Summit Speakers

The Summit brought to San Antonio some of the most prominent scholars and practitioners in the field of microfinance, entrepreneurship and economics for a series of addresses and panel discussions.

Keynote Speaker
Ben S. Bernanke, Ph.D.
Chairman, The Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve

Dr. Bernanke was sworn in as the 14th Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in early 2006, after President George W. Bush nominated him for the post. The Senate confirmed the appointment with a voice vote, putting him at the head of the country's central banking system until 2010. He will continue to affect American economic policies until 2020, when his 14-year term as Board Member comes to an end. The author of numerous books and textbooks regarding macroeconomics and monetary policy, Dr. Bernanke has also served as Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) from 2005-2006 and Editor of the American Economic Review. He has taught at universities across the nation, including Princeton, Stanford, New York University and the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT). He graduated from Harvard University in 1975 summa cum laude with a degree in Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from MIT four years later.

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Anna Escobedo Cabral
Treasurer of the United States

Anna Escobedo Cabral was nominated on July 22, 2004, by President Bush to serve as Treasurer of the United States.  She was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 20, 2004.  Immediately prior to taking this office, Ms. Cabral served as Director of the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Latino Initiatives, where she led a pan-institutional effort to improve Latino representation in exhibits.  From 1999 to 2003, Ms. Cabral served as President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC.  Under her leadership, the organization published a best practices series, and instituted a partnership with Harvard Business School to provide executive training programs in Corporate Governance Best Practices to community leaders. A native of California, Ms. Cabral majored in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, and earned a Master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in international trade and finance from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Lynda de la Viña, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio

Dr. de la Viña has served as Dean of the UTSA College of Business since 2004. She also serves as Executive Director of the University’s Center for Global Entrepreneurship and is the Peter Flawn Professor of Economics. The first Mexican-American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in Economics, Dr. de la Viña graduated from Rice University before becoming a presidential appointee to the U.S. Department of Treasury. She was the first Mexican-American woman appointed to a secretary-level position in the Federal Government, serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy. During this time she put small business development and U.S.-Mexico border development in the capital’s spotlight and oversaw the CDFI Fund, which supports microlending in the U.S.  She previously served as Dean at John Hopkins University and was a senior policy advisor for the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

Robert Annibale
Global Director of Microfinance, Citi

Since becoming the Global Director of Microfinance for Citi in 2004, Mr. Annibale has become one of the leading names in the field of microcredit in this country and abroad. He has led Citibank in forming strong financial partnerships with institutions that serve underprivileged communities through banking and lending services. He also represents Citigroup on the Microfinance Network – a global association of microfinance institutions – as well as on the Board of Microfinance Information Exchange and the Council of Microfinance Equity Funds.  In addition to his work with Citibank, Mr. Annibale has served in the United Kingdom’s Africa policy initiatives at the government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He has also been a member of the Boards of the University of London, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and Oxford University's St. Anthony's College. He graduated from Vassar College with a degree in History and Political Science before receiving a Masters in African History from the University of London.

Michael Barrera
President & CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Michael L. Barrera was named President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on June 19, 2005, following an extensive nationwide search.  Barrera is an accomplished lawyer and business leader with strong Federal Government experience, extensive Hispanic Chamber experience, a corporate background, proven credentials in managing national programs and a well-cultivated entrepreneurial spirit.  Prior to his selection, Mr. Barrera was the National Ombudsman for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) having been appointed to the position by President Bush in 2001. In his role, Mr. Barrera led the national effort on behalf of the country's small businesses to ensure fairness in the enforcement of Federal regulations. In addition to being National Ombudsman, Mr. Barrera also spearheaded the Office of Capital Access, which oversees a $76 billion dollar loan portfolio, the Office of Government Contracting/Business Development, the Office of Entrepreneurial Development and, the SBA's highly successful Business Matchmaking contracting program.  A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Barrera received his law degree from the University of Texas School Of Law and a bachelor's degree from Kansas State University.

