Our Team

Hon. Nelson A. Diaz

Chairman
Nelson A. Diaz served as a Judge for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1981 through 1993. The youngest judge appointed to the Court and the first Latino judge in Pennsylvania history, he was also appointed administrative judge by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where he saved the state millions » read more »

Luis J. Diaz, Esq.

President and CEO
Luis J. Diaz has over 20 years of extensive experience in a wide range of complex matters including intellectual property law, technology related joint ventures and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing, and government relations. Mr. Diaz provides legal and business counsel to business units in the United » read more »

Alex Garcia, RA, AICP

Vice Chairman & Chief Operations Officer
Mr. Garcia has over 30 years of experience in the fields of architecture and engineering. He holds two Master of Science degrees in the fields of urban design, urban planning and transportation engineering. He is the founding member of El Taller Colaborativo, PC (ETC), a prominent engineering and architectural firm » read more »

Graciela Diaz

Director & Chief Technology Officer
Ms. Diaz is a seasoned technology manager and entrepreneurial professional with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. She serves as Chief Technology Officer for Aztec Partners, LLC where she performs due diligence and oversees technology commercialization for potential portfolio companies that require technical assistance. Prior to joining » read more »

Hilda Rayas

Director & Secretary to Board of Directors
Hilda Rayas is a global executive with expertise in leadership strategic planning advocacy and management. She has over 25 years of documented success in global leadership, minority business advocacy and executive level management skills in the private and non-profit sector. She has had the opportunity to work both vertically and » read more »

Alfred Placeres, Esq.

Director
Alfred Placeres, founder and President of the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, is also one of the most prominent and respected Latino leaders in the United States. Mr. Placeres was born in Cuba. He is a well-known immigration lawyer and has been involved in Hispanic advocacy » read more »

Betty Manetta

Director
Born in Argentina , Betty grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Accounting from Rutgers University and holds a Masters Degree in International Studies from Seton Hall University. Additionally, she attended Thunderbird University's Corporate Education program, International Consortium, while employed with » read more »

Belarmino Suarez, CPA

Director
Mr. Suarez is a principal with the accounting firm of Mendoca & Suarez, LLC. He is directly responsible for numerous clients of the firm, with special emphasis in advertising, professional service organization, retailing, manufacturing and distribution industries. Mr. Suarez has significant experience in litigation support, mergers, acquisition, start-up businesses, and » read more »

Sam Delgado

Director
Samuel (Sam) Delgado is vice president - Community and Stakeholder Affairs for Verizon New Jersey. He is responsible for matters related to the company's external environment including community relations, urban and educational initiatives, and public relations. He is also responsible for local communications strategies and corporate philanthropy.

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Peg Lockwood

Managing Director, USHAA Services, LLC
Prior to joining USHAA Ms. Lockwood served as Executive Vice President and Officer of IDT Telecom. There, she restructured the prepaid business unit, created new strategy, product and distribution functions. Ms. Lockwood directed the acquisition of two companies and initiated an equity investment required for product expansion. She drove new » read more »

Rafael J. Fabre

National Director, Membership & Benefit Programs
Mr. Fabre is a marketing and sales professional with 18 years of business, organizational and IT development expertise. Mr. Fabre is a top national producer, with strong leadership, technology acumen, project management and program development  skills.

Most recently, Mr. Fabre was Vice President Hispanic for IDT Corporation’s prepaid business » read more »

David Lizárraga

Corporate Advisor - West Coast
David C. Lizárraga is Chairman, President and CEO of TELACU, the largest community development corporation (CDC) in the United States.

Established in 1968 and utilizing one of the most successful approaches to community economic development, TELACU is a pioneering institution committed to service, empowerment, advancement and the » read more »

Jesus F. Linares

Corporate Advisor - East Coast
Jesus Linares is the President of Business Relocation Services, Inc. (BRS).

In 1987 Mr. Linares founded BRS and infused the industry with an innovative approach establishing “The Relocation Specialist” process. Mr. Linares created a unique relocation management methodology integrating advanced logistics, warehousing and installation with project and » read more »

Martin Perez, Esq.

Advocacy Advisor - Civil Rights
Martin Perez, founder and President of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, is one of the most prominent and respected Latino leaders in the United States. Mr. Perez grew up in Coamo, Puerto Rico where he was President of the student body and his graduating class of 1968. He » read more »

Barbara Johnson, Esq.

