2023 Graduations

Texas CPM Program Graduates 38 at the Texas State Capitol on December 4, 2023

By Howard Balanoff

The Texas Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program Graduation was held on Monday December 4, 2023. The graduation was conducted in the Capitol Auditorium at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. A reception for the graduates and their guests was held in the Legislative Conference Room of the Capitol.

Dr. Miha Vindis, Director of the Texas CPM Program welcomed the graduates and their guests and introduced Mr. Joe Chacon, former Police City of Austin, Chief of Police (Ret), who delivered the CPM graduation speech and praised the CPM graduates for their commitment to public service. Chief Chacon is a graduate of the Texas CPM Program.

The Texas CPM Program is a consortium of Texas Universities that operates under the umbrella of Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service has been continuous service since 1995 and over its 28 year history has graduated over 2,000 public and not for profit sector employees.

The universities that participated in the December 4, 2023, CPM Graduation are:

Dr. Miha Vindis, Director of the Texas CPM Program presents Chief Joe Chacon with an appreciation plaque for Delivering the December 2023 CPM Program Graduation address.

University	Number of Graduates
Texas A&M International University	15
Stephen F. Austin State University	9
University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley	7
Texas State University Round Rock/San Marcos	7
Total	38

Texas A&M International University, Peter Haruna, CPM Director

David Arredondo, Jr.
Adrian Matthew Gause
Eduardo J. Herrera
Maria Elsa Hinojosa
Andrew Joseph Knapp
Gloria Landin
Elena R. Martinez
Jorge Ynchausti
Alonzo J. Olivarez Jr.
Aileen Ramos
Martha A. Raz
Jesus Reyes
Silvestre Rodriguez Jr.
Isabel D. Sosa-Castaneda
Miguel Gerardo Vega Fonseca

Stephen F. Austin State University, Rick Herzog, CPM Director

Albert E. Duffield Jr.
Marc Fleming
Michael Andrew Flores
Robert E. Goldsberry
Amanda C. Wilson
Natasha Jaime
Peter B. Lamont, Jr.
Rachel L. Rowe
Ingred Self

University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley, John Milford, CPM Director

Jose Victor Baldovinos
Luis Alberto Castillo
Susana DeLuna
Robert A McGinnis
Michael J. Elizalde
Elsa M. Galvan
Peter Geddes

Texas State University Round Rock/San Marcos, Miha Vindis & Sue Breland, Directors

Cheryl Marthiljohni
Marco Padilla
Vanessa Ramirez
Christopher W. Altott
David L. Jordan
Rachel Scarborough

For additional information about the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service or the Texas CPM Program, please contact Dr. Howard R. Balanoff, Director of the Hobby Center for Public Service at hb02@txstate.edu and/or Dr. Miha Vindis, Director of the Texas CPM Program at mvindis@txstate.edu

TAMIU Graduates

December 2023 CPM Program Graduating Class from Texas A&M International University shown with CPM Director, Peter Haruna

Stephen F. Austin Graduates

December 2023 CPM Program Graduating Class from Stephen F. Austin State University shown with CPM Director, Rick Herzog (2nd from the left)

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

December 2023 CPM Program Graduating Class from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley shown with CPM Director, John Milford (3rd from the left)

Texas State University Round Rock/San Marcos

December 2023 CPM Program Graduating Class from Texas State University Round Rock/San Marcos shown with Texas CPM Program Director, Miha Vindis

Texas CPM Program Graduates 125 at the Texas State Capitol on June 16, 2023

By Howard Balanoff

The Texas Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program conducted the largest graduation in its 25-year history on Friday June 16, 2023. The graduation was conducted in the Capitol Auditorium at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. A reception for the graduates and their guests was held in the Legislative Conference Room of the Capitol.

Dr. Miha Vindis, Director of the Texas CPM Program welcomed the graduates and their guests and introduced Ms. Amy Ledbetter Parham the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity who delivered the graduation speech and praised the CPM graduates for their commitment to public service.

The Texas CPM Program is a consortium of Texas Universities that operates under the umbrella of Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. The universities listed below participated in the June 16, 2023, CPM Graduation. Also listed are the number of June 2023 graduates from each university.

(Left to Right) Dr. Miha Vindis, Director, Texas CPM Program – Ms. Sue Breland, San Marcos, Texas – Susan Foster A&M Director – Mr. James Earp, CPM Co-Director, Arlington, Texas – Chelsea O’Hara, UH Director – Arquella Hargrove, UH Director

University	Number of Graduates
Texas State University (Arlington, TX Program)	28
Texas Tech	25
University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley	30
Stephen F. Austin State University	3
Texas A&M International University	15
The University of Houston	24
Total	125

The CPM Directors that participated in the June 2023 graduation from Texas State University are Dr. Miha Vindis, Ms. Sue Breland, Dr. Howard Balanoff, Ms. Marilyn Balanoff and James Earp. The Director of the CPM Program at the University of Texas at Pan American is John Milford. The Director of the University of Houston CPM Program are Ms. Renee Cross, Ms. Chelsea O’hara and Ms. Emily Janowski.

For additional information about the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service or the Texas CPM Program, please contact Dr. Howard R. Balanoff, Director of the Hobby Center for Public Service at hb02@txstate.edu and/or Dr. Miha Vindis, Director of the Texas CPM Program at mvindis@txstate.edu

Directors & Speaker

(Left to Right) Dr. Rick Herzog, Stephen F. Austin State University – Mr. John Milford University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley – Ms. Amy Ledbetter Parham, Graduation Speaker – Dr. Miha Vindis, Director, Texas CPM Program – Era Ibarra TX State University