Meet Our Team!

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Dr. Cío Hernandez

I love helping people reach their goals by helping them believe in themselves. I started helping people reach their goals way before I was a professionally trained therapist.  I’m originally from all over Texas and am honored to work to provide opportunities to lift our South Texas residents to our highest potential.  I’ve helped start and run all sorts of projects and programs working with the homeless, disabled, health, education, aging, youth, interfaith, sports, children’s running clubs, mental health, public policies, violence prevention, opioid reduction, and even pioneered healthy efforts for county fairs.  That’s how I know that if we set the right goal, we can reach that goal, even if it takes some time to get there.  In my spare time, I like visiting my son in college, traveling, and running half marathons around the world with my friends and family. 

Yolanda Flores 

Yolanda Flores is the Development Director for the Be It! Foundation. Her career includes 30 years of teaching and leadership experience throughout several San Antonio school districts. She is currently serving as a Regional Coordinator for ESL in San Antonio. She is passionate about assisting South Texas youth in reaching their highest academic potential. This passion guides her to also volunteer with various organizations that focus on scholars and their academic success. She spends her free time with her loving husband, three children and 5 pets.

C. Amelia Hobson

Amelia Hobson is a native of San Antonio, Texas. She recently graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Performance and Production with a minor in Business Administration. Throughout her time at Texas State University, she was involved in many organizations such as Alpha Psi Omega, Jeremy Torres Lab Theatre, and KTSW 89.9. These organizations helped her on her creative and professional journey. These experiences deepened her passion for both performing and behind-the-scenes work, while also sparking an interest in communication and community building.

Tiffaney Gibbons

Tiffaney Gibbons, LPC-S, is the Clinician Director at The Be It! Foundation. She is an experienced trauma therapist and certified EMDR and LENS provider. As a member of the first Be It! Clinician Scholar Cohort, Tiffaney is focused on broadening the program’s reach so more people can benefit from the foundation’s services.

She holds a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Texas A&M and is devoted to mentoring colleagues, sharing her expertise, and supporting others in their personal growth and resilience. Her primary responsibilities include program development, professional education, and organizational leadership—rather than direct therapeutic work with clients. Tiffaney uses her clinical knowledge to guide and support staff, uphold high standards of care, and strengthen the foundation’s impact through strategic initiatives and mentorship.

Albert A. Flores

Albert A. Flores is a native of San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in the familiar surroundings of South Texas and often traveled throughout the interior of Mexico, becoming familiar with its rich language, culture, and history. He is fluent in Spanish.

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He served as a Congressional Page for the Honorable Henry B. Gonzales, a well-known congressman and activist in Washington, DC. He started his undergraduate education at Brown University in Rhode Island and completed his degree at Texas A&M University at College Station. He then attended Law School at the University of Texas School of Law.

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He has practiced Federal law at a national level and State law throughout Texas. The majority of his caseload has been Federal criminal work and now personal injury. He worked for several years as a Bexar County Magistrate Judge.  He measures his success not by his career accolades but rather by the love and happiness of his wife and three children.  His passion for young people, their education, and subsequent involvement with the Be It! foundation grew from his own experience and his relationship with benefactor Sam Vester.

David Capune

As a lifelong student and occasional teacher, I am always looking for ways to make learning and student life less stressful and more fun!   I live in Seattle, Washington and enjoy taking public transportation everywhere I need to go.   My favorite goal I’ve reached, though, is probably traveling the UK by myself right after graduating high school with a tight budget.   In my spare time, I play several instruments and read anything I get my hands on.

Dr. Mayra A. Lozano

Dr. Mayra is a dedicated educator with 28 years of experience, primarily serving students in Title I schools. Her extensive background includes roles in special education, bilingual education, and school administration.

Currently, Dr. Lozano is the Director of School Services at ABC Unified School District in Southern California. In this role, she oversees 19 elementary principals and ensures comprehensive school services are provided for students from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade.

A strong advocate for the "whole child" approach, Dr. Lozano believes that education is the great equalizer. She is deeply committed to building strong partnerships with parents and guardians to support student success.

Originally from Laredo, Texas, Dr. Lozano and her husband have been residents of Southern California since 1998, where they are proud parents of two children.

Tomasa Torres Vester 

Tomasa was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. At the age of 13, she moved to Laredo. She attended LCC, and TAMIU. She met her husband Sam H. Vester, Jr. (deceased) and they raised their two sons, Steven and James. Helping those in need is something that she feels she was born to do. For years she has been involved with a group of friends that provide support for a girl’s orphanage in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She also helps students to attend college. In her free time she loves to work in her home garden and spend time with her family.

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