Adrian Carrasco
Interim Executive Director
Adrian Carrasco was raised one of ten children in Kermit, TX. The importance of education was instilled in Adrian and his family and all 10 family members went on to graduate from Midland College and receive 4- year degrees at various Universities. After Graduating from UTSA with a degree in Political Science, Adrian returned to Midland, TX and went to work with Midland College as Recruitment Coordinator and Admissions Director. Adrian enjoys sales and marketing and was able to work in the Pharmaceutical Industry with companies such as Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Johnson and Johnson, and Novo Nordisk. With the downturn in the healthcare industry, Adrian started JTC Construction that specializes in Residential and Commercial construction. After 4 years, Adrian diversified into the Oil and Gas Industry and has been a business owner in this industry over 14 years. Adrian’s philosophy in business is to provide a one-stop shop approach with services that will make it easy on the customer. The past 8 years Adrian has owned Premier Energy Services LLC. Adrian enjoys spending time with his family, committed to his businesses, committed to his faith, committed to improving higher education opportunities for all, enjoys volunteering, and being involved in the community.
Kendall Gray
Grow Our Own Action Network Coordinator
Kendall Gray joined the EPPB team as a Coordinator in August 2022. She is a lifelong resident of West Texas, having been born and raised in Odessa. Kendall left Odessa to attend college at Texas Tech University, where she received a degree in Marketing. Upon graduation in 2020, Kendall moved back to the Permian Basin to work for Midland Development Corporation as their Marketing & Administration Coordinator. She made the big move from Odessa to Midland once she began her career at MDC.
Kendall is eager to make a positive impact on her community through her involvement with EPPB and outside of the organization. In her free time, Kendall enjoys all things pop culture, baking, and spending time with family. If she is not traveling on the weekends, you can usually find her on the golf course.
Shelby Smith
Early Childhood Action Network Coordinator
Shelby Smith is a native West Texan. She was born and raised in Odessa, Texas. After high school, she attended Abilene Christian University where she received a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. After her time at ACU, she moved back to Odessa where she began her career as Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant for Ector County ISD in 2014. Continuing in education, she began teaching third grade in a general education classroom for Midland ISD. She received a master’s degree in special education from Sul Ross State University in 2019. She has also worked as a Special education resource teacher, Diagnostician and most recently as a Child Find Coordinator for MISD.
Shelby has been married to Cade Smith since 2016. They are the proud parents of a son Luxton who is five, and a daughter Emmie who is two. Shelby has a passion for her community and is excited to continue to make an impact through the work of the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and attending Texas Tech sporting events.
Delma Lay
Strategic Initiatives & Collaboration Manager
Delma Lay serves as the Strategic Initiatives & Collaboration Manager. She was born and raised in West Texas and has built lifelong relationships within the community. While in Odessa, Delma has worked in healthcare and higher education. Before joining the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin, she worked at The University of Texas Permian Basin as the Director of University Events. In her role, she managed the anchor events requiring strong project management and event planning skills. Delma also worked at Odessa College as the Special Projects Coordinator, where she managed the anchor events and coordinated the community engagement events. Before making the move to the local colleges, Delma worked for Odessa Regional Medical Center Hospital as the Director of Patient Satisfaction and as the Divisional Secretary in the ER/Trauma Department at Medical Center Hospital. She holds a B.A. in Business Management from Western Governors University.
Delma is passionate about the work that she does, she is passionate about serving others and is always looking out for their best interests. She recognizes the importance and value of education and is ready to build new relationships with our education partners and make a difference in our student’s lives. Delma is married to Kurtis; she has a daughter and son who are married and have children of their own. Delma cherishes spending time with her three precious grandchildren every chance she gets.
Jennah McKinley, M.A.
Action Network Coordinator - New Mexico
Jennah McKinley, a Carlsbad, NM native and New Mexico State University graduate, has dedicated 15 years to enhancing education in New Mexico. With her Bachelor‘s in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Master’s in Online Teaching and Learning, Jennah’s experience spans from Parenting Education, Nutrition and Youth Development in community outreach settings to STEM, and CTE in secondary education. Jennah has also served as a leader in higher education where she managed and developed workforce training programs while fostering community-industry partnerships.
A standout achievement during Jennah’s teaching career was co-advising a victorious virtual school team at the New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge for four consecutive years, earning recognition from prominent organizations such as Facebook, Freeport-Moran, Deloitte, and Meow Wolf. As the founder of Arrowhead Services & Rentals, LLC, an oil and gas service company proudly serving the Permian Basin, she provides unique insights into the critical link between education and industry.
A passionate outdoors enthusiast, Jennah cherishes hunting and fishing with her family and cheering on her children at their sporting events and competitions. As a devoted community member, she is a member of the Delaware Association of Pipeliner’s and the Carlsbad Rotary Club where she gives back to her community and advocates for robust education-industry collaborations, aiming to empower learners and stimulate economic growth in the Permian Basin.
Sara Saleem
PBIZ Director
Pakistani Immigrant. Advocate. Educator. My greatest passion is empowering others and creating pathways for all community members to receive equitable access to opportunities. To this end, I have worked in education for over a decade as a teacher, department leader, and instructional coach. In addition to my primary job functions, I was recognized for my commitment to education by being awarded Midland High School PTA Teacher of the Year, Student-Choice Teacher of the Year for 5 years, and the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment.
My educational background includes a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of the Permian Basin and a postgraduate degree in Education Leadership from Lamar University. I spend my spare time enjoying time with my daughter, traveling, and building furniture.
I am extremely excited to embark on this new adventure as Director of PBIZ and work with the community to ensure all students have equitable access to opportunities that will not only propel them towards successful and sustaining futures but also bolster the local economies and communities.
Dr. Yvonne Realivasquez
Director, Big Bend Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP)
Dr. Yvonne Realivasquez’s experience in higher education spans over 25 years. Much of her career experience was gained at her alma mater, Sul Ross State University in Alpine. She taught Political Science, History, and Mexican American Studies classes for several years before she moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico. She taught at the University of Texas El Paso and the El Paso Community College for several years before returning to Sul Ross. She served under six university administrations as a faculty member, grant coordinator, university administrative staff, and most recently as a vice president on the executive leadership team. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Sul Ross in 2000 and 2001 respectively. In 2015, she received the TSUS Foundation Grow Your Own Scholarship and in 2019 earned her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.
Dr. Yvonne, as her students and colleagues call her, grew up in Fort Stockton, Texas. Her parents were born in Shafter, Texas and raised in Presidio and Marfa. She is a first-generation college student and the only member of her, on both sides, to earn a doctorate degree. Her roots in the area led her to find opportunities to serve the communities in the Big Bend region throughout her career and volunteer work. She lives in Alpine with her husband, Rafa, also a Sul Ross alumnus and her dog, Milo affectionately called Puppito.