Trustee Biographies
Robstown Independent School District
Board of Trustees
Email: [email protected]
Lori Ann Flores-Garza, President - is the Coordinator of Public Affairs & Community Relations for Turner Industries. Her professional career encompasses over twenty-five years of experience in accounting, finance, payroll, purchasing and procurement, human resources, and community relations. Her education consists of an Associate's Degree in Business Administration from Del Mar College, a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Mrs. Garza takes pride in serving as an example for others by demonstrating that it’s never too late to go back to school.
Mrs.Garza's commitment to education and serving the children of her hometown is evident, as she has been a Board Trustee since 2014, to advocate for students to reach their highest potential. Mrs. Garza’s vision for the Board of Trustees is to encourage and promote teamwork, where all members work together to ignite brilliance, transform lives, and empower generations. She also represents the District at the state level, serving as a Lone Star Investment Pool Board Chair with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and has been a member since 2017.
Mrs.Garza is the Board President for Team Turner, an employee-directed volunteer program. She is an avid supporter of the United Way of the Coastal Bend, where she has been recognized since 2013 for the Campaign Leadership Awards. In 2017, Mrs. Garza was recognized as an outstanding Coastal Bend citizen for making significant contributions in her professional field as well as the community, where she received the Corpus Christi Under 40 Award. She also is an Associated Builders Contractors Board of Director representing Turner Industries in the Coastal Bend Chapter and an E2E(Education to Employment) Board of Director.
Mrs.Garza is a lifelong resident of Robstown, where she graduated from Robstown High School in 1995. She proudly watched three of her children become alumni of Robstown ISD. Her fourth child will follow in the family’s footsteps by becoming a Class of 2026 graduate of Robstown Early College High School. Her hobbies include supporting the students of RISD in their extracurricular and academic endeavors.
One of Mrs. Garza’s favorite mantras is “be the change you want to see.” One of Mrs. Garza’s favorite quotes for inspiration is by Eleanor Roosevelt, which states, “It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.”
Email: [email protected]
Erik Gallegos, Vice President - graduated from Texas A&M University - Kingsville with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education. He also has a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from University of St. Thomas. Mr. Gallegos is currently starting his sixth year as an educator and second year as an educational leader. There are many reasons he loves being an educator. Among them, he enjoys being in the classroom with his students, who refer to him as "Mr. G." He enjoys collaborating with staff to plan for exciting new and engaging activities, along with communicating and creating partnerships with parents and families.
Mr. Gallegos says working with staff and students of all ages, focusing on listening to everyone’s voice, regardless of how quiet, has opened his eyes to reflect on what he loves; this motivated him to want to be a School Board Trustee for the Robstown Independent School District. His calling is to help educate our children, and to help build up the Community of Robstown. He plans to achieve this goal by making sure that we have the best educational institution in the area, and ensuring that each student has the opportunity to succeed.
While serving on the board Mr, Gallegos plans to be part of a team that continues to build on those promises. He brings experience as an educator to the school board and plans to serve as a voice for all students, teachers, staff, and the community of Robstown. He looks forward to serving each and every one.
From 2011-2012, Mr. Martinez was the Program Assistant for the ACE 21st Century afterschool program. He then went on to join our Parental Involvement team and worked closely with our outstanding parent volunteers as P.I. Liaison from 2012-2015. Mr. Martinez's final year with Robstown was from 2015-2016 as a Computer Lab aide for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. He served his tenure with the district at Seale Jr. High School.
During his time with Robstown ISD, Mr. Martinez also helped organize school events such as school dances, incentive rewards, pep-rallies, school ceremonies, and much more. He served as the board secretary for The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Robstown ISD Chapter. He was also a member of the Site Based Decision Making committee (SBDM) even after his departure from the district, as a community member.
While pursuing his music career, Mr. Martinez remained active in the school district as well as the community. He continued to volunteer at Seale Jr. High as much as possible and served on The Robstown ISD Education Foundation. Wanting to give back to his community, Mr. Martinez served as a Robstown City Councilman for three years (elected for two terms) before pursuing a seat on the Robstown ISD School Board.
Mr. Martinez is committed to working with the district's team of eight, as he firmly believes the welfare of all the students in this district should be the primary objective underlying every decision made by the school board.
"Serving on the school board is public trust. They have instilled their trust in me and intend do the best that I can to ensure the success of our students and our district." -Cezar Martinez
Email: [email protected]
Bobby Marroquin, Assistant Secretary - was elected to the Robstown ISD Board of Trustees in November of 2020. Mr. Marroquin has over 30 years of professional experience working in the oil and gas industry. In addition, he was also a small business owner at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.