Advocacy Advisor - Government Relations
Barbara brings over 20 years of health and social policy experience to the legislative process. She has proven to be an influential figure in Trenton through her tenacious pursuit of results for her clients. Barbara's most recent experience as a Senior Associate for the second largest lobbying firm in Trenton, » read more »

Manuel Rey

Advocacy Advisor - Diversity & Inclusion
Manuel (Manny) Rey is Managing Director - Investments at Rey Financial Group of Wachovia Securities in the Short Hills, N.J., office. Mr. Rey has over 29 years experience in the investment industry with 22 of those at A.G. Edwards & Sons before merging with Wachovia Securities, LLC., » read more »

Steve Ma

Advocacy Advisor - Consumer Issues
Over the past 17 years, Steve has been devoted to public interest and advocacy work. A founding Board Member of Live Green, he was previously worked on both the state and Federal level for AARP, the nation’s largest membership organizations. There, he organized a grassroots campaign for the passage of » read more »

Christine Serano-Glassner

Advocacy Advisor - Small Business
Christine Serrano Glassner is the Office of Advocacy’s Regional Advocate for the federal government’s Region II, covering New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. She is the direct link between small business owners, state and local government agencies, state legislators, small business associations, and the Office of » read more »

Angie Armand

Advocacy Advisor - Community Based Organizations
The CHPRD was created in 1975 with the mission of empowering the state’s Latino community through the process of inclusion in policy development and direct social services. It funds about 30 Hispanic community-based organizations offering a wide range of services to the state’s Latino community. Such services include day care, » read more »

Sara Manzano-Diaz, Esq.

Ambassador - Economic Development
Attorney: 20 years of legal experience in Federal and State practice (litigation, prosecutions, enforcement, litigation management) and 5 years in the judiciary. Legal expertise in housing development and finance, asset management, economic development, hospitals, community revitalization, troubled projects and hospitals, personnel, Ethics, EEO, ADA, Civil Rights regulatory compliance and Civil » read more »

Michael Reuter

Ambassador - Leadership

Michael Reuter, Director - Center for Leadership Studies at Seton Hall's Stillman School of Business, is a native New Yorker having been born and raised in Brooklyn. He attended Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception and the Jesuit Seminary in Poughkeepsie, New York, and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from » read more »

Lawrence Coyne Gonzalez

Ambassador - Multicultural Marketing
Lawrence Coyne-González started his career with Verizon Wireless in the Northeast Area marketing team where he developed, launched and managed strategies to drive revenue, growth and attain churn-reduction goals for Hispanic and multicultural segments in the Northeast. Mr. Coyne-González was then appointed top serve as the Multicultural Marketing Consultant for » read more »

Luz Cárdenas-Virilli

Ambassador - Media & Multicultural Marketing
Luz Cárdenas-Virilli is the first Latina Director of Communications in the history of Philadelphia’s City Hall. In 2007, Ms. Cardenas received the Delaware Valley Most Influential Latina Leader Award from the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Council & Impacto Latin Newspaper. Ms. Cardenas the founding partner of Cardenas Grant Communications (CGC), the » read more »

Juan Guillen

Ambassador - Media & Multicultural Marketing
Juan Guillen is the President and CEO of  Defining Trends (DTM) Media Group, a multi-media company providing and producing content and publishing DTM magazine.  DTM is expert at marketing to the U.S. Latino / bilingual audience and consumer.  Mr. Guillen co-founded Dominican Times Magazine which later expanded into DTM.
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Dilia Mojica Plotkin

Ambassador - Multicultural Marketing
Dilia Mojica-Plotkin is a well respected leader in the New Jersey business community. She serves with great distinction on the Board of Directors of the Morris County Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce.  Most recently, Ms. Plotkin was the summit co-Chair of the Green Agenda Summit at the United Nations for » read more »

Maria Teresa (Tere) Araujo-Tigges, CPA

Ambassador - Education
Maria Teresa (Tere) Araujo-Tigges is a committed leader with a passion for improving the educational outcomes for children. Tere served as the Chairperson of the IDT Hispanic Leadership Council, which funded $400,000 to the IDT/HSF Hope Scholarship. This program assists High School seniors of Hispanic heritage in New York City and the Newark » read more »

Rick Huet

Ambassador - Technology
Mr. Huet has over twenty years experience as a technology leader in the fields of software and product development, quality assurance, wireless and wireline communications. Mr. Huet is currently Vice President of Product Assurance at IDT and responsible for leading an organization of 30 engineers certifying a suite of communication » read more »