Wells Fargo Commits $520,000 for High School Students Across the U.S. to use for College or Other Expenses

CollegeSTEPSSM expanded sweepstakes runs April 1-June 30, 2013;  520 high school winners will each win a $1,000 cash prize

Wells Fargo announced the expansion of its CollegeSTEPS program. The expansion gives 520 high school students from all over the United States the chance to win a $1,000 cash prize they can use to help pay for college or other expenses. A total of $520,000 will be given away. Students are automatically entered in the sweepstakes when they enroll in Wells Fargo’s CollegeSTEPS program, which provides regular, helpful college planning and money management tips for parents and students, including how to find scholarships, apply for financial aid, make campus visits, save and budget and manage student loans.

“There is no question that tuition costs continue to rise across the country and can be daunting to college students and their families. There’s also no question that a college degree can increase earnings potential and decrease the likelihood of unemployment,” said John Rasmussen, head of Wells Fargo Education Financial Services. “Wells Fargo is committed to helping customers make their dreams of a college education become a reality. For years, the CollegeSTEPS program has provided students and their families with information and tools and we’re proud to provide this additional opportunity for students who want to earn a college degree.”

How to Enter the CollegeSTEPS expanded sweepstakes
Eligible high school students between the ages of 14 and 20 are automatically entered for a chance to win $1,000 when they enroll in the CollegeSTEPS program by visiting http://www.wellsfargo.com/expandedcollegesteps.com. The sweepstakes runs between April 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013. If high school students are already enrolled in the CollegeSTEPS program and want to enter the expanded sweepstakes, they should visit http://www.wellsfargo.com/expandedcollegesteps.com and re-enroll by June 30, 2013. A total of 520 winners will be chosen and notified in August 2013. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. For complete sweepstakes rules, visit http://www.wellsfargo.com/expandedcollegesteps.com.

The gifts of deposits and withdrawals for Mother’s Day

Submitted by Lisa Stevens

When I started thinking about writing a blog on financial guidance and parenting, I immediately recognized parallels between my personal and professional life. Having been in financial services for more than half my life, I think of money in much broader terms.

For instance, most people think about “banking” as making deposits or withdrawing money. I think of raising a family, working on your relationship, and trying to lead a good life, which are all about making deposits (giving) and taking withdrawals (receiving).

My goal is to help moms (and all parents) incorporate the parallels that exist between sound financial guidance, and raising children, running a household, and being a great partner and true friend. In other words, my job is to make sure that moms take care of themselves financially.

Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo lead executive for Small Business and West Coast Regional Banking president

An important financial lesson
My biggest financial lesson came early in life — when my college scholarship was pulled during my senior year at Santa Clara University. My parents were unable to help me financially due to their own painful challenges, and I found myself with overwhelming credit card debt right out of college. I used that difficult time as a life lesson, and now my husband and I are making sure to save and plan for the education costs of our three children.

In my 14 years as a mom … 16 years as a wife… and 24 years as an executive … the most profound things I’ve discovered have to do with learning to appreciate difficult times, making mistakes, and yes—even learning from tragedies. I’m convinced that we are shaped by how we respond and learn from the most difficult challenges we face. Even small challenges, if appreciated from the right perspective, can bring us to enlightened places.

“My mom defined unconditional love, provided some discipline, and offered constant support.”

My Mother’s gift — for Mother’s Day
With Mother’s Day upon us, I am reminded of all the deposits my mom has made in my life — minus my couple of years being a possessed teenager who wanted to be treated like an adult, but still had a needy child inside. My mom defined unconditional love, provided some discipline, and offered constant support. Until I became a mother myself, I don’t think I realized how much she was taking regular “withdrawals” through her enjoyment from raising three kids.

The magical power the words “I love you” spoken by a child to a parent are extraordinary, and yes, those words can even melt away the frustration of having to break up a fight between sisters, or when trying to find the floor under a pile of clothes in a teenager’s room. I’m constantly reminded how much I have to be grateful for — from both my past and my present.

Gifts from my children
In the spirit of Mother’s Day I’d like to share a recent lesson from one of my children.

