Florentino "Tino" Gonzalez was born in 1959 in Galveston and came of age in the Eastend, an African American and Mexican American neighborhood. He attended Catholic school for his primary and secondary education and struggled initially to learn English. After doing construction work for a few years post-graduation, Gonzalez attended Galveston College where he recieved the individualized attention necessary to thrive and matriculate. As the Vice President of Moody National Bank, he served on many boards of historical and non-profit organizations. Gonzalez talks about how his family migrated from Monterrey, Mexico to Galveston, how his cross-ethnic experiences growing up provided him a broad perspective, how his high school did not prepare him to go to college, and how Galveston College provided him the environment necessary to gain an education and prosper in life. He also talks about how his ability to listen and read coupled with his desire to represent Latina/o perspectives afforded him the opportunity to serve on several institutional boards, such as the Family Service Center, the Galveston Sustainable Community Alliance. Gonzalez describes his position as a Galveston College Board of Regents member and how he has focused on the recruitment and retention of working class, ethnic, and …