Mark Pinsky
President & CEO, Opportunity Finance Network

Mark Pinsky is President & Chief Executive Officer of the Opportunity Finance Network. He is leading the organization toward its goal of creating a high-impact, high-volume financing system providing tens of billions of dollars annually benefiting millions of low-income and low-wealth people.  Mr. Pinsky joined Opportunity Finance Network in February 1995. Under his leadership, the organization has introduced several innovative products [the Equity Equivalent investment, the CDFI Assessment and Ratings System™ (CARS™), and performance-based financing]. During that time, the CDFI industry has grown ten-fold while Opportunity Finance Network has expanded membership 300% and assets more than 700%.  Mr. Pinsky is primarily responsible for Opportunity Finance Network's vision and strategy. He speaks often and to diverse audiences about the past, present, and future of the opportunity finance field. He has published five books and many articles.  In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Pinsky to the CDFI Fund Advisory Board in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He also currently serves on several national boards, including the CDFI Data Project (which he chairs) and the CDFI Coalition, as well as advisory boards to the Center for Community Development Investments at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and several New Market Tax Credit community development entities.

Elaine Edgcomb
Director, FIELD The Aspen Institute

Elaine Edgcomb has been Director of the Aspen Institute microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination (FIELD) since 1998. She co-authored, with Joyce Klein, Opening Opportunities, Building Ownership: Fulfilling the Promise of Microenterprise in the U.S. (2005), an examination of the state of the U.S. microenterprise industry after its first 20 years.  She has also authored or co-authored numerous other publications for FIELD, including Scaling up Microenterprise Services, The Informal Economy: Latino Enterprises at the Margins and The Informal Economy: Making It In Rural America, and Improving Microenterprise Training and Technical Assistance.  Ms. Edgcomb is also the author and editor of works on evaluation practice, institutional development, financial analysis, and on microenterprise strategies implemented both internationally and in the United States. Previously, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network, an association of more than 50 U.S. and Canadian nonprofit organizations that support small business and microenterprise development in the developing world.  Ms. Edgcomb serves or has served on the Board of Directors of the SEEP Network, Pro Mujer International and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity.  She holds a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in History and Spanish from Seton Hall University.

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Dan Betancourt
Board Chair, Association for Enterprise Opportunity

Daniel Betancourt has over fifteen years experience in microenterprise and small business development.  He serves as the Chair of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Board of Directors, the national leadership association for microenterprise.  Mr. Betancourt is very active in microenterprise in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Pennsylvania MicroEnterprise Coalition and co-chairs its Strategic Planning Committee.  He is also the President and CEO of Community First Fund, a Pennsylvania regional CDFI. Under Mr. Betancourt’s leadership CFF has grown to be a very successful opportunity finance organization.  During the last fiscal year, Community First Fund made 95 loans totaling over $5.2 million and brought the total capital under management to over $15 million.  Mr. Betancourt serves on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Advisory Board, is a member of the Pennsylvania Microenterprise Coalition.  In 2003 he was named one of the “Top Forty Under Forty Business Leaders” in Central Pennsylvania by the prestigious Central Penn Business Journal.  In 2004 he received the PA Latino Pride Award for Economic Development from the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs.  In 2005, he received the Eastern Pennsylvania Minority Small Business Champion of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Mr. Betancourt was also a finalist in the “Nonprofit Leadership Excellence” category of Central Penn Business Journal’s 2007 Nonprofit Innovation Award. 

John A. Herrera
Board President & Cofounder, Latino Community Credit Union
Senior Vice President, Self-Help 

Under Mr. Herrera’s direction, the Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) has become a national banking model for new immigrants.  LCCU provides accessible and affordable homeownership, retail consumer services, and peer financial education to new immigrants and all its owner-members.  LCCU has become one of the fastest growing credit unions in the US, currently serving over 52,000 owner-members in seven years.  Herrera is a tireless advocate for unbanked citizens of the global economy.  He has testified several times before the U.S. Congress on key issues that impact immigrants’ access to financial institutions.  In 2003 Herrera became the recipient of the Dwight Eisenhower Fellowship.  He is the first U.S. fellow to visit Mexico and do research on issues of economic development and transnational migration.  Herrera currently serves on the Economic Development Policy and US Immigration Committees of the National League of Cities. He is an appointed member of the State of North Carolina Credit Union Commission.

