He accomplished that goal, and more.
Now, 10 years later, he will help other students fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree at Coastal Bend College.
College trustees appointed Gomez to fill the board seat vacated by trustee Fred Morón, who resigned Wednesday.
It is the second time in as many months Coastal Bend College has appointed a new trustee to fill a vacancy created by the departure of a board member.
“Coastal Bend College board of trustees accepted the resignation of Fred Morón with regret,” a college spokesperson said.
Morón served the college board for eight years.
In a letter addressed to the board of trustees, Morón stated that he was “grateful and honored” to have served on the board. He asked that his resignation be effective immediately, prompting the board to move swiftly on filling Place 4 in his absence.
“Morón always focused on CBC employees and how they work as a cohesive unit for the betterment of the college,” Paul Jaure, board chairman, said. “He was also a great activist for students.”
Indeed, one of Morón’s last outspoken acts as trustee was to ask college administrators what steps they were taking to ensure that all high school students in Bee County are aware they could earn college credit for free at CBC through the dual credit program.
He was particularly interested in what the college was doing to reach “first-generation” college students, those students who could be the first in their family history to go to college, and persuade them to attend CBC after high school.
College administrators vowed to double their efforts to remind every high school student about the free dual credit courses at CBC, as well as seek out first-generation students.
With a full show of support, the board unanimously appointed Victor Gomez to fill Morón’s vacant seat.
“I’m excited that he is one of our graduates,” CBC President Dr. Thomas Baynum said. Gomez, a graduate of A.C. Jones High School, is the first Coastal Bend College graduate to sit on the board of trustees. He graduated from CBC in 1998 and 1999, and went on to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Gomez is manager of medical, surgical and pediatrics nursing at Christus Spohn Hospital in Beeville. He has worked for Christus Spohn as manager of the coronary intensive care unit in Corpus Christi and education coordinator and ICU nurse in Beeville. He is a registered nurse and a certified EMT paramedic.
Betty Sims, CBC nursing director, was excited to hear about the appointment. “We are going full circle now. This is a ‘grow your own’ effort,” Sims said. She has worked with Gomez through the nursing advisory committee at the college. She was excited to learn that he has moved up into a “more regulatory role.”
The Beeville native is also active in the community. He is a longtime youth football and baseball coach. He is a member of the Beeville Athletic Booster Club and St. Joseph’s Parish Council.
“We lost Dr. Hogue’s medical expertise when he resigned from the board. Gomez will be an advocate for the health services industry,” Jaure said.
Dr. Grady “Sam” Hogue Jr., a former Beeville physician, resigned from the board last fall after having served 12 years.
Gomez will serve his appointment until elections are held in May. Laura Fischer (Place 7) is currently serving the unexpired term of longtime trustee R.W. “Bill” Dirks, who left after 37 years of service to the college. Doug Arnold (Place 2) was named to serve the unexpired term of Dr. Hogue. Place 5, held by Emilia Dominguez, is also up for election this May.
Bee-Picayune staff writer Scott Reese Willey contributed to this report.
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