It started one Sunday at 8 am with basketball practice in La Canada—followed immediately by a soccer game in Altadena; followed by two soccer games in La Verne; followed by another soccer game in La Canada; and yet another soccer game in Pasadena; and a strong finish with a track meet in La Puente.

“With three active kids in sports, our weekends consist of chauffeuring, coaching, and cheering them on at games.”

I wish I could say this was NOT a typical weekend day for our family, but with three active kids in sports, our weekends consist of chauffeuring, coaching, and cheering them on at games — IT IS.

As we pulled into our driveway at 8 pm, I made the remark, “This was such a long day.” My 14-year- old son turned to me, and while I was sure he was going to agree and say how tired he was too, to my surprise, gave me a high-five and said, “And mom, it was a great day! Thank you, I love you.”

Two things happened: I gladly took the “withdrawal” as my heart melted. I also realized that my son was coaching me on being grateful for the opportunity to be out all day with the people I love the most.

I hope that you — and mothers everywhere — enjoy making deposits and taking withdrawals this Mother’s Day!

Lisa has previously spoken with Hispanic Lifestyle about Wells Fargo’s lending goal for women owned businesses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWNnLerixog

About Lisa Stevens
Lisa Stevens, a 24-year company veteran, is an executive vice president and holds leadership positions across the country for Wells Fargo. Stevens is president for West Coast Regional Banking, which includes the states of California and Oregon. She also oversees Customer Experience and Regional Marketing nationally for Regional Banking. In addition, she serves as lead executive for Small Business for the company, which provides a full range of financial services to more than 2.5 million business customers with annual revenues up to $2 million.

Business Owner,  Community Volunteer, Olga Orosco Fernandez is one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Olga Orosco Fernandez

Olga Fernandez is president and founder of Olga’s Underground Furniture, a 100% Latino-owned, family-run business specializing in discount caskets, accessories and funeral services. Founder and former partner of Caskets ‘N More, a 13-year old company, the industry veteran Ms Fernandez (also known as “The Discount Casket Lady”) formed her new company in 2011 and is involved in every aspect of the business, offering a wide range of services from casket and plot sales to floral and monument designs.  She set out to start a new business that not only offered home consultation, particularly for the Spanish-speaking community, but that was also online and social media connected in order to serve a wider market base.

Olga Orosco Fernandez

Ms Fernandez has extensive knowledge of the funeral industry, having initially served as vice president for Direct Casket Co. for three years before forming Caskets ‘N More.  She was an influential part of the team of casket retailers that formed the California Casket Retailers Association and helped in sponsoring a Senate bill (SB1555), personally lobbying legislators in Sacramento to help stop the bundling and packaging that funeral homes were offering consumers, disproportionately affecting lower income and minority communities.  The mission of Olga’s Underground Furniture is to provide quality merchandise at up to 50 – 70% less than mortuaries, while providing the personal service necessary at what is an extremely vulnerable time for the consumer.

As a Latina, Ms Fernandez is proud to provide a much-needed product at reduced prices particularly for her community, the largest minority in Southern California and, until recently, a virtually untapped market in this industry.  Her major challenge is the David & Goliath syndrome, having to compete with such large, established corporations as Stewart, SCI and Lowen Group.  This, however, has not deterred her from taking them on, which has led to her success and strong word-of-mouth business.

Olga’s extensive volunteerism in various community organizations provides her with great personal satisfaction as well as widening her knowledge of others in the business and non-profit world.  Her participation extends to such organizations as San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the American Cancer Society, Latin Business Association, YWCA of San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Latina Business Women Association, which awarded her a “Latinas in Business” award in 2007.   She was also among the recipients of the 2009 “Outstanding Women of the 57^th Assembly District” awards recognition. Among her many community roles, she is past Director of Fundraising for Covina American Little League, where she launched an ambitious campaign to raise over $25,000 to rebuild the league’s aging baseball field.  She is active in her children’s PTA at Glendora’s Washington Elementary, currently serving on the board as well as chairing the Reflections Program & Honorary Service Awards. Annual community events that Olga participates in include the “Remembering Our Veterans & Their Families” with Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, held each May in Arcadia, “A Shower of Roses” Luncheon for the Cloistered Carmelite Nuns Auxiliary of Alhambra, “Covina Kids Rock 4 Relay” event at Northview High School to benefit the American Cancer Society, as well as the Covina Chapter of Business Network International’s networking event.  And to expand her knowledge of her community even further, Olga completed a City of Covina Government 101 class to better understand how city government works.

