The Joe Barnhart Lectureship Series
Every spring, JBSP presents a local or national figure to inspire the entire student body in their post-secondary endeavors. At the assembly, the four finalists for the Barnhart Scholars Award are presented prior to the lecture and the winner is announced at the assembly following the lecture.
2027 Lectureship: Featured speaker to be announced in early 2027.
A.C. Jones Auditorium
Featured Speaker: 2026
Gina Cano-Ram
Gina Cano is a proud Beeville, Texas native and graduate of A.C. Jones High School. From small-town beginnings, she has built a career focused on leadership, innovation, and creating access to opportunity.
Gina currently serves as a Senior Director of Customer Value Enablement at Dell Technologies, where she helps organizations achieve sustainable business outcomes through connectivity and technology adoption. She is also the founder of The Gina Brand and UnapologeticTech, platforms dedicated to empowering women, first-generation leaders, and underserved communities.
As the co-inventor of the Cano Ram Protocol™, an emerging AI governance framework centered on ethics and human oversight, Gina continues to champion responsible innovation. Her journey is a testament to resilience, cultural pride, and the belief that where you come from should never limit where you’re going.
Past speakers have included:
Ambassador Sichan Siv, United Nations Economic and Social Council
Marianne Rafferty, Fox News Reporter
Eric Soza, Football Coach, U of H Graduate Assistant & AC Jones Graduate
Dr. Leo Sayavedra, Deputy Chancellor for Academic Institutions & Agencies, Texas A&M Univ. System
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut
