Cledia R. Hernandez is a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience driving innovative workforce development and higher education solutions. As Vice Chancellor and Chief External Relations Officer for the Texas State Technical College system, she fosters economic growth by creating forward-thinking technical training programs and strategic external partnerships. She previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor and as Provost of the TSTC Harlingen campus.

An expert in border economics and technical workforce design, Cledia has served on several boards, including Workforce Solutions Cameron and the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Corporation. Driven by a passion for helping individuals reach their fullest potential, she is honored to leverage her expertise in pioneering educational initiatives to evaluate tech-forward solutions for Caterpillar's Building the Future Workforce Challenge.