Join the International Women’s Board of the UTPA Foundation as they honor an extraordinary couple that has made impacting contributions to the Rio Grande Valley and the State of Texas. Dr. and Mrs. Cayetano Barrera will be honored by the IWB at the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg on Thursday, November 12, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Yolanda de la Garza was born to Guadalupe de la Garza and Leonor Gorena in Edinburg. Yolanda attended Edinburg High School and attended UTPA, then Pan American University as a music major. She was a member of the marching band, the symphony, and was a finalist for Miss Pan American and Bronco Queen.
Yolanda has been an active member of the IWB for 17 years, serving as president and board member. She has provided numerous hours of volunteer work - assisting in study abroad scholarship fundraising events and the previously held Shary Shivers Mansion Tours. The IWB has been instrumental in providing financial assistance to outstanding UTPA students who participate in worldwide summer study abroad programs. IWB recently supported the production of a study abroad documentary produced by UTPA’s Reel to Red Productions, “The Heart of Experience” which won a Lone Star EMMY. The film followed 38 UTPA students that traveled to Vienna, Prague and Budapest. The film documented the impact and transformative experience that studying abroad has on students.
Through the years, she has been involved in many activities and organizations serving as president for a number of them. She has been actively involved since 1968 with the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Alliance and has been active with the McAllen Child Study Club, International Museum of Arts and Sciences Guild, the McAllen Junior League, the Pan American Round Table of McAllen. She has served on the IMAS Board of Trustees, presently serving on the Salvation Army Board of Directors. Yolanda has received many honors acknowledging her contributions to the Valley community. The American Heart Association named her Heart of Gold Community leader in 1994. In 1996, The City of Palms named her the McAllen Outstanding Woman of the year, and AVANCE-RGV named her Mother of the year for 1999. ZONTA of West Hidalgo County identified her as a Shining Star of Hidalgo County for her community service.
Cayetano has served on the Lower Rio Grande Valley Historical Collection Advisory council for the UTPA Library for 37 years. He has been instrumental in building collections - acquiring information, recordings of lost information regarding the Hispanic families, culture and ranches of south Texas. His work includes the development of genealogy program at the library, “Las Porciones” which will benefit the University, our community and the students of south Texas for generations to come.
Cayetano was born in Mission to Dr. Cayetano E. Barrera and Simona de la Garza and grew up in Mission. He attended Holding Institute in Laredo, a private school run by the Methodist Church, and then continued his education at Mission High School, Baylor University in Waco and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, where he received his M.D. degree in 1963. He interned at Sacramento County Hospital in Sacramento, California, and did a Family Practice Residency at the Stanislaus County Hospital, Modesto, California.
Cayetano was drafted as a Captain into the U.S. Army Medical Corps in January 1966 and assigned to the 12th. Evacuation Hospital at Fort Ord, California. In September of 1966 he was sent to South Vietnam, where he served with the 12th. Evacuation Hospital, 7th. M.A.S.H., and the 1st. Infantry Division. After returning from Vietnam he served as Post Surgeon at the Umatilla Army Depot, Hermiston, Oregon. On discharge from the Army in 1968, he started his family medical practice in McAllen with Dr. Carlos Godinez. He still practices in McAllen in partnership with Drs. Homero Rivas, Daniel Guerra, and Leonel Moreno.
In addition to his medical practice, Cayetano in involved in various business activities including ranching and real estate. He was Co-founder and serves as Chairman of the Board of Rio Bank. Dr. Barrera is past president of the Rio Grande Council of the Boy Scouts of America, International Museum of Arts and Sciences, and the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society. In 2005 Dr. Barrera was named Doctor of the year by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Barrera currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and as president of the Tejano Monument, Inc., which will erect a monument on the Texas Capitol grounds to honor the Spanish-Mexican heritage of Texas.
