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Helios Chairman Honored for Exemplary Leadership

2008 Profiles of Success

From left to right: Mark Bonsall, SRP Associate General Manager, Luz Sarmina, Valle del Sol President & CEO, Vince Roig, Chairman, Helios Education Foundation and David Vera, Chairman of Valle del Sol’s Board of Directors.

Vince Roig Honored With Community Service Award

Helios Education Foundation Chairman Vince Roig was honored with the Raul Yzaguirre Community Service Award for exemplary leadership in the greater Phoenix area. Valle del Sol, a Phoenix area non-profit organization, presented Mr. Roig with the award at the 2008 Profiles of Success in September.

“Being awarded the Raul Yzaguirre Community Service Award is a tremendous honor and I accept this award with great gratitude and humility,” said Vince Roig. “More than 20 years ago, I set out with a vision, wanting to help students overcome the financial hurdles of attending college.  Today, that vision has evolved in so many ways and is part of the work we do across the education continuum at Helios Education Foundation.  I want to thank Valle del Sol and everyone involved in the awards process for recognizing and honoring that  vision and putting a spotlight on the important role education plays in our community.”

Click here to see a video profile of Vince Roig

The 2008 Profiles of Success awards ceremony recognizes and rewards Latino leadership in the Phoenix area, and it also launches the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month in Arizona. Proceeds from the event are used to help thousands of people needing behavioral health, human service and leadership development assistance.

“Vince is an exemplary philanthropic leader and community advocate,” said Merl Waschler, President and CEO of the Valley of the Sun United Way. “The Raul Yzaguirre Community Leadership Award embodies Vince’s commitment to enriching the lives of others and strengthening communities.”

Vince has been a champion for and leader in education throughout his personal and professional life.  He was instrumental in creating Helios Education Foundation, the largest nonprofit organization serving Arizona and Florida focused solely on education. The Foundation was formed in 2004 under Vince’s leadership through the sale and conversion of Southwest Student Services, which at the time was the eighth largest holder of student loans in the country. To date, the Foundation has invested over $51 million into education-related programs and initiatives in both states.
 
Being born the son of immigrant Hispanic parents and having grown up in New York City, Vince has seen his share of challenges.  He started first grade not being able to speak English. Despite this and many other obstacles in his life, he graduated high school went on to receive his B.S. in Secondary Education from Athens College and his Master of Science in Secondary Education from Richmond College of the City University of New York.

As a teacher, he had a strong desire to help students succeed in post-secondary education and began his quest by working in the financial aid office of Brooklyn College and Arizona State University.  In the 1980’s, his vision was to create financial resources for students in Arizona who wanted to attend college but could not afford tuition. Supported by then-Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, he started the Arizona Education Loan Marketing Corporation in 1982 to provide liquidity to banks to make student loans. Giving thousands of students the ability to attend college, the company grew to be a primary provider of student loans and was later renamed Southwest Student Services Corporation.

Vince serves or has served on the Boards of numerous organizations, including the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation, Arizona Health Facilities Authority, Education Finance Council, ELM Resources, Inc., Greater Phoenix Leadership, Life Teen International, National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Advisory Aviation Board, Take Stock in Children, Valley of the Sun United Way, and Valley of the Sun United Way Foundation.

For more information on Helios Education Foundation and its history of investments, click here.