Program #5129 – Southern California Leaders

Hispanic Lifestyle spent an afternoon talking with Latino professionals about their career and community involvement. First to speak with us is Mr. Peter Villegas, First Vice President, Office of Corporate Responsibility with JP Morgan Chase Bank. Mr. Villegas began our conversation by talking being Latino professional in Southern California.

Active in several business associations in Orange County’s Santa Ana area, Teresa Saldivar, of Teresa’s Jewelers gave Hispanic Lifestyle her insights into the current retail climate small businesses are experiencing.

Teresa Saldivar, a Santa Ana native, graduated Santa Ana College and attended California State University at Long Beach. In 1985, after ten years of working in the jewelry industry, Teresa became the first Latina gemologist to own a jewelry store in California. Along with her sister, Patricia, Teresa’s Jewelers has been in the same location at the heart of Downtown Santa Ana for almost 25 years!
For her enthusiastic dedication, as a community leader and for her accomplishments as an entrepreneur, Ms. Saldivar has received several recognitions, which include Small Business of the Year awards from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.

Having received his appointment by the Governor of the state of California, we asked Henry Mendoza about his agenda as new Cal State Trustee board member.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed CSUF graduate Henry Mendoza, managing partner of Mendoza, Berger & Company, as a member of the California State University Board of Trustees.
Mendoza replaces Moctesuma Esparza, who stepped down from his position on the board in May. Mendoza will complete Esparza’s term, which ends in March. Should he be reappointed then, the Senate Rules committee would need to confirm the appointment, CSU officials said.
“I’m honored,” Mendoza said about his appointment. “I’ve come full circle — from immigrant parents, my father was a migrant worker, to going through the Cal State system and now helping to run it. Hopefully, my experience and insights can help the CSU system. I think I can add my perspective as a business leader as well because I understand the workforce issue.”
Mendoza received his bachelor’s degree in business administration-accounting in 1981. The 48-year-old businessman is chairman of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

He lives in San Clemente with his wife, Rosa, and their 9-year-old daughter Sofia and 6-year-old daughter Isabella.

In this segment we meet a community leader that has blazed his own trail in becoming a Latino of influence in Orange County. Alfredo M. Amezcua, Chairman of the Board, is a Santa Ana native who has practiced law in Santa Ana as the Law Office of Alfredo Amezcua & Associates since 1990. In 2005, he was elected President, Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees. He is active in numerous Santa Ana civic and professional groups, including Executive Member, Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce; Chairman, Latino-Jewish Round Table Association;