Meizhu Lui
Executive Director, United for a Fair Economy (UFE)

Under Ms. Lui’s leadership, UFE has honed its messages and broadened its reach, tapping into the concerns of grassroots constituencies, including those who do not speak English as their first language.  She co-authored The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the Racial Wealth Divide, and UFE’s annual “State of the Dream” reports. Her articles appear in the Wealth Inequality Reader and Inequality Matters. Ms. Lui was a Boston City Hospital kitchen worker for 20 years, rising from the ranks to become President of AFSCME Local 1489. The local tackled tough issues like maintaining affirmative action gains during lay-offs. In 1993 Meizhu became an organizer for Health Care For All, building a multi-ethnic coalition that challenged Boston’s hospitals to fund community driven health projects.  Meizhu serves on the Center for American Progress’ National Initiative to End Poverty. She is a Trustee of the Hyams Foundation. Her work has been honored by the YWCA, the Immigrant Workers’ Resource Center, Mass Senior Action Council, and the Boston Women’s Fund.

Mike Villarreal
Texas House of Representatives

The residents of District 123 have elected State Rep. Mike Villarreal to serve his fifth term in the Texas House of Representatives.  He is the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Pensions and Investments and also serves on the House Committee on Local Government Ways and Means.  Villarreal currently works for SAMCO Capitol Markets in San Antonio, and specializes in municipal finance.  He also teaches political science as an adjunct professor at St. Mary's University.  He has worked as a research analyst for JP Morgan Securities, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and Hausrath Economics Group.  He has been honored as a Woodrow Wilson Policy Fellow, an American Economic Association Research Fellow and a Research Fellow at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.  Rep. Villarreal earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1993 at Texas A&M University.  He continued studying economics at MIT and Harvard, and earned a Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 1996.

Jack A. Litzenberg
Senior Program Officer, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Mr. Litzenberg is a Senior Program Officer at the Mott Foundation, responsible for program development and grantmaking activities in workforce development.  He also mentors other Poverty team staff on grantmaking and portfolio management, and serves as underwriter for the Foundation’s program-related investments.  Mr. Litzenberg’s past microenterprise work is considered to have influenced the efforts of at least three federal agencies.  He is recognized as one of the early strategists on sectoral employment development.  In 1994, Mr. Litzenberg received the Council of Foundations’ Robert W. Scrivner Award for innovation and creativity in grantmaking, the highest award bestowed by the Council on a grantmaker.

Kenneth Olson
Vice President Remote SVS, Citibank
Board Chair, ACCION Texas

Ken Olson has been with Citigroup for 21 years. He is currently the Director of Remote Services for the USCC. Prior to this position, he was responsible for migrating and managing call centers for PFS and SSB into the USCC. Mr. Olson started with Citigroup in 1981 as a Financial Analyst for Bankcards Credit. In 1987, he moved to the Treasury of Citicorp Mortgage and subsequently to servicing. Mr. Olson joined the USCC as the Finance Director in 1994 and transferred to customer service in 1997. Prior to joining Citigroup, he was employed by Ernst and Young, CPAs, in their audit department. 

Ted Terrazas
Chairman & CEO, TerraHealth Inc.
Board Member, ACCION Texas

Ted Terrazas is founder and Chairman of TerraHealth Inc. (THI), established and incorporated in 2001.  THI provides Medical and IT support services to the Government.  The services include Medical Operations and Staffing, Information Technology Solutions, Consulting, and War Fighter Support Services.  Mr. Terrazas is retired from the Air Force, where he served as a Medical Services Corps Officer.  He has a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Montana State University at Bozeman, and a Master’s in Hospital Administration from Chapman University, Orange, California.

R. Terry Bell
President, The Rockwell Fund

As president of the Rockwell Fund, Mr. Bell has helped underprivileged families and communities in Texas on their paths to economic and social stability. The Rockwell Fund is a private foundation that supports a variety of charities, mostly located in the environs of Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.  The Fund’s special emphases are on education, human services and public health.  The Rockwell Fund has been a generous supporter of ACCION Texas’ microlending services in the Houston area.

