Tamera Steele to lead Staff Council through transition at UHV
Tamera “Tammy” Steele has been named the incoming president of the University of Houston-Victoria’s Staff Council for the 2025-2026 academic year with her term effective on Aug. 1.
Steele, an assistant director of Financial Aid who joined the university in 2019, will oversee the council during a period of significant transition as UHV integrates into The Texas A&M University System. The university will officially become Texas A&M University-Victoria and be integrated as the 12th university in The Texas A&M System on Sept. 1.
“My top priority will be to bring unity,” Steele said. “I want to make sure that the transition into Texas A&M is smooth; I know that a lot of staff members are going to have a lot of questions and concerns, and I want to be able to be that voice for them.”
Prior to her tenure at UHV, she served for more than 15 years at the Marine Corps Air Station New River officer’s club as an executive chef, where she prepared meals for high-profile guests including Vice President Dick Cheney, the Obamas and Martha Stewart.
After returning to her hometown of Victoria to care for her family, Steele worked as a dining director in assisted living facilities. A health concern led her to change careers, leading her to begin her start at UHV as a financial aid assistant, Steele said.
Steele began to advance rapidly within the university, moving from financial aid assistant to enrollment specialist, then to admissions counselor and ultimately to her current role as assistant director of Financial Aid.
“Tamera has a love for this university, especially for the people who work here and the students they serve,” said Lauren Emerson, who served as the council’s previous president. “She is always happy to show up and be a supportive presence for the staff, whether it’s supplying cupcakes for a birthday celebration, volunteering for an event or advocating for the staff’s needs. I know that she will be a passionate, dedicated leader in the year to come, and I am happy to see her become the first Staff Council president for Texas A&M University-Victoria.”
As staff council president, besides ensuring a smooth transition into The Texas A&M System, Steele said she wants to maintain open lines of communication so staff members are kept up to date about any potential policy changes and trainings.
“Our voices are important, and our voices need to be heard,” Steele said. “I’m all about building relationships. If you have a very strong foundation, and everyone is of one accord, it’s just a happy place – a better place.”
In addition to Steele, the 2025-2026 Staff Council leadership is:
- President Elect: Heather Crow
- Secretary: Iyana Moses
- Treasurer: BobbiJo Anklam
- Communications Officer: Kelsey Mills
- Staff Representatives: Susan Johnson, Debbie Vardaman and Abby Gonzalez
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.