The Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees says farewell to outgoing Trustee Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock as her six-year term comes to an end.
“Our Trustees play a pivotal role at Austin Community College. Their passion to serve our students and the community at large is inspiring,” says ACC Chancellor, Dr. Richard Rhodes. “Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock embodies all of this and more. She worked tirelessly as a trustee to ensure that everything we do at the college is done with care, and she demonstrated that she truly cares about ACC students and their well-being. We appreciate all of her contributions to the college.”
Dr. Comstock, an entrepreneur and community leader, was sworn in December 2016. She was elected Board secretary in 2020 and vice chair in 2021.
“Besides our health, education — which translates into hope and opportunity — is the single most important factor that can transform a community. I wanted to be part of making this dream a reality for all our Central Texans,” says Dr. Comstock when asked why she initially ran for the Place 6 Trustee seat.
Dr. Comstock earned her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin in Educational Administration, emphasis on community college management, and a B.A. in History, with a specialty in Latin America.
During her time on the board, the college received many recognitions for its work to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Among those recognitions, the college was awarded the inaugural National Seal of Excelencia, named a Racial Equity Leadership Academy, and appointed to the Equity Transfer Initiative. The college was also named a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center, a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars, an Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, a Top Hispanic-Serving Online College, and one of the Best Places for Working Parents.
Dr. Comstock served on the Board during a time of exponential growth for the college. ACC celebrated the openings of the San Gabriel Campus, Elgin Campus Phase 2, Hays Campus Phase 2, Round Rock Campus Phase 2, and Highland Campus Phase 2, as well as the completion of the Rio Grande Campus Renovation Project. The college also celebrated the openings of the ACC Bioscience and Fashion incubators, Health Sciences Academy, Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center, IMPACT Lab, and the Army Futures Command Software Factory.
Dr. Comstock also supported multiple innovative partnerships for the college with companies and organizations such as Apple, Austin PBS, Tesla, Toyota, Concordia, Texas Tech, Western Governors University, Facebook, St. Edwards University, and more.
As a Trustee, she approved an $85 million maintenance and operations bond that calls for improvements to college facilities districtwide and a $770 million general obligation (G.O.) bond. Approved by voters in the November 2022 election, the G.O. bond will also make districtwide improvements and create two new campuses in southwest and southeast Travis County respectively.
Despite her retirement, Dr. Comstock plans to continue her work to champion ACC in the community. “I will work to ensure that ‘ACC is for Everyone’ makes it to all the corners of the Central Texas community and that continuing education is understood as a part of life for all.”
Dr. Comstock also will continue to serve on the board of Las Comadres Para Las Americas, the networking organization for Latinas she founded, which has expanded throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. She serves on the board of the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy (Cambridge, Mass.) and volunteers for many local and national projects.
The Board and community members celebrated her contributions and achievements during her tenure at a reception on Monday, December 12, 2022.
ACC Trustees serve six-year terms and are elected at large by registered voters who live within the ACC District, which includes the City of Austin as well as the Austin, Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays school districts.
To learn more about the ACC Board of Trustees, visit austincc.edu/board.