Our Team

Raymund Paredes

Dr. Raymund Paredes brings an incredible amount of experience and expertise to the SPI Team. His 30 years of experience at the local, state, and federal levels of higher education will be invaluable to clients, researchers, and consultants at the company. He has worked in almost every area of education and his participation in strategic planning, educational excellence, and all areas of management have afforded him unique insights.

After his education and military service in Vietnam, Dr. Paredes moved to California to take a faculty position at the University of California, Los Angeles. He then took a position as director of creativity and culture with a private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization in New York.

Returning to his home state of Texas, Dr. Paredes was named Commissioner of Higher Education and CEO of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The THECB oversees state financial aid programs, approves new degree programs at colleges and universities, and otherwise manages Texas higher education.

In addition to his professional work, Dr. Paredes has served as a trustee of The College Board, thereby broadening his areas of expertise even more. Hispanic Business Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in the United States. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) honored him as the Hispanic Educator of the Year in 2019.

Dr. Paredes holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and a master’s degree from the university of Southern California. His doctorate degree in American Civilization is from The University of Texas.