GEORGE HERRERA
President & Chief Executive Officer
Herrera-Cristina Group, Ltd.

George Herrera is the founder and President & CEO of the Herrera-Cristina Group, Ltd, a Hispanic-owned, multidisciplinary management firm, specializing in marketing, communications, corporate diversity, public affairs, event planning, and research. Founded in 2003, with offices in New York City and Washington, DC, the Herrera-Cristina Group has an impressive roster consisting of Fortune 100 companies and national organizations as clients. Mr. Herrera also serves an as Independent Director of the Board of the Cendant Corporation, replacing former Secretary of Defense the Honorable William S. Cohen.

Prior to this, Mr. Herrera was President & Chief Executive Officer of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a position he was elected to in August of 1998. As head of the USHCC, Mr. Herrera was primarily responsible for communicating the interest of over 1.5 million Hispanic-owned businesses across the country to both the private and public sectors, and addressing critical economic issues that impact Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Under Mr. Herrera’s tutelage, the USHCC earned a national reputation for innovative and quality services through sound operational and administrative management, and for hiring and retaining a staff of talented professionals who are highly regarded in their fields. Mr. Herrera assembled a staff compromised of specialists with broad experience in obtaining analytical, statistical, financial and human resources for the many kind of institutions involved in chamber development, including private sector investment institutions, entrepreneurs, community based entities, and governmental finance institutions.

Mr. Herrera is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of economic development and minority business development. His specialization includes: commercial revitalization, innovative linkages between training and economic development, community reinvestment, community development finance institutions, minority business initiatives and policy and legislative issues of concern to government, community-based organizations and foundations. He has authored many articles on economic development legislation and policy as well as monographs and pamphlets on issues of concern to those involved in the economic development process. Mr. Herrera has also lectured on a wide variety of topics relative to community reinvestment, community and economic development, and minority business development.

Major Accomplishments:

• Appointed to the Board of Directors of the Cendant Corporation, the world’s largest provider of real estate and travel services. With over 90,000 employees, Cendant provides these services to businesses and consumers in over 100 countries.
• Creator of the national syndicated television show “Hispanics Today”, which is seen on NBC, CBS and ABC networks throughout the United States. Viewed by over 30 million viewers weekly, Hispanics Today showcases the accomplishments of Hispanics in business, politics, sports and entertainment. As a result of its popularity and consistent ratings success since its inception in 1999, Hispanics Today spawned from a monthly television show (1999) into a weekly, syndicated news-magazine series, in 2001.
• Inducted as a Fellow, The Wharton Society of Fellows, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
• Member, Secretary’s Committee on 21st Century Workforce, President’s Council on the 21st Century Workforce. Appointed by Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao.
• Chair, Advisory Committee, U.S. Hispanic Congressional Caucus, Corporate America Task Force.
• Secured the initial $15 million investment ($10 million Verizon and $5 million Bank One), into the USHCC sponsored private equity fund Hispania Capital Partners. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois at the offices of Duff & Phelps, Hispania Capital Partners is the first-ever Hispanic oriented fund to receive a Small Business Investment Corporation License, from the U.S Small Business Administration. The fund is currently capitalized at approximately $100 million.
• Established the Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund. Through a collaborative partnership with Wells Fargo Bank and Latina Style Magazine, the fund provides scholarships to Latina entrepreneurs to grow and expand their business enterprises. The fund has provided over $100,000 in scholarships its first two years.
• Established the USHCC Procurement Council. The Council consists of 40 procurement representatives from Fortune 100 Corporations. The Council was established to educate, provide guidance and develop strategies that advance the level of procurement opportunities for Hispanics business within Corporate America.
• Negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding between the USHCC and the Airport Minority Advisory Council to aid in the progression of business opportunities, professional development and career advancement for minorities in the transit industry.
• In 1995, negotiated in conjunction with the Bank of America Illinois Community Development Corporation (BAI-CDC), a Memorandum of Understanding to increase capital and technical assistance to Chicago’s minority-owned firms. The initiative was part of Bank of America’s plan to invest $1 billion in community development programs over a five-year period.
• On July 12, 1993, testified before The U.S House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer and Monetary Affairs. Mr. Herrera provided remarks on the status of federal programs geared towards providing assistance to minority business enterprises. His testimony also included recommendations on new initiatives to enhance the federal delivery system for minority business development.
• In 1992, testified before The United States Commission on Minority Business Development. Mr. Herrera provided remarks on issues and concerns which most critically affect the viability and growth potential of historically underutilized business. He explored the impact of theses issues and offered recommendations in the following areas: Capital Ownership Development (8 (A) Program), access to capital, subcontracting, certification, entrepreneurial development, international trade, and the need for an independent federal assessment body on minority business development.

Prior to joining the USHCC, Mr. Herrera served as President of David J. Burgos & Associates, Inc., where for 17 years he led and witnessed first-hand, the overwhelming growth and success of Hispanic entrepreneurs in the United States.

Under his leadership, Burgos evolved into the largest Hispanic-owned management and financial consulting firm in America. Employing 95 individuals, Burgos successfully completed over 100 government contracts valued at over $60 million. The company included among its clients the U.S Department of Commerce, U.S Small Business Administration, U.S Department of Energy, Illinois Department of Transportation, City Colleges of Chicago, New York State Department of Transportation and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.

Leadership creates recognition and Mr. Herrera is the recipient of numerous awards and appointments. Among them:

• Recipient of the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award by the National Association of Minorities in Cable (NAMIC) (2003).
• Recipient of the Cesar Chavez Community Service Award by Minorities in Business Magazine, Inc. (2003).
• Advisory Board, General Electric Center for Financial Learning. The Center for Financial Learning is the first uniquely objective, impartial web-based financial education resource for information on personal financial and life-event planning. The Advisory Board will uphold the level of excellence for GE’s Center for Financial Learning by ensuring the objectivity of all information provided on the site (2002).
• • Member, Board of Directors of Score Association “Counselors of America’s Small Business”. In this role, Mr. Herrera will help guide the national nonprofit’s strategic direction that supports America’s Small business through Business Counseling (2002).
• Named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of 30 future leaders for Economic Empowerment of minority communities (2000).
• Named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America by Hispanic Business Magazine (2002).
• Received the Graduated School and University Center-City University of New York Business Achievement Award (1990).
• Commissioner, 1990 Bi-County State Commission for Tax Relief on Long Island. As one of ten commissioners, Mr. Herrera was responsible for designing and developing a master plan to reduce the duplication of taxes on residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Long Island, New York.
• Member, 1990 New York State Assembly Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. The Task Force was responsible for reviewing issues affecting the Hispanic population of New York State (immigration, social services, economic development, housing and education).
• Delegate to the 1980 and 1986 White House Conference on Small Business. Drafted over 100 public policy recommendations submitted to Congress to enhance the growth and development of small business in America.
• Seven-year term as State Chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of New York State.
• 1980 and 1984 National Co-Chair Hispanics for Reagan-Bush campaign.
• 1986 National Co-Chair Hispanics for Bush-Quayle campaign.