Born in East Los Angeles and raised in Baldwin Park with four older brothers, Ms Fernandez is a divorced mother of three.  In 2005, she and her ex-husband became the proud adoptive parents of her four great-nieces and nephews, twins Marissa and Salvador, Jessica and Raymond, then ages nine, five and two, respectively.  Marissa, who was a gifted and extremely popular student at her school, suffered from the rare disorder Diamond Black-fan Anemia; sadly, she eventually succumbed to the disease in 2007. Olga helped with gathering support from Covina city leaders, neighbors and community organizers to place a new playground at Jalapa Park/Jobe Glen, dedicating a sign in Marissa’s memory as well as honoring her twin brother Salvador for his contributions of bone marrow in attempting to save her life.  Olga continues to support the blood and marrow donation efforts at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), where Marissa received her care and charmed all who came in contact with her.

Nominated by Margie Hernandez

Human Resources Professional, Community Volunteer, Guadalupe Aguirre Onechanh is one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Guadalupe Aguirre Onechanh 

Guadalupe Aguirre Onechanh has been on the Executive Board of the California Unemployment Insurance Council since 2005. As an officer of this non-profit organization she has helped upheld the purpose of the CUIC to assist and educate employers with technical and procedural information pertaining to all facets of employer-employee relations, including unemployment insurance, labor laws, workers’ compensation, and other people-related aspects of business. Besides organizing educational workshops and seminars on compliance, Ms. Onechanh shares the foundational values of the CUIC of doing what’s right.

Guadalupe Aguirre Onechanh

When she was 17 her family had unfortunate experience which is far too common for a non-English speaking Latino family. At the time her father had worked 25 years for a small American owned fabricating company. It was an exciting time for him and the 20 employees he supervised, the company was experiencing growth and was set to remodel. They all signed for their vacation checks and returned two weeks later to whole a new look. Upon their return they were informed that they had been laid off two weeks prior and what they had signed was their layoff notice. Regrettably the notice was in English which none of the employees, including her father, understood. They were offered applications to positions at minimum wage. That inopportune experience influenced her career path to Human Resources.

She began working in the Staffing and Recruiting industry where she spent five years helping find positions for hundreds of applicants that were primarily Spanish speakers in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles area.

She secured a position in the Human Resources department in a Southern California based furniture importer/wholesaler. The proceeding 10 years she held several positions and became the Corporate Human Resources Manager for Coaster Company of America, Fine Furniture. In 2011, she was recruited by the largest furniture manufacturer in the world to head the Human Resources department in California. Today she is the Head of Human Resources for the West Coast Operations of Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (Distribution Centers & Manufacturing operations). She leads a team that handles all aspects of Human Resources for a 24/7 365 day operation.

In 2011, she was asked to join a Task Force organized by the Human Resources Certification Institute that included six Human Resources professionals to evaluate the bodies of knowledge required for the California certification. She also joined the Board of the Employer Round Table of Southern California which partners with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. In 2012, she was a Subject Matter Expert for the Society of Human Resources Management Learning System content for the 2013 materials.

Outside of professional interests, she travels widely, reads, and enjoys spending time with family. She is happily married to Ké Onechanh, has two sons Adrian, 17 and Andrew, 11.

Music Director, Educator, Conductor and Community Advocate Sonia Marie De Leon de Vegas is one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega

De Leon de Vega is the only woman in history to conduct a symphony orchestra at a Vatican Papal Mass and her accomplishments as a Latina in a male dominated profession are quite remarkable. Sonia is also celebrated in educational circles for creating “Discovering Music” in 1998, a two-year music education program that takes orchestra members into elementary schools in underserved Latino neighborhoods to introduce children to classical music and the instruments of the orchestra. Discovering Music is currently offered in 18 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles and has touched the lives of more than 40,000 students in 35 schools through the power of music education. Due to its success, Discovering Music has been expanded to include a string program that offers free violin lessons throughout the school year and a mentorship program in middle schools.

