Real Estate
CE Course

Dr. Warren Nichols has implemented student success initiatives, increased student growth, and directed much-needed facility improvements since he arrived at College of the Mainland in 2017. Under his guidance, COM was the first college or university in Texas to fully implement a corequisite program to help underprepared students succeed in English and math.

Nichols, a first-generation college student from Fort Worth, earned a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Houston. A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, he began his professional career as a police officer in Arlington, Texas and later his career in higher education at Tarrant County Junior College in Hurst, Texas.

He is the Chair of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce's board of directors and a member of the Rotary Club of Texas City.

Diane L. Burkett serves as the executive director of marketing and public affairs at College of the Mainland. Her diverse professional career, spanning across the public and private sectors in both higher education and software. She possesses a broad experience in marketing, communications and public relations, including expertise in higher education marketing, omni-channel marketing, digital marketing, brand strategy, public affairs, and crisis communications.

During her tenure as executive director of marketing and public affairs at COM, she successfully led efforts to pass a $250 million general obligation bond, which will enable the college to fully complete its 10-year long-range plan to transform its facilities, expand academic offerings and optimize the student experience.

Prior to joining COM, Burkett served as a director of marketing for SnapStream, inc. She also spent eight years at the University of Houston, serving in a variety of roles and progressive marketing / recruitment positions for the C.T. Bauer College of Business, School of Continuing and Professional Education and the College of Optometry. She began her professional career in software, with cPanel, Inc.

Burkett has a master's degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor's in communications with an emphasis in public relations from Mississippi State University.

Barbara Cutsinger is the Marketing Manager of Real Estate and Facilities for Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) where she tracks real estate activity in the region, publishes the Business Development Update newsletter and Hot Projects News.  She also manages some of the partnership’s commercial, retail, healthcare and industrial projects.
 
She has served in this position since joining BAHEP in March, 2003.  She previously worked in the chemical, construction and healthcare industries.
 
Barbara is a member of the Texas Economic Development Council, Commercial Real Estate Research Forum, and International Council of Shopping Centers.

Shannon began her career in the title industry in 2016 after graduating from Texas Tech with a degree in Marketing. After spending her first three years with South Land as a Business Development Representative in the Pearland and Friendswood markets, Shannon spent the next four years as Vice President of Commercial Business Development.

She is a Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo volunteer and a member of both the BACREN and the Texas City/La Marque Chamber of Commerce. Shannon graduated from the TC/LM Chamber Leadership Mainland program, as well as the TLTA Land Title School. She was the youngest member of The Daily News 40 under 40 in 2019.

Paige Parrish brings two decades of experience in Higher Education, currently serving as the Dean of Continuing Education at the College of the Mainland. Paige has a Master's degree in Human Resource Development, and her expertise spans various domains, including organizational development, operations management, program development, and preparing educators for the challenges of Global Education.

Paige has a proven track record of enhancing economic outcomes for individuals and organizations. Her approach involves strategies such as incumbent worker training, industrial workforce education, customized contract training, and registered apprenticeships. She is passionate about leveraging education to empower individuals and drive organizational success.

Victor Vega holds a PhD. In Mathematics from the University of Iowa. He has over 25 years of experience in higher education and leadership. He has been a tenured Professor of Mathematics and has various publications in the field of Operator Algebras. He has held various leadership roles in academia like Department Chair, Dean, and Vice President of Instruction across for-year colleges and Community Colleges in Iowa, Georgia, West Virginia, and Michigan.

Dr. Vega currently serves as Dean of the Workforce and Public Service Careers at College of The Mainland. A first-generation college student himself, Victor is dedicated to increasing labor force participation and helping students and their families achieve a bright future with great careers and high-paying jobs.

Dr. Helen Castellanos Brewer is an unwavering advocate of inclusion and diversity, with a career-long commitment to expanding educational opportunities for historically underserved students and promoting the community college mission of access, affordability and educational excellence with an emphasis on student retention and goal realization.

As a transformational leader with progressive experience in higher education at two and four-year; single and multi-campus institutions, her areas of expertise include strategic planning, program management and development, college operations, enrollment management, program assessment and evaluation, student success and retention, budget management, financial aid services, judicial affairs, counseling services, policy and procedures development, and supervision, training and evaluation of faculty, staff and executive administrators.

As a quantitative researcher and contributor to the literature on retention and success of first-generation college students, she has teaching experience at the community college, graduate and doctoral levels. She has served as a recruiter, educational counselor, TRIO director, director of student life, associate dean of student development, campus director, vice president of student development and adjunct faculty.

Dr. Brewer currently serves as Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at College of the Mainland; and is an Aspen Institute Rising Presidential Fellow.  Dr. Brewer holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University; Master’s in Counseling from Trinity Washington University; and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Maryland College Park.

Anita Garcia is currently serving as Acting Director for Institutional Advancement at the College of the Mainland. Anita received her undergraduate degree from Houston Baptist University with majors in computer information systems management and sociology. The combination of social science and technology led her to a career in Institutional Research (IR) at Houston Baptist University (HBU). She left HBU to join the IR department at College of the Mainland (COM) where she worked for nearly eleven years.

She took a brief break from working full-time. She returned to full-time work in 2017 at the University of Houston-Clear Lake where she was employed for nearly two years. She moved onto work briefly at Alvin Community College supporting a Wagner-Peyser Grant. In 2019, Anita returned to College of the Mainland to join the Institutional Advancement Department managing the COM Foundation’s donor database, tracking fund balances, and conducting prospect research.

She also managed the process for awarding student HEERF funds to students during the pandemic. In 2021, Anita completed her Master of Business Administration with a specialization in strategic management from the University of Houston-Victoria. In March 2023, Anita applied for and was accepted for the 2023 Leadership Mainland cohort through the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from the program in November 2023. In her free time, Anita enjoys participating in book clubs, and with her husband, supporting their two teenage daughters in their extracurricular activities.