Two administrators from SUNY Old Westbury were announced as members of the eighth class of fellows of the State University of New York’s Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI).
Lisandra Ramos, special assistant to the president, administration and initiatives, and Martha Santana, vice president of business, finance, and administration and chief financial officer, are among ten emerging Hispanic leaders and allies named as fellows in the 2025 cohort of the HLI, which launched in 2017.
“To foster a truly diverse and welcoming environment at SUNY, we must ensure that diverse voices are represented, heard and celebrated at every level of our system. The Hispanic Leadership Institute has helped 71 individuals committed to inclusivity and excellence become leaders at their respective institutions and serve as role models for all students, allowing them to see what is possible for themselves,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The continued success of HLI has inspired the formation of other leadership institutes at SUNY, such as the Black Leadership Institute and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Leadership Institute. We will continue to collaborate with our legislative partners to expand HLI and to develop and support more diverse leaders at SUNY thanks to this incredible leadership institute.”
HLI is a demanding nine-month experience which positions fellows to further develop higher education leadership skills and proficiencies. HLI fellows participate in training sessions and webinars, converse with national and statewide leaders, and master personal assessment tools. HLI creates a pipeline for professional opportunities across SUNY and ensures alumni are networking and receiving continuous support and mentorship.
Ramos, who joined Old Westbury in 2021, also serves the campus as acting chief diversity officer and is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Professional Studies for its DEIJ in the Workplace Microcredential. She has worked in higher education for more than 10 years, including having and served as the assistant director of administration at NYU’s Provostial Institute, the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics. An alumna of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, the Women's Project Director's lab, and the National Association of Latinos Arts & Culture’s Leadership Institute (NALAC), she has also been an instructor for EMERGEnyc, Cornell University, and NYU.
Before joining SUNY Old Westbury in 2021, Santana gained more than 15 years of senior-level experience in finance and administration. She most recently served as Deutsche Bank's Private Equity Global Business Manager, where she oversaw the operations and finances of the bank's private equity division, which had assets under management exceeding $8 billion across five international jurisdictions. Additionally, Santana served as the senior project manager for the Shared Services Division at Deutsche Bank Asset Management and was an associate board member for Teachers Federal Credit Union.
About SUNY HLI
The SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute serves as a resource for Hispanic and Latinx leaders and their allies in higher education, both in New York State and across the country. Its mission is to foster and support the professional development and retention of current and emerging leaders to create a more diverse university system. HLI fellows have the unique opportunity to meet with distinguished Hispanic and Latinx leaders and their allies from SUNY and the community at large, both locally and nationally; work with mentors; expand their network; and build connections. HLI creates a pipeline for professional opportunities across SUNY and ensures alumni are networking and receiving ongoing support and mentorship well after they graduate from the program. The program has graduated 71 fellows since its inception in 2017.