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RICARDO F. CORTEZ
Mayor, City of McAllen
Richard Cortez began his professional career in 1969 while working as a staff member for a local public accounting firm. Upon graduating from Pan American College in 1970, he took a senior staff accountant position with a local firm and pursued his public accounting career. In 1974 he was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant and has been practicing public accounting ever since.
He is a Senior Partner with the public accounting and management firm of Burton McCumber & Cortez, L.L.P. Presently, he is the partner in charge of his firm’s litigation support department. The firm provides a wide range of services including taxation, accounting, auditing, consulting services, technology consulting and financial services. His firm specializes in many areas including providing opinion audits for publicly traded companies, assessing and measuring damages in litigation. The firm has a significant practice in servicing the maquiladora industry in Northern Mexico. Mr. Cortez was elected Mayor of the City of McAllen, Texas on June 18, 2005.
Mayor Cortez has a long history of service to municipal, civic, and church organizations. He was Chairman of the Board of the Border Trade Alliance, which is a grass roots organization that lobbies federal governments in the United States, Canada and Mexico regarding trade issues. He is Past President of the McAllen Housing Finance Corporation. He is a past member of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, the economic development agency of McAllen. He is also a past member of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, the McAllen Community Development Council, the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, the McAllen International Museum, McAllen Boys and Girls Club and the University of Texas Pan American Business Council. He is the former Vice Chair of the McAllen Public Utilities Board, and he is Advisory Director of International Bank of Commerce—McAllen.
Mayor Cortez’s broad range of experience in business and government gives him a clear understanding of the challenges of business owners in our area and well as the educational needs of our Region.
Mayor Cortez was the first recipient of the Teddy Roosevelt Award for leadership given by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. He is being honored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association for his community service.
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JEANETTE L. BROWN
Director for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP)
Mrs. Jeanette L. Brown serves as the Director for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), formally known as the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As Director, Mrs. Brown is responsible for ensuring that small, disadvantaged, and women-owned firms are provided an equitable opportunity to receive a “fair share” of sub-agreements and contracts. OSBP develops policies and procedures to aid minority and small women-owned entities doing business with EPA. Additionally, OSBP is responsible for internal training programs to enhance the capabilities of socioeconomic firms in becoming more competitive and viable in the EPA procurement arena.
Prior to her current position, Mrs. Brown served as the Deputy Director of OSDBU and the Deputy Director of EPA’s Office of Acquisition Management. Prior to her tenure at EPA, Mrs. Brown served as the Director of the Office of Procurement and Grants Management and the Director of the Division of Program Development for the Minority Small Business Capital Ownership Development Program (more formally know as the 8(a) Program) at the Small Business Administration.
Mrs. Brown has more than 30 years of federal experience in various federal agencies, including the Navy Regional Contracting Center, the Navy Automatic Data Processing Selection Office, the Joint Cruise Missile Project/NAV AIR, the Small Business Administration, and EPA.
In 1980, Mrs. Brown graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She also attended graduate school at American University in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Brown began her career in 1978 as a Navy Cooperative Education (CO-OP) student.
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GISEL RUIZ
Wal-Mart
Gisel Ruiz began her career with Wal-Mart as a Management Trainee in 1992. She has served as an Assistant Manager, Co-Manager and Store Manager in field Operations. Her career continued to grow as she was promoted to serve as Labor Relations Manager. In 2001 she was promoted to Director of Personnel. She served as a Director of Personnel for 3 years, charged with managing the Human Resources operations for Wal-Mart stores across one-third of the U.S. In 2004 she promoted to an Operations Coordinator charged with co-leading a cross-functional team in developing the strategy and process for restructuring the mid and upper management levels of Wal-Mart Store Operations.
In 2006, Gisel was promoted to Vice President, Regional General Manager responsible for 150 Wal-Mart stores located in the Western Texas and New Mexico territory.
Gisel has been recognized for her ability as a leader and teacher of associates, by mentoring and helping to develop the careers of other Wal-Mart Associates. She is a member of LULAC and was elected to serve 2 terms as the Chairperson for the Wal-Mart Stores Home Office, Hispanic/Latino Associate Resource Group. In 2007 she named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the top 15 Elite Hispanic Women in Business.
Gisel has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Santa Clara University where she also completed their Retail Management Institute program.
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JUDGE J. D. SALINAS, III
HIDALGO COUNTY JUDGE
Judge J. D. Salinas was elected County Judge in Hidalgo County in 2006, leading one of the fastest growing, most dynamic areas of the state. He has worked diligently with his colleagues on the Commissioners' Court to promote economic development and improve transportation infrastructure. Judge Salinas is a graduate of Texas A&M University, with a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas – Pan American. Judge Salinas recently was appointed U.S. Co-Leader of the Gulf Coast Task Force by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - a binational task force addressing border environmental issues. Judge Salinas is an active member of the Conference of Urban Counties, the Texas Lyceum, the Alliance for I-69, the advisory board of the Texas Engineering Extension Service and the Texas Association of Counties. He also serves on the nominating committee of the South Texas County Judge's and Commissioner's Association. He began his career in public service in 1998 when he was elected Hidalgo County clerk. He helped modernize the office, earning a statewide reputation for innovation as he did so. He was voted Texas County Clerk of the Year in 2004, and Assistant Vice President of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association in 2008.
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JOVITA CARRANZA
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Jovita Carranza was sworn in Dec. 15, 2006, as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. President George W. Bush nominated her for the post and she was confirmed by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 9, 2006.
As Deputy Administrator, Carranza serves as second in command to Administrator Steven C. Preston. She helps to manage an agency with more than 80 field offices across the country and a portfolio of direct and guaranteed business loans, venture capital investments and disaster loans worth almost $80 billion. Carranza currently leads key operational improvement initiatives and projects designed to improve customer response.
Carranza brings to the SBA more than 30 years of successful corporate experience at UPS. Through her work with the small business community throughout her career, she has a keen understanding of this vital sector of the U.S. economy.
Carranza started at UPS in 1976 as a part-time, night-shift box handler in Los Angeles and worked her way up to vice president managing domestic operations and president of international operations for Latin America and the Caribbean. Most recently, she was vice president of air operations for the worldwide package-shipping company at its facility in Louisville, Ky., where she oversaw the cutting-edge automated package processing operation.
Carranza has also been extensively involved in community and civic activities. She has served as a board member for several national nonprofit organizations such as the National Center for Family Literacy and United Way. She also has been involved in the UPS Congressional Contact program, chaired corporate committees responsible for global strategies and has had experience with public speaking and advisory councils in multiple venues.
For her outstanding accomplishments throughout her career, Hispanic Business magazine named her Woman of the Year in 2004.
A native of Chicago, Carranza earned her MBA from the University of Miami (Fla). She also has received executive, management and financial training at the INSEAD Business School in Paris, France, the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago.
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© 2008 STBBCE 
