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Investing in People: Dr. Lora Delgado Joins ACC as Interim Talent Development Director

Human Resources is excited to welcome Dr. Lora Delgado as Austin Community College’s new Interim Talent Development Director. Investing in our people—supporting growth, leadership, and lifelong learning—is central to ACC’s mission, and Lora’s expertise is a key part of that commitment.

Lora brings nearly 20 years of experience in education, leadership, and adult learning. “I started off as an elementary school teacher, then moved into educational leadership before stepping into adult learning and development,” she said. “I also worked in learning and leadership development at Dell Technologies while completing my doctorate. I’m excited to help ACC create new opportunities for leaders and team members to grow.”

Lora's connection to ACC’s mission is personal. “ACC’s Theory of Change speaks to what I’ve cared about since I was a high school student advocating for better access to post-secondary opportunities,” she explained. “That shared passion made me want to be right here.” 

Lora will be heavily involved in developing the College's values-based behaviors as inspired by the Demonstrating Practices of Caring design team work. She is eager to unify leadership development, professional programs, and evaluation. “Linking these areas in one approach is a power move,” she said. She describes herself as a “data nerd” who loves design and strategic planning—skills she’ll bring to achieving ACC’s FY26 priorities.

Lora also emphasizes collaboration: “Everyone leads from where they are. If I meet you, we’ll have shared areas of work we can tackle together. Learning works best when we’re intentional about what we do, how, and why—and that’s the conversation I want to have across ACC.”

When asked which ACC value resonates most, she chose courage: “Asking hard questions is a sign of respect and belief in others’ abilities to make amazing things happen.”

Outside work, Lora is a mom to four-year-old Benjamin, enjoys travel, live music, and cooking with her longtime friend and partner, Ninad.



Please join me in warmly welcoming Lora to ACC. Her collaborative spirit and deep commitment to learning will help strengthen the skills and culture that power our Theory of Change and advance opportunity for our students and community.

- KT & Your HR Team 💜

Discovering HLC and the new EPMO

Although our home office is at HLC, HR team members encountered lots of fun surprises and welcoming staffers during a tour of buildings 1000, 2000, and 4,000 earlier this month.

Our special guest for the September AMA was Sarah Lisenbe, the newly named director of the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). The office was formed to help the College focus on the right projects and see them through. As Sarah explained, “We identify the work that needs to be done, then we prioritize it and deliver on it.”

EPMO will guide projects from two main sources: ACC’s Theory of Change priorities and Cabinet-directed initiatives responding to emerging needs. By narrowing the pipeline, the office aims to prevent “initiative fatigue” and ensure resources match ambitions.

“Innovation is great, but it’s only as good as you can sustain it,” Sarah said. “Our success in EPMO is the college’s success… Ultimately, if we’re not moving ACC toward its 2030 North Star goal, then we’re not successful.”

Stakeholders can expect greater clarity, transparency, and agility as the EPMO works to turn great ideas into real progress.

Photos: (Top Right) Randy Wedlund shows us the Make-It Center's remarkable technology. (Bottom Left) Sarah Lisenbe and Kelly Torrico talk about how EPMO will harness all of ACC's great ideas.

Where's HR Going Next?

The HR team visits a different campus each month for a full day of professional development and camaraderie. We invite you to join us at lunchtime to hear from our special guest and ask questions on any topic. Check out upcoming campuses, dates, and speakers here. We hope to see you next month at Rio Grande!

HR NEWS

Getting your flu shot is one of the simplest ways to stay healthy and protect your colleagues, students, and loved ones. Don’t wait—reserve your spot today and stay well this season.

Mobilizing Our Caring Power

It’s that time of year for Austin Community College to come together and give back through the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) – a simple, convenient way to support the causes you care about.

The campaign runs October 1–31 and offers one-time gifts or monthly payroll deductions to more than 800 local and statewide nonprofits, including the ACC Foundation, which funds scholarships for ACC students. Other organizations include Central Texas Food Bank, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Habitat for Humanity, Austin Pets Alive, and many more.

Even $2 a month can make a meaningful difference. Give online here, or submit an HR Mojo ticket if you have questions or need help. 

Let’s show the power of giving back and make ACC’s 2025 campaign our most impactful yet!

^{YOU ASKED!}

Q: When will we see our annual raise in our paychecks?

A: Tuesday, Sept. 30—our next payday. Your paycheck will reflect the 3% pay raise adopted by the Board of Trustees on July 7.

• Pay period coverage: The Sept. 30 paycheck covers work from Aug. 16–Sept. 15. For non-faculty employees, that means you’ll see roughly half of your monthly increase in this check. The full monthly increase will appear on your Oct. 31 paycheck.

• Faculty members: Your earned step increase already reflects the Board-approved 3% raise. The step itself isn’t an additional raise—it’s just how the increase is applied.

• Check your rate: You can view your new compensation rate (salary, LEH rate, or hourly rate) in Workday under the Compensation screen of your employee profile.



• Guidehouse study adjustments: Any additional salary changes recommended by the Guidehouse Classification and Compensation Study are not reflected in the Sept. 30 paycheck. If increases are approved, they’ll be retroactive to Sept. 1.