Henry Cisneros is ready to do his part to increase the number of Latino college students in the United States…

The 65-year-old Mexican American politician and businessman, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and first Hispanic mayor of a major American city, will chair the National Hispanic University’s newly formed advisory board.

Comprised of prominent leaders from across the country, the board will provide guidance on overall strategy and serve as the university’s ambassadors to the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

“The National Hispanic University has a strong educational foundation, a proven track record for student success and, most important, a noble goal that I fully embrace — to increase the number of Latino college graduates,” said Cisneros. “I am honored to serve as chairman of the board and support the university and its mission and vision.”

Cisneros served as secretary of HUD in President Bill Clinton’s administration from 1993 to 1997. Prior to his cabinet position, he served four terms as mayor of his hometown, San Antonio. As the executive chairman of CityView, Mr. Cisneros remains actively involved in urban investing and building for community revitalization projects in large cities throughout the United States.

In addition to Cisneros, the advisory board includes:

Janet Murguia, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) — As president and CEO of the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. Murguia often testifies before Congress about issues affecting the Latino community. She previously served as deputy assistant to President Clinton, providing strategic and legislative advice to the president on key issues.

Cesar Conde, president of Univision Networks — Conde is responsible for overseeing the Univision Network, TeleFutura Network and Univision Cable Networks, as well as Univision Studios, and has held a number of senior positions within the company. Prior to joining Univision, Conde was one of 12 White House Fellows (2002–2003) appointed by President George W. Bush and served as White House Fellow for then Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Ronald Blackburn-Moreno, president and CEO of the ASPIRA Association — Blackburn-Moreno has played a major role in shaping national education policy to benefit Latinos since assuming leadership in 1994 of the ASPIRA Association, the only national organization dedicated to the education and leadership development of Latino youth. A past chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, he has previously served on several advisory boards, including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ford Foundation. Blackburn-Moreno speaks nationwide on education issues.

Nely Galan, media entrepreneur/Latina advocate — Galan, a first-generation immigrant and self-made media mogul, was the first Latina president of a U.S. television network, Telemundo. She’s an award-winning producer of more than 600 episodes of television programming in Spanish and English, including the FOX reality series The Swan. She’s the founder of The Adelante Movement, which includes a national tour and a digital platform to economically empower Latinas in the U.S and connect them with financial opportunities. Galan has also recently gone back to graduate school. She has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and is currently completing her doctorate.

“This esteemed group of nationally recognized leaders will be instrumental in advancing our university’s mission of increasing access to quality higher education for Latinos and others serving multicultural communities,” said Dr. David P. Lopez, president of The National Hispanic University. “As we continue to focus our efforts on expanding access nationally through on-campus and online programs, we will greatly benefit from the talents and unique expertise of this distinguished group of advisors.”

The National Hispanic University is part of The Laureate International Universities network, which includes more than 60 accredited campus-based and online universities worldwide, including more than 30 postsecondary institutions in Latin America. The university was founded in 1981 by the late Dr. B. Roberto Cruz, who dedicated his life to making educational opportunities available to Hispanics and members of other underrepresented groups.