows Foundation, The William K. Kellogg Foundation, Raise Your Hand Texas, The Hudson Foundation, The Texas Instruments Foundation, The Dallas Foundation and The Rainwater Foundation. Since he began as dean in March 2016, Dr. Gasko has collectively raised more than $2.5 million in grants and philanthropic resources.
MONICA OSORIO
Board Member
Monica Osorio is a community partnerships specialist whose successful out-reach programs in Dallas ISD have allowed her
to continue to expand in the field taking responsibilities as a Marketing Coordinator and Parental Engagement Expert with charter school districts and private higher education institutions. Her work in the Dallas area metroplex highlights a continuous support in pro of teacher assistant programs at the college level, teacher education initiatives at the university level, and alternative certification programs at the school district level. She worked as the Marketing and Out-reach Coordinator for Ana G. Mendez University System where she holds the record of the highest number of students recruited among all 5 campuses in the U.S.
As a company developer and partner Vida Education, she created multiple relationship with Community and School District leaders and faculty and staff and communities and school districts across the state.
Monica is the founder of MPO Solutions, a company specialized on bilingual teacher recruitment.
RAAMEL MITCHELL
Board Member
Raamel Mitchell, director of citizenship and public affairs for Microsoft, is a lifelong, avid believer in the power of technology.
He began making his mark early when he was recruited by Raytheon at age 17 to support the company’s Defense and Special Energy Operations work for the U.S. Department of Energy.
His passion for technology led him to Microsoft, where he leads public affairs and citizenship for the central United States, covering 17 states and six district offices. He specializes in building strategic public and private partnerships, making transformational investments for community and philanthropic goals and also advancing policy at the federal, state and local government levels.
Mitchell values his role building human capital pipelines that drive the global economy. His team’s initiatives support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, workforce development, health care, entrepreneurship and civic innovation. He creates a balance between that role and his service as campus director of Microsoft’s Las Colinas district office, one of the largest in the U.S. with more than 1,500 employees.
Mitchell earned two master’s degrees in business administration from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, respectively.