"There is a direct connection between his mind and his heart," said Irene Garcia, chair of the board of trustees of STC. "Mr. Benavidez is a man who thinks with his mind, but feels with his whole heart and this motivates the hard work and effort that he puts into everything he does on behalf of South Texas College. We are very proud of him and congratulate him on this achievement. No one on the board is more deserving of this honor."

"Mr. Benavidez has been a tremendous asset to South Texas College, providing the support and leadership needed in Hidalgo and Starr Counties to make STC a success," said Dr. Shirley A. Reed, president of STC. "He has contributed significantly to developing programs that address student needs and ensure every student at the Hidalgo and Starr County Campuses, and other STC facilities, has access to the tools needed to succeed. We are so pleased that he was chosen as the recipient of this award because of the dedication of his time and energy to promote not only STC, but the importance of higher-education. Taking on the position of trustee is a huge obligation and he has gone above and beyond in every capacity, as do as all our board members. We congratulate him on this accomplishment and look forward to continuing our work together to maintain the college's image as a premier higher-education institution in the Rio Grande Valley."

"First let me say that I am truly humbled to have been nominated for this award, much less being selected as a winner," said Benavidez. "I know that many staffers, instructors, administrators and board members contributed to the nomination and it is an honor to have their support and know how much my work means to them. Everything I do for STC is done out of a commitment to improving the lives of the citizens of Starr and Hidalgo counties. Access to higher education is no longer a privilege, but a necessity and I vow to continue my hard work to ensure that all members of these communities have the opportunity to continue their educations and succeed in life."

The ACCT is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern more than 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges in the United States, Canada and England. These leaders offer their time and talent to serve on the governing boards of this century's most innovative higher education institutions and make decisions that affect more than 11 million students annually.

For additional information about South Texas College, please visit www.southtexascollege.edu or for additional information on the ACCT, please visit www.acct.org.

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