Manny Vela to Retire From Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen

MCALLEN, Texas – Manuel “Manny” Vela is to retire as associate vice president and chief operating officer of the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, effective May 31, 2025.

Vela is slated to appear as a panelist during the upcoming 2025 RGV Legislative Tour, hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The panel discussion is titled “The RGV Economy – Your Gateway to the United States.”

Vela has served in his current role at Texas A&M since May 2023. Prior to that, he served as president and chief operating officer of Valley Baptist Health System.

“This was not an easy decision to make, noting the enormous amount of pride and joy I have experienced being in this role,” Vela said. “I am grateful to be surrounded by such incredible students, faculty and staff. They have inspired and motivated me, and collectively we have made a significant difference in the future of our campus. I’m determined to make the most of this semester and continue driving toward our goal of creating educational opportunities throughout South Texas.”

General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University, said Vela has played a critical role in establishing new positions at Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. He said he has developed and strengthened community partnerships and completed a master plan designed to strategize the expansion and programmatic growth of the McAllen campus.

“Manny has been a force for good for Texas A&M University’s presence in the Rio Grande Valley, and I’m grateful for his hard work over the last few years to set the Higher Education Center at McAllen up for long-term success,” Welsh said. “We’ll get to work to find a replacement soon, but we certainly won’t find another Manny Vela.”

Vela was born and raised in Harlingen, Texas, and has a long history of serving the South Texas community through his leadership positions at the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen, Valley Baptist Health System and the Vela and Vela Law Firm. He also held roles in many local, state and national organizations.

Vela was introduced as the new COO at Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen in April 2023. He was introduced to the public and media by his good friend, Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp.

Asked by the Rio Grande Guardian why the center needed a COO, Sharp said: “Because it’s growing. The second building is going to be constructed here pretty quick. And when found out that Manny was fixing to retire from Valley Baptist, we said, how can we find anybody that’s better known, better energized than Manny Vela. It was just too good an opportunity to pass up.”

Sharp is slated to retire as A&M chancellor on June 30, 2025.

At the same event, Vela said: “The challenge of the Rio Grande Valley remains that we still have a significant pool of unpacked talents waiting to be matched with opportunity.” He said he was looking forward to growing the Texas A&M Colonias Program.

“I’m very excited to join the Texas A&M Colonias Program, which was established to help improve the lives of folks living in colonias along the border. As many of you know, the health and well-being of our communities is of paramount importance to me, having been part of the great professional family of Valley Baptist for almost 20 years. By joining this program, I get to continue working on the health and well-being of some of our residents. But I get to do it in a different way by using different tools.

Vela continued: “I will tell you this. It troubles me greatly to think that in 2023, some of our fellow Texans still live without the basics necessities that we take for granted, such as clean running water, electricity, plumbing, sewer, paved roads, curbs and gutters. There is lots of good work that has been done over the last multiple decades. But there is work to be done in that regard as well and I am proud to be joining that cause.”

Vela added: “I will start my new role with the following Scripture ringing in my ear: to whom much is given, much is required. Folks, I believe we are truly blessed to be in a position to make a positive difference in the lives around us and I am truly, truly, honored to be joining an institution that is driven by just that. Making a difference in the lives of the individuals and communities they serve. So, let’s go and do some good.”

Katherine Banks was president of Texas A&M University when Vela took over as COO of Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen. Banks said of Vela: “We are very excited about this new addition to our leadership team. He will be over the McAllen campus but also work with people throughout South Texas to find out the best ways we can contribute to education broadly.”

Banks told the Guardian at the time: “We need someone to think strategically about this campus. What will it be in two years? Three years, five years, ten years? We really hadn’t had that before. And in addition, we need to determine how we gather the resources to make all this happen.”

Asked whose decision it was to hire Vela, Banks said: “It was mine and Chancellor Sharp’s together. He (Vela) is a leader. He is visionary, and he has an amazing ability to bring together strategic plans, and that’s exactly what we need down here.”

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