Ernesto Gómez, PhD.
President & CEO

Ernesto Gómez, Ph.D., is founder of El Centro del Barrio, now doing business as CentroMed. Dr. Gómez has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at CentroMed since its inception in 1973 and now presides over a primary health care system that operates 27 ambulatory clinics in Bexar and Comal Counties and two (2) Fitness Centers. In 2022, CentroMed served 121,647 unduplicated patients involving 396,302 patient visits.

Dr. Gomez has served on numerous Board of Directors at the local, state and national levels. He has received numerous honors and awards for the work he has done in underserved communities. The most distinguishing honor he received is the “Well-being of Mankind” award presented by the Rockefeller Foundation. Gomez’s accomplishments include several publications in the social and behavioral sciences and in healthcare with special focus on the low income, uninsured populations.

Dr. Gomez is Professor Emeritus at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) where, over the course of 37 years, he taught graduate level courses in research methods, quantitative methods, public policy, administration, human behavior, and social work practice. Dr. Gomez received his Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin.

Updated: October 2023

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Noemi Galván Eling, Esq
Board Chair

A graduate of the University of Texas, School of Law, Ms. Galván Eling devoted her career to the practice of law as a public interest attorney for the Bexar County Legal Aid and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid in San Antonio. Ms. Galván Eling was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to serve as an American Lecturer in Lima, Peru. She received her License from State Bar of Texas in November 1983 and is a member of the San Antonio Bar Association.

Ms. Galván Eling was initially appointed to the Board of Directors in 1984 and served six (6) years. Upon her return from her Fullbright engagement, the CentroMed Board re-appointed Ms. Galván Eling to the board in 1992 and elected her to leadership as Board Chairperson and continues to serve in that role. As a tribute to her dedicated service, the CentroMed Board of Directors honored her by naming its clinic on Walzem Road, the Noemi Galván Eling Clinic.

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Heriberto “Berto” Guerra, Jr.,
First Vice Chair

Mr. Guerra is Chairman and CEO of Avanzar Interior Technologies GP, LLC, an automotive interior manufacturing company. Mr. Guerra earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree in Interdisciplinary Management from Texas State University (TSU) in 1984 and was recognized as its Distinguished Alumnus in 2007. He and his wife, Tammy, have four children and nine grandchildren.

Mr. Guerra was elected to the board of directors of CentroMed 1999 and continues to serve as 1st Vice President. His commitment to CentroMed’s mission is most evident by his leadership, active participation in CentroMed activities, and his generosity. In recognition of his volunteer service and his remarkable leadership and success in raising funds to build a new clinic, the Board of Directors honored Mr. Guerra by naming a newly constructed Health and Wellness Center, The Berto Guerra Jr. Clinic.

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Rudy M. Peña, ISA, G.G.
Second Vice Chair and Treasurer

Mr. Peña is the owner of Peña & Associates Appraisal and Jewelry Services. He received his Graduate Gemologist Certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Santa Monica, California. He is a Member of the International Gemological Alumni Association and former President of the International Society of Appraisers, San Antonio Chapter. He has served as expert witness and/or has provided appraisal services for governmental agencies, such as, the U.S. Marshals, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Homeland Security, and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Mr. Peña joined the CentroMed Board of Directors 2011 and now serves as 2nd Vice Chair and Treasurer. During his tenure, Mr. Peña has proven to be a dedicated and avid supporter of CentroMed. He actively participates in CentroMed events and freely shares his business expertise in his role as Board Treasurer.

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Elsa Martinez, CPA
Secretary

Ms. Elsa Martinez is Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and local business owner with over 25 years of experience in the garment Dry Cleaning and Laundry service industry. As owner of A&M Cleaners, Ms. Martinez maintains business relationships with individual and commercial customers including the U.S. Army Medical Command. Ms. Martinez received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1996 and passed the CPA Examination in the same year. Ms. Martinez and her family have been patients of CentroMed for over 20 years. She joined the CentroMed Board of Directors as a consumer representative in 2014 and now serves as Board Secretary. She is an active board member sharing her business expertise. As an active patient with first-hand experience of the services CentroMed provides, Ms. Martinez provides insight into the patient’s experience as the board considers important policies.

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Lorraine Alaniz,
Board Member

Ms. Alaniz is a graduate of Harlandale Independent School District. She has worked at the school district as a school psychologist for 12 years. She works with students that have special needs and their parents. One of her primary goals is connecting parents with community resources. Every year, she helps coordinate with CentroMed to offer a symposium called “What’s Next” symposium. The goal of the program is to connect parents with resources once her special needs students have graduated from Harlandale High School. Ms. Alaniz has been a patient of CentroMed for several years. She was elected to the CentroMed Board of Directors in 2021 and has been very active in attending CentroMed-sponsored events and in all aspects of governance.

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Luz Cano,
Board Member

Mrs. Luz Cano is a Bilingual Elementary school teacher in the Harlandale Independent School District. She received her Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University – San Antonio. While at Texas A&M, she worked as a Peer Mentor with first-time college students. She also received the University Ring Award and the 2019 Outstanding Senior Award. Mrs. Cano is a graduate of Harlandale High School and is proud to teach in the school she attended.

Mrs. Cano was a teen mom while in high school but did not let her pregnancy stall or interrupt her education. She persevered and accomplished her goal in higher education. She has two children. Mrs. Cano is the first in her family to earn a college degree. She is a long-time patient of CentroMed. She began serving as a consumer board member in April of 2015. During her time with the board, she has served on the Health Services and Planning Committee providing valuable input on the type of services CentroMed provides and the experiences patients have while accessing care at CentroMed.

