SHSU Grad Named to Regents

James A. "Jimmy" Hayley, who graduated in 1959 with a bachelor of business administration degree, Patricia Diaz Dennis of San Antonio, and Dionicio "Don" Flores of El Paso were all appointed, subject to confirmation by the Texas Senate. All three will serve terms ending Feb. 1, 2005.

"I am certainly pleased that a SHSU graduate has been appointed to our board," said Bobby K. Marks, Sam Houston president. "Our last graduate to serve on this board was Mr. Lee Drain, and he was a great one. I am looking forward to working with Mr. Hayley and with the other two new regents."

A native of Olney, Hayley has been in his present position since 1987 and is also serving as vice chairman of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives. He was previously employed by Guaranty Federal Savings & Loan in Galveston for 25 years and served as senior vice president.

A member of the SHSU Alumni Association, he is also a member of the American, Texas and Gulf Coast Chambers of Commerce, the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce, and the Rotary Club.

Hayley served as a board trustee of the LaMarque school district for 24 years and president of the board for three years. He is a former director of both the Galveston County Historical Museum and the Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

He is also past advisory director of the Galveston County Historical Foundation and a past director of the Mainland United Way. In 1997 he was the recipient of the College of the Mainland Foundation Award in which an annual scholarship was established and awarded in his name.

He was also recipient of the Galveston County Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award in 1991 and in 1989 received the Outstanding Community Service Award.

Patricia Diaz Dennis is a senior vice president for regulatory and public affairs at SBC Communications Inc., responsible for international external affairs and national constituency groups. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of California at Los Angeles and law degree from Loyola University of Los Angeles School of Law.

She was appointed to the National Labor Relations Board (1983-86) and Federal Communications Commission (1986-89) by President Reagan. President Bush appointed her assistant secretary for human rights and humanitarian affairs at the U. S. Department of State (1992-93).

Dionicio "Don" Flores is executive vice president and editor of the El Paso Times, and graduate of Southwest Texas State University. He has held editing and management positions in Iowa City, Tucson, Ariz., Santa Fe, N. M., Visalia, Calif., and Reno, Nevada.

He is also a former editor with the Dallas Morning News and has been an editor or reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, Abilene Reporter-News and San Marcos Daily Record.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents also governs Angelo State and Southwest Texas State universities and multi-campus Sul Ross and Lamar universities.

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
March 9, 1999
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