A Woman of Impact
TTUHSC El Paso’s Andrea Tawney Selected as a 2023 El Paso Inc. Women of Impact Honoree
U.S. Air Force veteran has forged a career of proven leadership, propelling higher education and world-class health care in our Borderplex forward
El Paso Inc. has selected Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, as a recipient of the publication’s Women of Impact award. Women of Impact are recognized for their leadership and contributions in the El Paso community. El Paso Inc. launched the annual award program in 2010.
“This award is special to me because I was nominated by several Women of Impact who inspire me and I deeply admire. I am honored to receive this recognition as a reflection of my team’s hard work, dedication and talent devoted to improving our community,” Dr. Tawney said.
Dr. Tawney is a woman of many accomplishments, whose career has spanned several fields and brought her to positions of leadership and influence. From her beginnings in the U.S. Air Force to her current role as leader of TTUHSC El Paso’s Office of Institutional Advancement, Dr. Tawney has fostered excellence in every organization she’s been a part of. She’s also widely recognized as a role model and mentor dedicated to helping others achieve success in their lives and careers.
Photo credit: Cosima Rangel, El Paso Inc.
“Andrea embodies the values of a Woman of Impact,” said Ginger Francis, who was selected as an El Paso Inc. Woman of Impact in 2011. “Her work has a direct connection to the health and well-being of our community now and for generations to come. She does it through her positive attitude and focus which inspires the rest of us to step up and support the incredible advances that she is affecting. Thank you, Andrea for making each life you touch better.”
Dr. Tawney, who is celebrating five years at TTUHSC El Paso, oversees fundraising and marketing and communications for the university. Her office also leads marketing and communications for Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, and soon, the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center.
She earned a Ph.D. in higher education studies from Texas Tech University, with a focus on the predictors of academic success for first-generation college students. Her field expertise spans over 20 years in higher education.
At TTUHSC El Paso, Dr. Tawney has championed the university’s mission of educating the next generation of physicians, nurses, dentists and researchers who will help close health care disparity gaps in our historically underserved Borderplex region.
Under her leadership, the Office of Institutional Advancement has designed and implemented a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program that has resulted in millions of dollars through gifts and grants supporting educational programs and research at the university, as well as multiple preventive health care programs for underserved communities.
In the past five years, Dr. Tawney and her team have raised $8.6 million for student scholarships by working with the business community in honor of university anniversaries.
Her impactful efforts extended to securing a historical investment of $25 million from Steve and Nancy Fox to establish a comprehensive cancer center on the TTUHSC El Paso campus.
This promising venture not only signifies a significant investment but also holds the potential to reshape health care accessibility in El Paso's Borderplex region. With the establishment of a comprehensive cancer center, the hardship of cost and distance associated with seeking treatment outside the area will be alleviated, enabling patients to remain in close proximity to their support networks of family and friends throughout their treatment and recovery journey.
Dr. Tawney leads her team with purpose so funds and partnerships go to the heart of TTUHSC El Paso’s mission. These efforts include scholarship funds for first-generation El Paso college students who dream of serving our community and reducing the region’s critical shortage of health care professionals. It also includes funding for cancer prevention and other health care outreach programs for residents of underserved neighborhoods and colonias in El Paso County and rural communities across West Texas.
As a cornerstone of her institutional advancement plan for the university, Dr. Tawney brought together a group of community leaders to form TTUHSC El Paso’s inaugural President’s Development Council. The council connects donors with philanthropic opportunities to expand excellence in health care and prepare our Borderplex region’s future nurses, physicians, biomedical researchers and dentists.
Before joining TTUHSC El Paso, Dr. Tawney served as president of the New Mexico State University Foundation. Under her leadership, the foundation launched the most ambitious cash campaign in the NMSU system’s history. Within five years, her team raised more than $100 million and grew NMSU’s student enrollment and alumni giving.
Building a Legacy of Service through Volunteerism
Dr. Tawney's core guiding principle in both her professional and personal life centers around community volunteerism. Despite her numerous commitments, she actively seeks out opportunities to collaborate and motivate others within the community whenever a need arises. She’s selective in choosing board positions, opting only for those where she can contribute meaningfully and wholeheartedly.
Recognizing a need to support our migrant population, Dr. Tawney has donated countless hours mobilizing donations for the immediate needs of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso. In 2022, she started recurring campus and community drives for clothing, toiletries, toys and food.
Incorporating volunteerism with her team is a core aspect of her approach and is demonstrated through the team’s bi-annual volunteer service days at El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, our local food distribution center.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Tawney organized a team of volunteers to distribute donated meals and thousands of Girl Scout cookies to frontline workers at partner hospitals and Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso clinics. This effort was particularly aimed at boosting morale during the period when mobile morgues were deployed in the community.
One cause particularly close to Dr. Tawney's heart is supporting veterans and their families. She leverages her fundraising skills and community connections to advance the mission of the USO, expanding resources for military family events and Ft. Bliss lounges. She also contributes her time during holiday events, ensuring that troops without local family support are provided with meals.
Dr. Tawney grew up in Sacramento, California, in an inner-city neighborhood. Raised by her mother and grandmother, she observed that no matter how many long hours they worked, they always gave their best effort.
Her career approach has undergone a significant evolution over the years that now encompasses a purposeful endeavor focused on crafting a lasting legacy for aspiring female leaders of the future.
She is committed to paving the way for the upcoming generations of diverse female leaders. Her ambition transcends personal success; working to dismantle the obstacles she once encountered. This transformative perspective is driven by the realization that her current position is transient, and she is determined to create a smoother journey for those who will follow her lead.
Her journey serves as an inspiring testament to the evolution of one's approach to career advancement and the enduring impact of fostering change for the better.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso, established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.