Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Lisa Carrington Firmin ’79 currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Veteran and Military Affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Col. Carrington Firmin is also the Founder, CEO and Consultant at Carrington Firmin LLC, which provides consulting and training services in the areas of leadership, veterans, transitions, and diversity and inclusion. During her military service, Col. Carrington Firmin held a multitude of leadership roles and received numerous awards and recognitions – including, but not limited to, the Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

 

Among her many professional honors, Col. Carrington Firmin was featured in San Antonio Magazine and LATINA Style Magazine; earned the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Latina Leader award, the Governor of Texas’ Yellow Rose award, the State of New Mexico’s Major T.H. Baca award, the National Diversity Council’s Trailblazer and Most Powerful and Influential Women in Texas awards, the Texas Diversity Council Greater San Antonio LGBT Ally award, the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Latina Trailblazer award and the Northside Education Foundation Pillar award. Col. Carrington Firmin has been invited to be a keynote speaker or presenter at countless conferences, symposiums, summits and more.

 

Col. Carrington Firmin is professionally affiliated with and has served on several committees and networks, such as the University of Texas System Chancellor’s Network for Women’s Leadership, the South Texas Veteran Healthy Minds Advisory Council, The Northern Hills United Methodist Church Military Ministry and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s Woman to Woman Leader to Leader Committee. She is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She holds the National Diversity Council’s Certified Diversity Professional designation, and is a Certified True Colors® Facilitator.

 

Col. Carrington Firmin earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&I University in 1979. She graduated from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1985 and earned her Master of Science degree in organizational behavior and human resource management from Chapman University in 1987. Col. Carrington Firmin also earned her Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from Air University and was an honor graduate of Air Command and Staff College, both at Maxwell Air Force Base. Upon her retirement from military service, Col. Carrington Firmin was the highest ranking Latina in Air Force history. She is a proud mother and grandmother – her son, Evan Firmin ’09, is also an alumnus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

 

 

Click on the names below of the honorees to read their respective bio:

 

Jackie Collins '72

Richard Ritchie '77

Dr. Brian McFall '05, '08

C. Michelle Unda '05