Under the leadership of De Leon de Vega, Santa Cecilia Orchestra and the Discovering Music program have attracted the sponsorship of noted foundations and institutions, including the Annenberg Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. De Leon de Vega’s accomplishments have been recognized in a variety of organizations, including:

Born in San Antonio, De Leon de Vega is the daughter of actress/producer Sonia De Leon and singer/guitarist Reynaldo Sanchez. At the age of four De Leon de Vega moved to Los Angeles, California, where she was raised and began her musical training becoming an accomplished pianist and organist. While always distinguishing herself academically her graduate studies led her to love and specialize in conducting studies with Dr. David Buck. She also trained at the Herbert Blomstedt International Institute for Instrumental Conductors and at various American Symphony Orchestra League workshops with Otto Werner Mueller, Maurice Abravanel, Pierre Boulez, Andre Previn, Zubin Metha and Ricardo Muti. De Leon de Vega has been a guest conductor for many orchestras and opera companies and has developed concerts and children’s music workshops for the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles.

Santa Cecilia Orchestra is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year and is the only national orchestra with the specific mission to share classical music with the Latino communities.

Educator, Mentor, and Community Advocate Angélica S. Gutiérrez, Ph.D. one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Angélica S. Gutiérrez, Ph.D.  

Angélica S. Gutiérrez, Ph.D. was born and raised in the Los Angeles community of Lincoln Heights. She received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles and her M.P.P. in Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she was elected as the school’s Executive Committee student representative and served as the student voice on all university matters.

Dr. Gutiérrez recently earned her Ph.D. at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.  Her research interests include diversity and inclusion in universities and in the workplace, and the effects of stereotypes on negotiations. She has presented her work at the Academy of Management and the Society for Personal and Social Psychology — the two leading conferences in the fields of Management and Psychology, respectively. Her research has been published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, a top journal in the field of Social Psychology. At UCLA Anderson, Dr. Gutiérrez taught the summer course in Organizational Behavior for entering international MBA students. She also assisted in teaching various courses including Leadership Foundations, Negotiations, and Organizational Behavior for the full-time, fully-employed, and Executive MBA programs at Anderson, including seminars in Shanghai, China.

After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Gutiérrez was awarded the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity postdoctoral fellowship, and is serving as a postdoctoral fellow and visiting scholar at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. As a postdoc, Dr. Gutiérrez’s research focuses on diversity and inclusion in the work place, including the representation of underrepresented groups on executive boards. With her research she hopes to increase the representation of ethnic minorities in business school and diversify corporate America. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship Dr. Gutiérrez will continue her research and teaching pursuits as a tenure-tracked professor at the Loyola Marymount University College of Business beginning in August 2013. She will be one of a select few Latina business school professors teaching at a U.S. business school.

Prior to UCLA Anderson, Dr. Gutiérrez worked in the fields of education, transportation, housing and economic development, in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. She served as the transportation policy analyst for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa during his tenure as Chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Additionally, she was the policy analyst for the Executive Management team for the Los Angeles County Community Development Corporation.

Despite her rigorous work load, Dr. Gutiérrez has devoted her spare time to several organizations in hopes of giving back to her community. Dr. Gutiérrez has served as a mentor through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the TELACU Education Fund and UCLA Riordan Programs’ Saturday Business Academy. Moreover, she has conducted presentations on negotiations, networking, business etiquette, time management, and organizational diversity challenges for professionals in the non-profit and public sectors. She also enjoys volunteering for various philanthropic organizations, including Reading to Kids, Padres Contra el Cancer (Parents Against Cancer), and the California Latino Caucus Institute’s Madrinas Padrinas Leadership Program. Additionally, Dr. Gutiérrez devotes her time to inspiring young students to strive for their dreams through panel discussions and keynote addresses, including Overcoming the odds: the power of purpose, passion & perseverance, which she delivered as keynote for the annual Latino Leadership Conference at Purdue University, and presentations for the USC Latino Alumni Association, USC Upward Bound, Los Angeles Mission College and Whittier College.

