Senior Leadership
Diego Calderon, Assistant Chief of Schools
Diego Calderon serves as Assistant Chief of Schools, bringing a distinguished career in public education that spans from the classroom to district-level leadership. His journey began as a teacher in the Spain-Texas exchange program, sparking a lifelong mission to develop high-performing EC-12 schools in underserved communities. As a Principal, he led his campus to become the top-rated Title I elementary school in the nation, earning the prestigious NCUST Gold Ribbon Award.
His impact expanded at the district level, where he served as a School Support Officer, Executive Director, and Senior Executive Director, supervising over 60 schools. Mr. Calderon earned his Bachelor and Master of Arts in Spain and his School Leadership certification through the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He remains driven by the belief that every student deserves a level playing field and the opportunity to become a meaningful contributor to society. Through his leadership, he continues to transform educational outcomes for the students who need it most.
Graciana Garces, Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer
Graciana “Graci” Garces is a visionary strategist, trusted public affairs leader, and accomplished executive with more than two decades of experience advancing community impact across Texas. Her work spans government and nonprofit sectors, where she has consistently driven large-scale initiatives through strategic partnerships, policy influence, and resource alignment.
As Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer at Tejano Center, Garces leads strategic planning, resource development, marketing and communications, and external affairs. She guides organizational growth, strengthens cross-sector partnerships, and secures the funding and infrastructure needed to scale integrated education, housing, health, and social service programs. Her leadership is grounded in human-centered design, data-driven strategy, and a commitment to long-term sustainability and impact.
Garces is widely recognized for her ability to align diverse stakeholders and translate vision into results. At BakerRipley, she secured more than $360 million in public funding in a single year, advised executive leadership on government relations and advocacy strategy, and built high-impact partnership pipelines to expand organizational reach. She also led civic engagement efforts that tripled voter participation among low-propensity communities and developed leadership programs that empowered hundreds of residents to advocate for change.
Earlier in her career, Garces served as Chief of Staff for Houston City Council District I and as a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives, where she led policy initiatives and built deep expertise in legislative strategy and constituent engagement. She also played a key role in advancing public health policy, including the expansion of Houston’s smoking ban through bipartisan coalition-building and statewide grassroots mobilization.
A former Houston City Council candidate, Garces brings a deeply personal commitment to civic engagement and community empowerment. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas State University.
Above all, she is a proud Latina, a product of South Texas, and a devoted mother to Zyenna and Zekiel—who inspire her continued commitment to building stronger, more equitable communities for generations to come.
Juan Santos, Chief Operations Officer
Juan J. Santos brings his expertise from Houston ISD, where he strategically staffed 12 schools, ensuring high compliance with employment laws and updating HR policies and procedures.
Juan's journey in education began as a Teacher Aide, progressing to a bilingual teacher before advancing into leadership roles. As Principal at Garcia Leza EC/PreK Center in Aldine ISD, he was honored with the H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award for his innovative leadership.
A strong advocate for professional growth and education, Juan has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston, mentoring and supervising future educators while holding the position of Director of Human Talent at Tomball ISD. In his previous roles as Director of Talent Acquisition at Spring ISD and Director of Human Talent at Tomball ISD, Juan led the development and implementation of district-wide HR policies and built strategic relationships with educational leaders. His leadership in employee retention strategies significantly reduced turnover and fostered a positive organizational culture.
Marcia Leiva, Chief Financial Officer
Marcia Leiva serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Tejano Center and RYSS Texas Public Schools. With more than 14 years of experience in accounting, auditing, and financial leadership, she brings extensive expertise in both the public and private sectors.
Prior to joining Tejano Center, Marcia served as Chief Accounting Officer at the Harris County Department of Education for five years and previously worked as a Head Start Accountant with the organization for three years. Earlier in her career, she spent six years as a Senior Financial Auditor, working with private and public companies as well as organizations in the oil and gas industry in Portugal and Angola. Marcia holds a bachelor's degree in Financial Auditing from Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa and a master's degree in Financial Auditing from ISCAC Coimbra Business School. She has also completed CPA coursework at Lone Star College in Houston.
Her diverse international and local experience will play a key role in strengthening the financial operations and long-term sustainability of Tejano Center and RYSS Texas Public Schools.