Mark Escamilla, Ph.D.

President and CEO
Del Mar College

Dr. Escamilla has served as president of Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, for more than 15 years. In that time, the College has expanded to three campuses and reached new milestones in instructional delivery, academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, administrative performance and collaboration with other educational institutions, industry and business.

Dr. Escamilla’s path to the presidency at Del Mar College started at an early age. As a young man growing up in the Coastal Bend, he became increasingly aware of the limited educational opportunities in the area, and he considers raising the educational attainment level in the region to be a moral imperative. To that end, under his leadership credit enrollment continues to increase, and the number of continuing and workforce credentials awarded has more than doubled in the past five years. The College has recently expanded its Dual Credit courses to 43 independent school districts that span across 3 counties. Del Mar College also works closely with new and established business and industry in the region, providing workforce training for thousands of Coastal Bend residents annually.

The higher education landscape in Texas is a dynamic one, and Dr. Escamilla continues to look toward the future and position Del Mar College as a leader. When the state opted to explore a revolutionary new outcomes-based funding model for community colleges, Dr. Escamilla was selected by the Governor to serve on the commission that would write the recommendations. Consequently, Del Mar College is now at the forefront in awarding credentials of value that empower students, lift their families and drive the local economy.

He is a Del Mar College graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and a PhD in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Escamilla was selected as a “Distinguished Graduate of the Community College Leadership Program” from The University in 2009.

Dr. Escamilla currently serves on the Legislative and Executive Committees of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, and other educational and community service commitments.

Back to Board Members