Mario K. Castillo serves as Chancellor of Lone Star College System (LSCS). He took up the title of General Counsel at LSCS in 2015. From 2016 to 2017, he served as Vice Chancellor and General Counsel. From 2017 to 2023, he served as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. From 2020 to 2021, he served as interim President at Lone Star College – Kingwood in addition to his regular duties. In 2023, he assumed the title of Chancellor of Lone Star College System.
             As Chancellor, Mario is charged with determining the direction and long-term vision of LSCS. As the Chief Executive Officer, he oversees all LSCS functions. Mario is deeply dedicated to the LSCS community and has reshaped processes and procedures to be student-centric and student-informed. Mario understands 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 prioritizes student speaking engagements and student outreach.
             In addition to his core duties over the years, Mario has managed several LSCS initiatives. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, he spearheaded aid efforts by opening and supplying storm shelters throughout the Houston area. In the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, he headed the creation and implementation of response and return-to-building procedures, which were used as a template for other community colleges across the country. Mario also oversaw the utilization of safety and security upgrade funds allocated by the 2014 Bond Referendum, making LSCS facilities safer for students, faculty, and staff.
Prior to joining LSCS, 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 LSCS 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; serving as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Felix Recio of the Southern District of Texas. 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.