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Juan A. Chavira, PhD., JD
Board Member

Dr. Juan Antonio Chavira has a lengthy record of accomplishments both in educational attainment and in service to humanity. Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature from the University of Houston, Dr. Chavira served in the Peace Corps followed by a one-year tour in Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). He received his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Medical Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Chavira also earned a Juris Doctorate Law Degree at the University of Texas, School of Law in 1983. Dr. Chavira has taught at several universities, has published numerous research articles, and published a book. Dr. Chavira is officially retired but frequently provides lectures on his legal and sociological experiences to a variety of organizations and professional groups.

Dr. Chavira was appointed to the CentroMed Board of Directors in 2006 and serves as Chair of the board’s Health Services and Planning Committee where he provides leadership on the planning and delivery of health services and the development of policies. Dr. Chavira is a dedicated humanitarian lending his talents and support to advance human welfare.

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Elsa Gamboa,
Board Member

Ms. Elsa Gamboa is a consumer board member that joined the Board of Directors in 2020. Ms. Gamboa is a Certified Dental Assistant and a Registered Dental Assistant in Texas. For the past 39 years she had worked as a dental assistant and has served as a member of the Dental Assistant National Board for the past 30 years. She joined the board to be involved and to contribute to something bigger than oneself. She has enjoyed seeing the growth of the organization firsthand as a patient and a board member. Mrs. Gamboa enjoys attending community events, craft shows and creating arts and crafts herself. She enjoys being involved in community events.

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Norma L. Green Gutiérrez, MBA, RT (N)
Board Member

Mrs. Norma L. Green Gutiérrez serves as Program Director in the Nuclear Medicine Science/Technology Division at the Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Mrs. Green Gutiérrez received a Bachelor’s of Science in Nuclear Medicine Science from the University of Incarnate Word and a Masters of Business in Healthcare Management from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.

Ms. Green Gutiérrez has as served a consumer representative on the CentroMed Board of Directors since 1991. She and her family have been patients of CentroMed for over thirty years. During her time on the board, Ms. Green Gutiérrez has served on multiple committees serving with distinction and unmatched dedication. She provides quality input on many organizational policies and issues.

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Melinda Perez,
Board Member

Mrs. Perez is a consumer representative on the CentroMed Board of Directors. After serving in a prior term, Mrs. Perez rejoined the board in December of 2020. Mrs. Perez currently works for an elementary school at Southside ISD as an attendance clerk. She is responsible for ensuring every student is registered and attends school daily. Her job entails various duties, such as communication with parents, students, staff, and administration. Mrs. Perez has been a patient of CentroMed since 2015 and is knowledgeable of the health care needs of the community. Having had the privilege of taking care of her elderly parents for over 25 years, Mrs. Perez understands the challenges that the elderly community encounters. Mrs. Perez has been an excellent board member and uniquely qualified to represent a segment of the patient population the clinic serves. Mrs. Perez is honored to serve on the board and looks forward to making a positive difference at CentroMed.

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Richard Perez, MPA
Board Member

Mr. Perez is an accomplished professional with remarkable achievements in public service. In his most recent appointment, Mr. Perez served as the 18th President and CEO of the 2,000-member San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Perez attended schools in the South San Independent School District, a district located in the service area served by CentroMed. He received his Bachelor’s degree with a major in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Following graduate school, Mr. Perez served as Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Laredo. In 1998, he was appointed by the Clinton Administration as the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he served until January 2001. Upon his return to San Antonio, he joined the family landscaping business and in 2004, Mr. Perez is married to Judy Lynn (Patterson) and they are the parents of three children: Clarissa, Elissa and Ricardo Antonio.

Mr. Perez was elected to the CentroMed Board of Directors in 2009. His leadership and overall participation on the Board has been outstanding. His knowledge of the San Antonio business community and civic leadership has been extremely helpful in advancing CentroMed.

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Nicolas ‘Nick’ Rangel, CPA
Board Member

Mr. Nicolas Rangel is the Chief Financial Officer of the East Foundation, where he is responsible for the finance, accounting and risk management strategies of the Foundation. Mr. Rangel has over 25 years of experience leading multidisciplinary finance and accounting teams in various industries, including financial services, oil field services, hospitality and high technology. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as Chief Accounting Officer at SWBC and Director of Accounting Operations at Rackspace. Additionally, Mr. Rangel worked for the international public accounting firms of Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young where he an expatriate in Mexico City for two years and in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for six years.

Mr. Rangel joined the board of directors at CentroMed in 2017 where he has generously shared his knowledge of accounting as the board considers different policies. Mr. Rangel and his wife, Lorene, have five children.

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Diana M. Torres,
Board Member

Ms. Diana is a Patient Care Technician that has worked at University Dialysis for over 10 years. She is responsible for assisting patients with vital signs and their dialysis treatments. She has over 17 years of experience working with dialysis patients for multiple companies and is well versed in the array of services provided to dialysis patients.

Ms. Torres graduated from Homer Hanna High School in Brownsville Texas and completed some college hours at Southmost Community College in Brownsville Texas. Ms. Torres has been a consumer board member since June 1994. Ms. Torres is quite active with CentroMed she attends various functions and dutiful in attending board meetings.

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Arlene Williams-Brown,
Board Member

Ms. Arlene Williams-Brown is a consumer representative on the CentroMed Board of Directors. She joined the board in 2019. Ms. William-Brown has been a patient of CentroMed since 2012 and is very familiar with the needs of the community. Ms. Williams-Brown retired from City Public Service Energy and is an active member of First Baptist Church. She is an active participant in board meetings and functions and provides insightful information on patient needs.

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