Leadership restructuring reflects commitment to diverse and inclusive executive team

President Chris Gilmer has announced a series of leadership promotions and administrative updates that both strengthen university operations and reflect a clear commitment to diversifying Heritage University’s senior leadership team.

Four of the five individuals elevated into senior leadership roles are women, and several represent communities that have historically been underrepresented in executive leadership. The restructuring signals an intentional effort to ensure that the university’s upper management more fully reflects the diversity of the students and communities Heritage serves.

Joining the leadership team is Sagrario Armenta Jimenez as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. With deep regional roots and a distinguished career in public education, she brings both expertise and cultural connection to the university’s financial operations.

Among the promotions, Crystal Sampson was promoted to Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President of Operations. A respected leader with experience at Costco and within the Yakama Nation, she becomes the first enrolled member of the Yakama Nation to hold the title of Vice President at Heritage.

David Wise was promoted to Senior Vice President of Advancement, Marketing, and Admissions in recognition of significant institutional achievements, including more than doubling annual giving and securing transformative philanthropic investments.

SaraBecca Martin was promoted to Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, expanding her leadership role across the academic portfolio. Adriana Villafan is now the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, broadening her oversight of student success initiatives and wraparound support services. Both are alumni of Heritage.

With the exception of the new CFO, these changes recognize and elevate existing internal talent. The restructuring not only strengthens operational effectiveness but also advances Gilmer’s commitment to building a leadership team that is more representative, inclusive, and reflective of the Heritage community.

 

Five with Heritage Ties Named to Yakima Herald’s “39 Under 39”

Five Yakima Valley leaders with connections to Heritage University have been recognized in the Yakima Herald-Republic’s annual “39 Under 39,” which highlights young professionals making a meaningful impact across the region.

Each year, the recognition celebrates individuals who demonstrate leadership, service, and a commitment to improving the Yakima Valley through their work and community involvement. This year’s honorees connected to Heritage include current students A Hunter and Anany Scott; staff member Ezra Salinas; and alumni Felisa Gonzalez and Mayra Quintero.

Mayra Quintero, a Heritage graduate, serves as grants and programs associate for the Yakima Valley Community Foundation. In that role, she helps lead the foundation’s Youth Leadership Council, a group of teens who distribute $100,000 in community grants each year, while supporting projects focused on education, health, and civic vitality.

Felisa Gonzalez, who earned her degree in psychology from Heritage, works as the office manager for La Casa Hogar, a Yakima nonprofit supporting Latino families. She also serves on the Yakima City Council, tutors at Heritage, and volunteers as a mediator and mental health advocate.

A Hunter, an environmental studies student, is active in Yakima’s music community as a multi-instrumentalist who brings musicians together through collaborative jam sessions and performances while studying the relationship between land, culture, and identity.

Anany Scott, a criminal justice and history student, leads the Heritage Native American Club and organizes the university’s annual All Nations Student Powwow. She is also an advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People.

Ezra Salinas, Heritage’s Native American Student Support Coordinator, mentors students and helps them navigate academic and personal challenges, drawing on his own experiences as a Heritage student and graduate of the university’s Behavioral Health Aide program.