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Mario Castillo, J.D.
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Bio
Mario K. Castillo serves Lone Star College as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. Mario’s responsibilities have progressed through the years: he started as the College’s General Counsel in 2015; was promoted to Vice Chancellor and General Counsel in 2016; and was again promoted to Chief Operating officer and General Counsel in 2017. Additionally, he served as interim President at Lone Star College-Kingwood for a little over an academic year. Mario primarily oversees the College’s day-to-day operations, which include direct oversight of the College’s Academic and Workforce Success, Student Success, Human Resources, Police Department, and all compliance and emergency management tracking and response. Mario also serves as the Chief Legal Officer directly responsible for the College’s legal and contractual matters. Mario is directly responsible for over 800 employees, is responsible for over an $80 million budget, and is responsible for the life and safety of all students, employees, and the college community.
Mario is deeply dedicated to the College’s community. Of all his responsibilities, Mario’s focus is the College’s students. He has reshaped processes and procedures to be student centric and student informed. Mario knows that you cannot be what you cannot see-he therefore ensures he meets students where they are at. Mario provides numerous student scholarship and internship opportunities, and he regularly meets with students to offer career advice. He also prioritizes student speaking engagements and student outreach. Additionally, Mario has used his expertise to tackle complex situations: whether that be leading the entire system’s COVID-19 response, opening shelters during Hurricane Harvey, or being the go-to administrator during emergency situations, Mario’s dedication to the College is unwavering.
Prior to joining the College, Mario served as a Partner at Monty & Ramirez, LLP practicing Labor and Employment Law, earning Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. During this time, he represented the College as outside counsel in various matters. His legal experience includes litigation on cases in state and federal courts, various appellate courts, and the Texas Supreme Court. He also served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Felix Recio of the Southern District of Texas and was an adjunct professor. Mario’s peer-reviewed articles have been published by the Baylor School of Law and the University of Houston Law Center.
Mario received his Juris Doctorate from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University in Bloomington and received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas in Austin. Mario is a first-generation high school (on his mother’s side), college, and law school student as well as a first-generation American. He enjoys overly ambitious home improvement projects, recently completed Ironman Texas, and is an avid reader.