From Fish Camp scholarships to endowed faculty fellowships, Gina and William (Bill) Flores ‘76 invest in many areas of the Texas A&M University experience. The couple was recently honored by Mays Business School with a luncheon for their continuing support, which includes two endowed faculty fellowships in the Department of Finance at Mays.
William (Bill) ’76 and Gina Flores
At the luncheon held on April 3, Sorin Sorescu, head of the finance department, expressed his thanks to the Floreses, noting their impact on the lives of thousands of students, both current and future.
Bill spoke briefly at the event. “Without these people,” he said, gesturing around the room, “Gina and I would not be in a position to give back in the way that we have.” He challenged faculty members in the audience to have the same kind of impact on students that his mentors have had on him while earning his degree at A&M. Similarly, he advised the students present to remember who and what made them who they are and to give back someday when they are able.
Sorescu announced Assistant Professor of Finance Sudheer Chava is the first recipient of one of the two endowed faculty fellowships provided by the Floreses. The second fellowship will be used to recruit a new faculty member for the fall 2009 term.
Bill is the president and CEO of Houston-based Phoenix Exploration Company, an oil and gas exploration and property acquisitions company in the Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico regions. He has held a variety of corporate management positions since earning his MBA from Houston Baptist University in 1985, including executive/senior vice president and chief financial officer posts for Marine Drilling, Western Atlas, OneOffshore, TransEnergy Holdings, and Gryphon Exploration.
Gina earned a bachelor’s in education from Sam Houston State University. After graduating, she taught English in public high schools and later taught elementary and middle school students in private Christian schools. Gina currently serves on the Texas A&M’s College of Education and Human Development Advisory Council.
The Floreses have recently contributed $1 million to the One Spirit One Vision Campaign at Texas A&M, which establishes endowed faculty fellowships, an endowed graduate fellowship, and an endowed excellence fund to support finance faculty research, all at Mays.
In addition to their support of the business school, the Floreses have also generously supported the Association of Former Students, the 12th Man Foundation, the Corps of Cadets, and the College of Education and Human Development. They have endowed several scholarships and contributed to the “Pillars of A&M” campaign, providing funds for the construction of the Hagler Center.