Tracy Kartye
Social Investment Analyst, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Ms. Kartye is a key member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Social Investment team.  The Foundation is a private charitable organization whose principal mission is to help build better futures for disadvantaged children and families.  As the Social Investment Analyst, Ms. Kartye is involved in all aspects of the social investment portfolio including managing the Mission-Related Deposit program as well as conducting financial analysis and due diligence on the Program Related Investments.  Ms. Kartye has a strong background in community and economic development.  Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Kartye was an Assistant Program Officer in the Local Initiatives Support Corporation-Houston office.  In this position, she managed organizational development and project related trainings for Houston area Community Development Corporations; and provided organizational development assistance to small and emerging CDCs.  In addition, Ms. Kartye has worked for the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn, New York where she focused on building the capacity of the Restoration Capital Fund, a community development financial institution; coordinated trainings; and provided technical assistance to local entrepreneurs.  Tracy has a Masters in Urban Planning from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College. 

Victor Azios
Senior Fellow, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Making Connections San Antonio

Mr. Azios serves as the team leader for the San Antonio Making Connections site. He spends most days making connections with community stakeholders, prodding engagement and involvement, and forming partnerships to promote strong families and neighborhoods.  “My most important work is about helping people to participate and getting their voice into the decision-making process.” He is also responsible for developing relationships and building partnerships with Latino, early childhood, and substance organizations at the national level. Mr. Azios entered the human services field more than twenty-five years ago  when he began a position in the Galveston Independent School District as the Lead Social Worker. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in clinical practice with youth and families, served in administrative and supervisory roles for over 14 years, and taught college and graduate level courses in group dynamics, family systems, and social work. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Azios worked for Casey Family Program as the Director of the San Antonio Division. He holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Houston and his MSW in Social Casework from Boston College. 

Janie Barrera
President & CEO, ACCION Texas

Ms. Barrera is Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of ACCION Texas. ACCION Texas began in 1994 and now has the largest microloan portfolio in the United States.  Ms. Barrera began her career as Director of Telecommunications for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1977. There, she helped form the area's first nonprofit radio stations, KLUX and KHOY, as well as two television production studios.  After completion of her MBA from the University of the Incarnate Word, the Corpus Christi native remained in San Antonio.  In 1989, Ms. Barrera was hired as the Marketing Director for the U.S. Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation Division headquartered in San Antonio.  Ms. Barrera has received recognition for her accomplishments including the Small Business Administration Financial Services Advocate of the Year, the Minority Enterprise Development Consortium's Corporate Advocate of the Year, and in 2007 was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.  She was also recently listed by the San Antonio Business Journal as one of “Twenty Defining Players: People Who Have Helped Shape the City.”  Ms. Barrera has served on many national, state and local boards including the Federal Reserve Board’s National Consumer Advisory Council.

Paul Quintero
Interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, ACCION New York and New Jersey

Prior to joining ACCION New York and New Jersey as the Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Quintero served as Senior Vice President of Business Investments at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ).  During his tenure, he successfully closed over $25 million in direct investments and $57 million in triple-tax exempt financings for community development projects.  Mr. Quintero has also served as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers, where he worked in the Global Communication and Media Group within the investment banking division.  Mr. Quintero began his investment banking career with Chase Securities (now JPMorgan Chase) where he coordinated and managed syndicated loan financings and merger and acquisition transactions for both domestic and Latin American clients across a range of industries.  With experience forging public-private partnerships, Mr. Quintero has worked with ACCION New York to create the largest microloan fund in New York State history.  Mr. Quintero completed his MBA at the Columbia University School of Business.

