Cynthia M. Sakulenzki

President/CEO

3313 N. McColl Rd.
McAllen, TX 78501
956-928-0060
956-928-0073 (f)
e-mail: cynthia@mhcc.net

Cynthia Moya Sakulenzki was raised in McAllen and attended UTPA. Her background has been in retail management, chamber administration and the hotel industry. She is the first Executive for the McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce commencing in February 2000. During her tenure, the MHCC has been recognized as state chamber 7 out of the past 8 years, and the MHCC has received 6 National Regional awards and been named National Chamber of the Year 3 times.

She is also an energy broker, managing her company, Lone Star Energy.

Cynthia has served on Boards of several organizations and currently is a member and/or Board member of the Rio Grande Valley Diabetes Association, Zonta, the UTPA International Women’s Board and the American Heart Association.

Brenda Huerta

Chairman

Community Relations Director
Univision Radio
200 S. 10th Street, Suite 600
McAllen, TX 78501
956-631-5499 (w)
956-631-0090 (f)
100351@univisionradio.com

Brenda Lee Huerta is a native Texan and serves as the Community Relations Director for Univision Radio (KGBT-FM/KBTQ-FM/KGBT-AM) in the Rio Grande Valley. Her background is in media, politics, and the military beginning with radio at the age of 5 and television and politics in her teens. Brenda has continued her ties to television, radio, and the print media throughout her life, even when she worked in government in different capacities, including work with a U.S. Senator, a Texas Governor, the Texas Legislature, and the Texas Army National Guard. She serves on several local, state and national boards and commissions, as an officer and in an advisory capacity.

Hari K. Namboodiri

Chair Elect

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Health Options International
www.healthoptionsinternational.com

Owner, Curves of McAllen
400 Nolana St.,Suite A-3
McAllen, TX 78504

Administrator
Las Palmas Health Care Center
1301 E Quebec
McAllen, TX 78503

Mr. Namboodiri has a professional track record of 16 years with experience in Human Resource Management, Health Care, Administration, Public Relations and Marketing. He has degrees that include MA, B.Ed., LLB, and DIM. He holds two Texas state licenses that include Licensed Nursing Facility Administrator and Licensed Master Social Worker. In addition to serving on the MHCC board, also serves on the boards of the local American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.

Hari says, "I am very proud of being the recipient of numerous awards including a management award during my tenure at a facility in McAllen that won the Favorite Nursing Home Award two consecutive years. Under my watch, we also received the National Quality Excellence Award from the American Health Care Association, the first time the award had ever been awarded to a South Texas facility."

David N. Calvillo, CPA

Legal Counsel

Calvillo Law Firm
711 Nolana Loop, Suite 105
McAllen, Texas 78504
956-664-1000
david@calvillolaw.com
www.calvillolaw.com

David is a board-certified civil trial lawyer and is an experienced bilingual commercial mediator and trained in international and commercial arbitrations. David also possesses experience and training with the world's largest public accounting firms. As such, he counsels and represents business individuals and enterprises in legal matters and disputes.

Adelita Figueroa-Munoz

Vice Chair of Education

Mrs. Figueroa-Munoz has worked extensively within what is now named the Texas AgriLife Extension Service under Texas A&M University as an Extension Agent. She has experience in training those with little or much education in topics such as ethics, people skills, communications, stress management, health, teamwork, strengthening families, marriage and parenting skills, as well as conflict resolution, mediation, and goal setting. Her passion for empowering people has been recognized at the local, state and national levels. Mrs. Figueroa-Munoz has served on several boards and commissions and is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the University of Texas-Pan American. Adelita is seeking the position of Vice Chair of Education, fully committed to increasing the educational opportunities available to both youth and adults – whether it be formal educational processes or education for daily living or daily business so that the MHCC can help them succeed.

Ruben Garza

Vice Chair of Public Relations

Roxanna M. Godinez

Vice Chair of Memberships

Ms. Godinez is accomplished in team building and project analysis/management and recognized for her resourcefulness in problem solving and trouble shooting. Ms. Godinez is currently the System Administrator – Business Development for South Texas Health System, developing outlying market areas to support the business development activities for STHS. With long-term experience in the health field, she has also been a small business owner, operating a healthcare industry-focused business, among others. She holds a Masters in Business Administration, Health Services Management. Ms. Godinez is currently serving in the position of Vice-Chair Membership, filling a vacant position on the board, and wishes to continue serving for a full-term. She has always taken on new opportunities and feels that she can develop this position to continue a strong membership for the MHCC with the services they deserve.

Beto Manrique

Vice Chair of International Trade

Lorenzo Olivarez, Jr., CPA, CHFP

Vice Chair of Finance

Mr. Olivarez currently serves as the South Texas Health System Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the financial management of the six member medical centers/hospitals and advising and supporting the Board of Directors, Administration and managers in financial matters. His experience in this field goes back many years, giving him the expertise in developing budgets and the analytical analysis and strategies for revenue and expense performance. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Healthcare Finance Profession, graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. He serves on several health-related boards. Mr. Olivarez, seeks to fill the position of Treasurer for the MHCC, bringing a wealth of experience in the financial field to continue the aggressive program of work of this chamber, while maintaining the financial integrity of the organization and growing the resources available to help the business community in the Rio Grande Valley.

Israel Rocha

Vice Chair of Governmental Affairs

Mr. Rocha has ten years of experience in government, non-profit and corporate sectors in the fields of public policy development, communications, marketing and brand management. He currently serves as the Director of Development/Partner with Phillips Properties, Ltd., managing and tracking the company's real estate development process with outside law firms, developers and other parties. His previous experience includes serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for a U.S. Congressman and directing the efforts for the South Texas Redistricting Task Force. In addition to his B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Science, he has completed Graduate courses in the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University in New York. Mr. Rocha is currently serving out a position left vacant, as the Vice-Chair Governmental Affairs and wishes to continue serving in this position with the MHCC to ensure that the Rio Grande Valley's voice is heard in Austin and Washington, for small businesses as well as the community, in general.

Gilma Salinas

Vice Chair of Women's Issues

Dr. John Thomas

Vice Chair of Small Business & Economic Develpoment

Dr. Thomas has a total of 25 years in senior management responsibility in industry, with vast experience, as well in Management Information Systems. He has served on the Boards of Directors for AT&T, Gateway Computer, Digital Equipment and Collins Foods and the CDBG for the City of McAllen. His aggressive track record in leadership and entrepreneurship includes many achievements. Dr. Thomas currently serves as the Director, Blue Thing Web Design, LLC, offering IT consulting, E-Commerce, Web Design and Manufacturing Software solutions throughout South Texas and Mexico. His PhD is in Computer Science and he is a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, as a Non-commissioned officer, in the military during the Vietnam era. Dr. Thomas, seeking to fill the position of Vice-Chair, International Trade, feels that his experience in working with different technologies will help small business members of the MHCC tap into opportunities in international trade, at the global level.

Alma Torres

Secretary