Alumni Awards

Marinella G. Murillo has actively served the San Antonio and south Texas community all her adult life, both professionally and personally. She recently retired from an accomplished 40-year career in the federal government and has embarked on new challenges proving that women can make outstanding contributions at any age. She has served as a volunteer voter registrar and has also volunteered on various city, county and national political campaigns. She is involved in promoting Southside economic development as well as climate, environmental, social and domestic violence issues. Marinella has continued in her role as a Labor Union Area Vice-President and serves on the San Antonio Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. In addition, Marinella has served on the national board of Directors of Federally Employed Women, the Young Women’s Christian Association of San Antonio, the San Antonio Council for Independent Living, the Prairie View A&M Youth Advisory Board, Columbia Little League Board of Directors and the St. Francis Academy Parent-Teacher School Board.

Throughout her career Marinella has been known for demonstrating cultural sensitivity, engaging interpersonal skills, maintaining great personal integrity and a deep passion in employee and labor representation. She has “gone the extra mile” for many individuals in her role as a successful EEO Counselor and mediator, Federal Women’s Program Manager and Union Official. Her advocacy has not only made a difference in this community, but it also garnered notice on the national level as she has served on the Federally Employed Women’s National Board of Directors and the American Federation of Government Employees Council 222 Executive Board. In both instances, she was the first Latina to serve at a national level. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her volunteer and advocacy efforts to include the Alamo Federal Executive Board Federal Women’s Program Manager of the Year, the Alamo Community College Outstanding Former Student Award, the San Antonio Image Hispanic Women of the Year Award and the San Antonio Women’s Celebration and Hall of Fame to name a few.

Marinella started her federal career with the U.S. Small Business Administration in economic development and marketing and later transferred to U.S. Housing and Urban Development serving as a grants manager, Contracting Officer, a Community Relations Officer, Public Housing Specialist and a Senior Community Planning and Development Representative. Having served in various positions at SBA and HUD also garnered Marinella recognition by FEMA as her specialized experience proved invaluable when she was detailed to FEMA during natural disasters throughout South Texas. Just prior to her retirement, HUD spotlighted her work with a Hurricane Harvey homeless and disabled veteran survivor at the national level.

Marinella graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and plans to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in non-profit leadership. She is a proud grandparent of two nearly perfect grandkids, and one of them is currently attending A&M-SA. Marinella’s passion for serving the community and work ethic has been passed on to her daughter, Genny. Genny is an early childhood special education teacher at Northside ISD who has also received numerous accolades and recognition for her work. She plans to enroll at A&M-SA in the Master of Educational Leadership program, thereby making three generations of one family attending A&M-SA!