Anne Haines Yaskowitz
President & CEO, ACCION New Mexico

Anne co-founded ACCION New Mexico in 1994. As president, she is responsible for overall program oversight, staff supervision, fiscal management and board development, among other duties.  Prior to founding ACCION New Mexico, Ms. Yaskowitz served as the marketing and program director for the Micro Industry Credit Rural Organization of Project PPEP in Arizona.  Among the many honors she has received, the New Mexico Business Weekly named Ms. Yaskowitz among the state's top ten Women of Influence in 2006 and one of the state's top Power Brokers in 2005. She is a past recipient of the Minority Business Advocate of the Year Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for an 11-state region. She was also named the U.S. Small Business Administration's Financial Services Advocate of the Year in 1996.  Ms. Yaskowitz received her bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and a master's degree in management from the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University in Oregon.

Jon Hockenyos
President, Texas Perspectives, Inc. (TXP)

Mr. Hockenyos is the founder and president of TXP, an economic analysis and public policy consulting firm based in Austin. An entrepreneur, he founded TXP while attending the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin in 1987.  Since then, Mr. Hockenyos has become a nationally renowned authority in the fields of economics and public policy, often serving as an expert witness for city councils, state legislatures, and the U.S. Congress. In 2005, TXP completed an economic impact study for ACCION Texas, determining that the cumulative economic effect of ACCION Texas’ lending activities have substantially broadened the landscape of the state’s economy since 1994.

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Regina Montoya
Chief Executive Officer, New America Alliance

New America Alliance, an American Latino Business Initiative, comprised of the nation’s most prominent Latino business leaders.  Ms. Montoya is a Harvard-trained attorney who was one of the first Latinas to earn partnership in a major law firm in the United States.  She is one of a handful of Latinas serving on a Fortune 500 Board of Directors and is a member of the Board of Directors of Washington Mutual.  In 1998, Ms. Montoya was nominated by the President to serve as the U.S. Representative to the Fifty-third Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.  In 1993, she served in the White House as an Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In 2007, Ms. Montoya was named by Hispanic Enterprise Magazine as one of the Top 20 Leading Latinas in Business. Among her other awards, she has been named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the US. Ms. Montoya earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

J. Reymundo Ocañas
Community Relations Executive – Western Region, Wachovia

Mr. Ocañas provides executive leadership to the Western Region (California, Nevada, Arizona) Community Relations at Wachovia Bank. The Community Relations department includes Wachovia’s philantrophic and employee volunteerism programs, community development, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance and statewide/local community partnerships. Mr. Ocañas holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rice University and a M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.  He also serves as a board member at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Texas Mezzanine Fund, North Texas Housing Coalition; and as an advisory borad member to Hosuing Texas!  and  the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations. In addition, Mr. Ocañas also served as the Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations for seven years.

Madge Vásquez
Community Development Officer - Central Texas, Wachovia Bank

Ms. Vásquez holds a B.A. in International Studies from Southwestern University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs.  In 1995, she served as a Fulbright Scholar in El Salvador, where she worked with non-governmental organizations and women’s groups on issues related to economic development and post-war civic participation.  Ms. Vásquez’s prior work experience includes: Equity Research Corporation in Washington, D.C., the National Center for Farmworker Health, the Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Corporations, the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations, Accenture, and PeopleFund in Austin.  She currently serves as an Advisory Committee Member for Accion Texas and is a board member for the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium, as well as the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries Board for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Raúl P. Lomelí-Azoubel
Director of Diverse Growth Segments, Wells Fargo-Central Texas

Prior to joining the Wells Fargo team in 2004, Mr. Lomelí-Azoubel was President of the Latino Education Achievement Project (LEAP) where he led two nationwide initiatives to promote financial literacy awareness. In 2003 he founded SABEResPODER™—an organization dedicated to assisting Spanish speaking consumers in the United States become more informed, confident, and active participants in American society.  He has served as Press and Public Affairs Attaché for the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles and as Director of Worldwide Affairs for the UCLA Program on Mexico.  Lomeli-Azoubel is actively involved in PROFMEX, a non-profit research organization. In PROFMEX he has conducted policy research and presented white papers on Microcredit Financing and Social Security Totalization topics to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Finance of Mexico.  He is an Executive Board member of the of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; serves on the Advisory Board for the Institute of Texan Cultures; is a member of the Board of Directors of Avenida Guadalupe Association (AGA); and recently helped create Our Pledge a new non-profit organization spearheaded by Henry Cisneros, Lionel Sosa and Tamar Jacoby. Raul is the co-author of a book on financial aid for higher education, and seven booklets on basic banking services, the U.S. Health Care System, and Telecommunications Services--with over five million copies distributed nationwide.  He was recognized in 2007 by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the “Corporate Business Advocate of the Year Award”.  Lomelí-Azoubel has a degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1997.