As a result of her academic achievement, Dr. Gutiérrez has been a four-time awardee of the TELACU Education Foundation David C. Lizarraga Fellowship, a Gerald R. Ford Graduate Fellowship awardee, Ronald E. McNair research scholar and a Hispanic Scholarship Fund awardee. She also received the “Young Promising Rese arch Scholar” award by KPMG’s Ph.D. Project, an organization committed to increasing the representation of racial minorities in academia. Last year in recognition of her community leadership and contributions, Dr. Gutiérrez was selected as one of the first “Next Generation Latinas” by Latina Magazine, an award that honors Latinas who have made a significant impact in their respective communities as role models, mentors and leaders, and exhibit a strong commitment to the empowerment of other Latinas.  Additionally, Dr. Gutiérrez was recently recognized as one of the first “Latinas of Influence” by Hispanic Lifestyle for her accomplishments and community service.

Award-winning artists Luis Alfaro, Josefina Lopez and Barbara Carrasco — two playwrights and a muralist who were inspired by Tomás Rivera — will lead the 25^th anniversary conference honoring the legacy of the former UC Riverside chancellor  and Chicano poet on Friday, April 19.

The all-day annual conference — “Literacy & Legacy — A Celebration of the Life and Work of Tomás Rivera” —begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Highlander Union Building at UCR and includes afternoon workshops with prominent Latino artists, musicians, playwrights and screenwriters. It concludes in the evening at University Theatre with the staged reading of “And the Earth Did Not Devour Him,” Rivera’s classic novel adapted into a new play by Tiffany Ana López, professor of theater and the Tomás Rivera Chair in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. The reading will be directed by award-winning filmmaker and theater director Juliette Carrillo.

Actor Alma Martinez, one of the original cast members of the Broadway play and film “Zoot Suit,” will join the post-play conversation with the audience. Her acting career spans 35 years in film, television and theater in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. She has premiered the work of playwrights JoAnne Akalaitis, Luis Alfaro, Cherrie Moraga, Arthur Giron and Milcha Sanchez Scott, and has been a guest artist at the Sundance Institute. Martinez is a longtime artistic associate of Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino and has appeared as the lead actress in most of Valdez’s most significant work.

Registration for the conference is required by April 12 and may be made online . The conference is free and open to the public. Parking costs $6 in Lot 30 and $8 in Lot 6 (pay by space). Permits may be purchased at the kiosk on West Campus Drive, near the campus entrance at University Avenue. Registration for Master Class Workshops is limited and priority will be given to those who preregister for all conference events.

The annual conference honors the legacy of Rivera, who was UCR’s chancellor from 1979 until his death after a heart attack in 1984. Rivera was the first Hispanic and first minority chancellor in the UC system. He also was an award-winning writer of poems, short stories and literary essays.

Responsible for community and government relations at the municipal and county levels is vice president of Local Public Affairs for Southern California Edison Veronica Gutierrez one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Veronica Gutierrez 

Veronica Gutierrez is vice president of Local Public Affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE), responsible for community and government relations at the municipal and county levels, and also for licensing for SCE’s major transmission projects.

Veronica Gutierrez
Vice President, Local Public Affairs
Southern California Edison

Prior to her current role, Gutierrez was vice president of Corporate Communications responsible for all SCE communications and the community involvement functions in the department. She was director of Public Affairs for Edison International (EIX), responsible for advancing initiatives and outreach efforts on the company’s behalf and focused on company efforts to positively influence global warming issues and advance new infrastructure development.

Gutierrez also served as director of Regulatory Compliance for SCE where her responsibilities included company efforts to comply with regulatory decisions, as well as compliance with affiliate transaction rules. She worked as a manager and lobbyist for SCE in San Francisco focusing on issues related to low-income customers, safety, customer service, and the environment, and in Washington, D.C. on matters related to California’s electricity crisis and EIX low-income housing and infrastructure investments.

