LATINAS Today
Maria Salinas Appointed as
Los Angeles Area Chamber
Incoming President & CEO
The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles
Area Chamber of Commerce has appointed
Maria Salinas as the Chamber’s
new President and CEO, effective
August 1, 2018. Salinas will be
the first women leader in the
organization’s history.
Salinas brings to the LA
Chamber an ability to
understand the needs,
challenges and aspirations
of businesses of all types
and sizes based on her
extensive private sector
experience ranging from
corporations to start-ups in a cross-section of industries. Her decades of
financial expertise and business management includes experience in leading
both major Southern California corporations and small businesses in corporate
governance, audit and compliance, and regulatory matters. She is currently
the President and Founder of Salinas Consulting, a finance and accounting
project management firm.
Prior to launching her business in 2006, Salinas held financial leadership
roles at The Walt Disney Company for nearly 11 years. She also developed
public accounting experience working with Ernst & Young LLP. In addition
to serving as Director and former Chairwoman of ProAmérica Bank, Salinas
is the Chair of the Board of Regents at Loyola Marymount University, her
alma mater. She also serves on the Board of Directors at UnidosUS and
brings deep ties to the local education community with a board position at
Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine.
“Maria has the unique combination of financial acumen and sound
leadership skills paired with an entrepreneurial spirit that makes her the
perfect choice to lead the Chamber,” said Michelle Kerrick, Board Chair for
the Chamber. “On top of this, she has deep community involvement and an
insurmountable passion for seeing this city prosper well into the future. As
a lifelong Angeleno, we are confident Maria will champion diversity and
bring our communities closer together.”
Yvonne Garcia Honored with Honorary Doctorate of Humane
Letters by Cambridge College
ALPFA’s Chairwoman and Senior Vice President
of Investment Manager Services and Global Head
of Client Solutions at State Street Corporation,
Yvonne Garcia, was honored with an honorary
doctorate of Humane Letters by Cambridge College
at the college’s 47th commencement exercises.
Garcia serves as the Chair of the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund for Boston and on the Board
of Directors for The Partnership, Inc. She is the
co-founding Chair of Milagros para Niños at
Boston Children’s Hospital and serves on the
Board of Directors for Tufts Medical Center and
on Massachusetts Governor Baker’s Latino
Advisory Commission Board. Garcia holds an
MBA from Boston University in Finance and Marketing and a BA from SUNY
Albany. She is also a graduate of the ARMY R.O.T.C. program at Siena
College in Loudonville, NY and holds a Certificate in Economics and Culture
from La Sorbonne in Paris, France and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Kristi Villanueva, West San Antonio
Chamber of Commerce President
A former board member with a background
in Public Relations, Government Affairs, and
Small Business Advocacy, Kristi Villanueva
brings over 17 years of experience in public
relations, government affairs, and Small
Business Advocacy. She is well known for
her tenacity, community engagement, and
love of the outdoors. She advances any
team’s mission through her work ethic,
expertise, and dedication.
Prior to her role at the chamber, she worked
as Deputy Program Manager for a small,
minority-owned construction company
managing two overseas projects under a
Department of State contract.
Villanueva utilizes her public speaking,
sales and customer service skills to consistently
exceed goals, while enhancing revenues
in competitive environments. An expert at
handling challenging situations with tenacity
and effective problem-solving. She advances
any team's mission through her work ethic,
expertise, and dedication.
She continues to develop key strategies in
Communications, Branding and Business
Development which drive to the core of
what each client lives for – their business.
She displays true commitment for developing
the connection between the issues at hand
and the customers' desire to be successful.
LS
6 www. lat inastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 24, No. 3, 2018
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