Why Lucia Minjares Aguilar Chose UTEP EMBA to Lead Growth

The mortgage executive is sharpening the judgment she developed through more than 20 years of growth, change, and organizational leadership.

OrganizationCadence Lending Group and Neighborhood Mortgage

Leadership scopeExecutive operations, finance, people, and compliance

Next moveScalable growth across both organizations

The Big Picture

Lucia Minjares Aguilar serves as vice president of operations and a member of the executive management team at Cadence Lending Group and Neighborhood Mortgage.

During more than 20 years in mortgage lending, she has helped guide the organizations through a merger, an acquisition, the launch of both entities, and the development of a construction financing division. Her responsibilities span executive operations, accounting, board-level financial reporting, strategic planning, human resources, and compliance.

Lucia Minjares Aguilar is using the UTEP Executive MBA to strengthen the strategy behind continued growth at Cadence Lending Group and Neighborhood Mortgage.

The through line

Turning complexity into coordinated growth

Minjares Aguilar has helped organizations move through launches, structural change, and new lines of business. Her next challenge is building systems that can support what comes after expansion.

01 · Build

Launch and evolve

Her experience includes helping launch both entities and developing a construction financing division.

02 · Integrate

Lead through change

A merger and acquisition required operational judgment across finance, people, reporting, and compliance.

03 · Scale

Strengthen the system

The EMBA supports a wider approach to capital strategy, efficiency, teams, and long-term growth.

Why UTEP EMBA

Experience sharpens judgment. Study broadens the frame.

Minjares Aguilar has long relied on experience and instinct to navigate complex business decisions. She chose the UTEP Executive MBA to sharpen that judgment through advanced study, broaden her strategic perspective, and strengthen her ability to lead at the executive level.

What began as a promise to her youngest son that she would become a UTEP Miner alongside him developed into a deeper commitment to her own professional growth.

16 monthsProgram length

30 credits10 graduate courses

Every other SaturdayFlexible hybrid rhythm

15–20Students in the cohort

Leading What’s Next

Minjares Aguilar plans to use the EMBA to advance capital strategy, improve operational efficiency, and make stronger data-driven decisions across both organizations.

She also wants to continue building high-performing teams and scalable systems through a leadership approach grounded in service, accountability, and long-term growth.

What’s Next

Minjares Aguilar is preparing to connect capital, operations, talent, and compliance more deliberately as Cadence Lending Group and Neighborhood Mortgage continue to evolve.

The next stage is not growth for its own sake. It is growth supported by disciplined decisions, scalable systems, and teams equipped to carry the work forward.

UTEP Executive MBA

Bring your experience to the next cohort.

Explore a 16-month Executive MBA built around experienced professionals, a close-knit cohort, executive coaching, and a wider view of business leadership.

Explore UTEP EMBA → Contact the Graduate Business Center

Connect With Us

The University of Texas at El Paso
Woody L. Hunt College of Business
Business Administration Building
500 W University
El Paso, Texas 79968

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