Director of Member Services

Mario Vela is the Director of Member Services for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement. As Director of Member Services, Mario is responsible for the growth and relationships of HACE’s national network through the delivery of skill development and network-building programs for students and professionals. Network-building includes traditional and social networking initiatives. Mario engages experienced professionals as mentors and advisors, creating a multi-generational network to support Latinos’ career growth around the country. Mario conducts outreach to HACE events in Chicago, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Mario also serves as the liaison with Chicago Public Schools, representing HACE’s El Futuro initiative to school administrators, teachers, and parents; managing school relationships. Mario also assists in researching and soliciting grants.

Before joining HACE, Mario was manager for a social services agency in San Antonio, TX with the responsibility of an annual budget of over 1.4 million dollars and supervised 18 staff and 10 volunteers in a variety of programs directed at children who have been abused, homelessness prevention, and senior services. Mario successfully assisted in the transformation of thousands of lives while increasing services to the community with the ability to transform a budgetary deficit to a budgetary surplus.

Mario earned his Master’s degree in Sociology and Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Mario lived several years in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Mexico and was a transnational student to the United States during most of his youth.