Before joining SCE, Gutierrez worked on the staffs of Los Angeles City Councilmember Jackie Goldberg and Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina. She practiced law as a civil rights attorney with Litt and Associates, where she focused on cases involving police abuse, housing discrimination, and employment discrimination.

Gutierrez earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Princeton University and a law degree from University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.

Financial Education Advocate, Entrepreneur, and Financial Planner, Denise M. Zapata is one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Denise M. Zapata 

Denise M. Zapata has been doing Financial Planning for over 11 years.  She has received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Riverside in 2001.

Her career began with an internship at American Express Financial Services.  She committed her life to helping others and decided to receive her own licenses in order to become a Financial Planner.  Hard work and a commitment to helping every client to reach their goals and dreams have helped her establish her reputation in the Financial Services sector.  She is the Owner and President of Zapata Private Wealth Management and Sparta Financial Solutions.  Zapata Private Wealth Management allows Denise to continue helping her private clients reach financial freedom.  Due to her experience and success, she established Sparta Financial Solutions to help other individuals like herself, as well as other financial institutions (credit unions and banks) brand their financial services department or start one from the ground up with her guidance.

Denise M. Zapata

Aside from her business endeavors, she is a board member and treasurer for Latino Network in Riverside. She has been recently accepted to the HOPE Leadership Institute. She is also the founder of Pregunta/Ask, an organization that promotes financial literacy to universities, schools and other community centers.  She has been a guest speaker at UC Riverside, RCC, among other schools and community centers.  She was recently the recipient of “Celebracion de La Mujers”, a distinguished award for “demonstrating leadership and commitment to the community”.  She has also begun her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Change through Fielding Graduate University. Although she has a passion for community involvement, her priority is her family.  She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 9 years and has 4 beautiful children:  Victoria 8, Jessica 5, Sergio 3 and Daniel 1.

Community Advocate, Business Leader, Susan Sifuentes Trigueros is one of Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2013 Latinas of Influence.

Hispanic Lifestyle will be hosting a Latinas of Influence Reception on April 3, 2013 in Ontario, California. The public is invited to attend, but you need to make a reservation.

Follow all of our 2013 Latinas of Influence on twitter with the tag #hltv2013

About our Latina of Influence – Susan Sifuentes Trigueros

Susan Sifuentes Trigueros is a regional corporate leader with a long history of advocating for Latinas and the Latino community. She is a highly respected Government & Public Relations professional with over twenty years of experience in corporate, governmental, community and media relations. Susan joined Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) in 1982 and eventually became one of the first Latinas in the External Government Affairs department.

Susan Sifuentes Trigueros
Regional Public Affairs Mgr.
Southern California Gas Co.

Susan is currently the Regional Public Affairs Manager managing 9 staff members responsible for government relations, charitable community giving and media strategies for the SoCalGas region of Los Angeles County. Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to over 20 million consumers in more than 500 communities encompassing approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.

Some of Susan’s professional and personal highlights supporting the Latino community are a result of her service to numerous significant organizations as a hands on leader which include the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO); MALDEF the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. MALDEF is often described as the “law firm of the Latino community”; TELACU a pioneering institution committed to service, empowerment, advancement and the creation of economic self-sufficiency within the Latino & other minority communities; the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) which provides socio-economic betterment opportunities & preserves the values and heritage of the Mexican American culture; the Southwest Voters Registration Project; her alumni the University of Southern California (USC) Latino Alumni Association and HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality)

During Susan’s tenure as President of HOPE the organization hired its first full-time executive director and launched the HOPE Leadership Institute which to date has graduated over 400 Latina civic leaders and the founded the “Youth Leadership through Literacy Program”.

Susan spearheaded HOPE’s “Corporate Track” a work that brought a brightly lit focus to the status & successes of Latinas in Corporate America.

Susan served as Chair of the USC Latino Alumni Association and was instrumental in raising approximately 2 million dollars of the goal to establish a permanent 5 million dollar endowment.

Susan is proud of receiving the Corporate Award for her support of the mentoring program “Girls Today, Women Tomorrow” which empowers girls to create their own opportunities for life success through actively contributing to their community.

Susan and her husband Mario are the proud parents of seven children and three grandchildren.