Lisa Montoya, PhD
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio

Dr. Montoya is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in Economics at the UTSA College of Business.  She is Faculty Director of the Latino Financial Issues Program (LFI), a year-long course of study and experiential learning on wealth and asset building in low income communities.  She earned a PhD in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from Arizona Sate University.  Dr. Montoya’s research and teaching interests are in community economic development, social entrepreneurship and microfinance. 

Henrietta Lynn Muñoz
UTSA Latino Financial Issues Program Scholar

Ms. Muñoz was born in New Braunfels, Texas to Henry and Juanita Muñoz, who were not only her first teachers of life but also her biggest supporters of her educational and professional career.  She graduated from New Braunfels High School, in New Braunfels, Texas.  Her B.A. is in Anthropology and Political Science, with a minor in Women’s Studies from Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas.  Her Master’s is in Bilingual Bicultural Studies, with a focus on Bicultural Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio.  And, she is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the program Culture, Literacy, and Language, specializing in Financial Literacy, from the University of Texas at San Antonio.  Since high school, Ms. Muñoz has been an advocate of various initiatives ranging from better public services from her local New Braunfels City Council, children’s health insurance, Latino higher education programs through the National Hispanic Institute, to financial education and access for marginalized communities.  Ms. Muñoz’s current scope of work involves working with the City of San Antonio, Department of Community Initiatives in the Family Economic Success division participating and organizing various research projects around financial fitness as well as being the designee Local Learning Partner for a number of grants; and she is involved in the Free Tax Preparation program with Catholic Charities.

Elvira Valles
Regional Director, ACCION Texas - El Paso

As regional director and senior loan officer with ACCION Texas, Ms. Valles assists micro-entrepreneurs in gaining access to credit and business support services that are not available from the commercial banking sector.  In her commitment to assist small business owners and advance small business interests, Ms. Valles has been recognized as a high performance loan officer and recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award.  She was selected as 2004 Financial Services Champion of the Year by the El Paso Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration for her accomplishments in assisting small businesses in obtaining financing, increasing the availability of financial services and advancing small business interests.  She has also been recognized for conducting a successful IDA program in economically distressed areas – the colonias of the El Paso border region – and educating borrowers in financial literacy and financial management skills.  Ms. Valles holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Gary Lindner
Chief Operating Officer , ACCION Texas

Mr. Lindner has  of 30 years of highly successful leadership, management, and fundraising experience. With his arrival at ACCION Texas in 2004, he introduced proven business practices that have resulted in more than doubling the loan portfolio in three years, and at the same time reduced loan delinquencies, charge offs and restructures to all time lows.  He also had ACCION Texas certified as an SBA 504 loan provider and home mortgage originator. Prior to joining ACCION Texas, he was a senior vice president for Southwest Business Corporation. An Air Force Academy graduate and career Air Force officer, he is a command pilot and highly decorated combat veteran. As an Air Force base commander, he was awarded the Secretary of the Air Force Installation Excellence award for the best base in the US Air Force. He retired with the rank of Colonel. Mr. Lindner earned a masters degree from Auburn University and has served on numerous civic and non-profit boards.

Jordana Barton
Vice-President for Development and Communications, ACCION Texas

Ms. Barton leads the fundraising and communication efforts at ACCION Texas. She also serves as the National Director of ACCION Texas' Latino Financial Issues Program, a university-community program she co-founded that promotes financial and business literacy, entrepreneurship, and asset building in low to moderate income communities. In 2007 Ms. Barton received the Maria Padilla-Orasel Award for Promising Women in Microfinance from the Association for Enterprise Opportunity. She holds an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her areas of expertise include fundraising, economic development policy, microfinance, negotiation, and strategic partnerships.