Mr. Marroquin expresses that it is with great pleasure that he was born and raised in Robstown where he spent his early childhood attending Lotspeich Elementary and Seale Junior High. During his educational career at Robstown High School, he took immense pride in being a student athlete and graduating with the Class of 1989.
Mr. Marroquin shares that serving on the Board of Trustees and being part of the TEAM of 8 is an honor which brings forth challenges and gratification at the same time. He believes that public schools are one of the most important elements that leads to the development of successful citizens and communities. Mr. Marroquin enjoys the opportunity to work with great people from various levels ranging from the Administrative roles to the Classroom Teachers. His philosophy is to take a team approach as a Board Member where decisions are made not particularly based on individual thoughts. Instead, Mr. Marroquin’s goal is to develop and consider policies that will serve the best interest of the district and its students as a whole for their long term success. Lastly, Mr. Marroquin firmly believes all students must be held to the highest expectations, so they can graduate ready for college, career, or military service, and have the best possible opportunity to succeed in life.
Mr. Marroquin is a devoted family man to his wife, Melinda and their two children, Giselle and Cristian. He is also a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and volunteers locally as a Little League Baseball Coach. In his spare time, he enjoys grilling BBQ, hunting, fishing, and golfing.
Email: [email protected]
Mario Mesa, Member - is a lifelong resident of Robstown and is a proud 2002 graduate of Robstown High School. He says his goal as a trustee is to ensure students have the best experience in and out of the classroom. Mr. Mesa is excited to begin his journey with the school board. He says, "The previous board has already made so many changes that have greatly impacted our students and staff. I want to help build and add to the vision they have for our district."
Mr. Mesa is committed to his position and wants to be the voice for children in our community. Serving the youth of Robstown has always been one of his main focuses. In his spare time Mr. Mesa serves as the President of the Robstown Little League and Co-President of the Robstown Youth Football League.
He is currently employed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Mr. Mesa and his wife Stephanie have four children. His oldest daughter Kayla is a Robstown High School graduate and is currently attending Graceland University in Iowa. Mia is a Junior at Robstown Early College High School. He is also the proud father of two sons. Zachary attends Seale Junior High, and Zayden will soon be attending elementary school in Robstown.
Email: [email protected]
Larry Cantu, Sr., Member - is a lifelong resident of Robstown and a proud graduate of Robstown High School, Class of 1990. He began his career with Robstown ISD as a bus driver and maintenance worker, where he cherished the opportunity to work with students, parents, and the community through transportation and daily interactions. Most recently, he has held a position with Nueces County Water District #3, continuing his tradition of positive community engagement.
In addition to his professional contributions, Larry serves as the chief umpire for the Robstown Pony League, a role that allows him to connect with the town's youth and families while promoting sportsmanship and teamwork.
As a school board trustee, his mission is to ensure all students have equal access to the best instruction possible. He believes every student has the potential to achieve greatness when given the right opportunities and resources. His goal is to continue building on the progress of the previous school board and work collaboratively with the current members to create a lasting, positive impact for all stakeholders in the district. Larry is married to Lorraine Cantu, and together they are proud parents to three sons: Larry Cantu Jr., Zachary Cantu, and the late Jeremy Cantu— all graduates of Robstown ISD. The couple is also proud grandparents to three beautiful grandchildren, one of whom is currently a student in the district.
Email: [email protected]
Yvette Villalobos, Member - is a business owner and a Tuloso Midway High School graduate. She has been a Robstown community member for over 25 years. She is a proud executive board member of the Robstown ISD Education Foundation and through this has found a passion to help pave a path to success for our students and opportunities for our educators.
As a trustee of the RISD Board of Directors, she wants to ensure equal opportunities for all students and encourage them in a positive way. She will continue to follow the lead of those trustees who have come before her and continue their vision. She is enthusiastic about the journey ahead and what it has in store.
Yvette is a proud parent of a Robstown graduate, Anna Villalobos, and a grandmother to a granddaughter, Vera Hendrix, who is a student in the Robstown School District. She has been married to Benny Villalobos Jr, also an alumnus of Robstown, for 35 years.
With the love and support of her community, she will represent the District with Honor and Pride.
Yvette will stand up for our students, teachers, and community. There are no limits to success, only opportunities.