Circles of the Coastal Bend Advisory Team

James E. (Jim) Klein is a Professor of History at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. He joined the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in 2007 and served as President of the Del Mar College chapter from 2009 to 2019. From 2014 until 2020, he served as President of the Texas Conference of the AAUP. 
Jim co-founded the Clean Economy Coalition (CEC) in 2008 in opposition to a petroleum coke-burning plant proposed for Corpus Christi that would have increased area pollution by 80 percent. He chaired the CEC 2010-present. In 2018, the Coastal Bend Sierra Club group elected Jim Vice President. He became interim President in 2020 and was elected President of that group in 2022, a position that he continues to hold today. In 2018, Jim helped found the Coastal Alliance to Protect our Environment (CAPE), an alliance of twenty-two area environmental organizations concerned about the growing industrialization of the Coastal Bend. CAPE is concerned about the growing industrialization along the Gulf Coast.

In November 2022, Corpus Christi voters elected Jim as an At Large member of the City Council. 

Dr. Anita Sanchez assumes various roles as an executive recruiter, real estate investor, adjunct professor, and barbershop owner from Portland, Texas. She has been instrumental in the commercial development of two successful small businesses: Champion Employment Group, LLC, an executive recruitment agency, and Tom Sanchez Gentlemen’s Cut, a Barbershop and Salon Spa. Her professional acumen extends across multiple domains which include entrepreneurship, business administration, accounting, business management, and human resources. 

Dr. Sanchez teaches undergraduates at the University of the Incarnate Word in Applied Management Practice, Quality Assurance, Concepts of Management, and Personnel Management. As a DBA, she looks forward to expanding her teaching portfolio. 

Dr. Sanchez is engaged with her community through her parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, Portland, Texas, where she volunteers her time as a Perpetual Adoration substitute, an ACTS team member, and a Catechist, along with her husband Tom and daughter Isabel, in their religious education program.

Dr. Andrea Elizondo has had the privilege and honor of serving her community in various capacities over the years. She has taught ESL and international students English, instructed GED students, educated Early Head Start and Head Start parents, and lectured pre-service teachers. Her expertise includes developing programs for student advancement in literacy and mathematics, as well as creating initiatives that provide much-needed resources for struggling families. Currently, Dr. Elizondo serves as an instructor and coordinator of the Literacy and English Language Center at Del Mar College. One of her most cherished projects was partnering with local school districts, Del Mar College, Joe A Gonzalez, Valero, and Texas A&M University of Corpus Christi to create summer mathematics camps for 5th and 6th graders struggling in mathematics. 

On a personal note, she enjoys traveling, collecting and learning about antiques, and, most of all, spending time with the people she loves.

Yesenia Singleton is originally from the Dominican Republic but grew up in Puerto Rico, where she completed her education. She is a professional civil engineer and project manager at LJA Engineering. Yesenia is actively involved in the company’s mentorship program and the LJA Cares initiative. The Corpus Christi office, where she works, participates in various community activities, including beach cleanups, the Sandcastle Run, Toys for Tots, and educational outreach related to civil engineering. The office also sponsors several local organizations, such as Education is Our Freedom and Amigos for Education.
As a member of the advisory team, Yesenia’s responsibilities include finding solutions to the chapter’s needs and assisting wherever necessary to ensure the successful launch of the program. One of her notable achievements in this role was engaging the Nueces County Commissioner to sponsor the program.

Yesenia believes deeply in the program’s mission. She is convinced that with the right resources and a mentor who offers guidance and belief, anything is possible. Despite coming from a very poor family and being raised by a single mother with five children, she and her siblings were able to use Pell Grants, student loans, and scholarships to pursue higher education. Yesenia and her siblings are living proof that with determination and available resources, anyone can succeed and improve their financial status.

Tom McGlynn serves on the Circles of the Coastal Bend Advisory Team and as chairperson of Service Team, which helps to assist Circles families in accessing community services as needed, as well as to identify and establish relationships with existing community services (e.g., housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, financial and utility assistance, recovery services, etc.) that can provide Circle Leader referrals and support Circle Leaders in achieving their plans. 

Born in Philadelphia, Tom is a consecrated lay member of the Focolare Movement with consulting experience on four continents. Since helping to open North America’s first Fazenda da Esperança (Farm of Hope) in Corpus Christi, Texas in 2023, Tom has been active with Circles of the Coastal Bend, the Common Home Corps and H20 Construction Group where he works as Project Manager.