Board Of Directors

Board Members

Erick Verduzco-Vega
Sara Rodriguez
Juan Vega
Trini M. Jimenez, Esq.
Francisco Uribe
Ramiro De La Cruz
Alejandra Castro
Alicia Mendoza
Mike Murray

Honorary Board
Members

Richard G.Polanco
Jenny Oropeza
Tony Cardenas
Janice Hahn
Terry Terauchi
Don Dear
Jane Harman
Henry Cisneros
Alex Padilla
James Acevedo
Linda Sánchez
Claudia Trejos
Tony Mendoza
Yeniffer Behrens

Erick Verduzco-Vega
President/C.E.O., South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Coming Soon

Sara Rodriguez
Vice President, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Coming Soon

Juan Vegas
Chairman of the Board, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Juan and his family have owned the La Sinaloense Bakery in South Bay of 17 years. Juan is a businessman/investor, and community activist. Juan is married and has 3 children; wife, Beatriz, son, Juan II, and daughters, Cynthia and Sarah.

Trini M. Jimenez, Esq.
Board Member/Legislative and Government Affairs Director South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Jimenez is an Attorney at Law. He received his B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach and his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law. Trini is actively involved in the civic life of the South Bay and serves on the Board of Directors of the South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce in the capacity of Legislative and Government Affairs Director. In 1999, Trini was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Lennox School District, and currently serves as President of the Board, working toward the improvement of the schools he attended as a child in the community in which he was raised. Mr. Jimenez is also the current President of the UCLA Latino Alumni Association.

Francisco J. Uribe
Home Depot - Senior Manager, Government Relations
Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Uribe was raised in Los Angeles, California from the age of three years old where he attended public schools. He earned an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Ethnic Studies from the University of Southern California and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations from El Camino College. He is a graduate of Leadership Southern California, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, program and has completed certificates in business management from Boston College and in International Business from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

Mr. Uribe and his wife, Alejandra, have a son and live in Los Angeles.

Ramiro De La Cruz
Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Alejandra Castro
Wells Fargo
Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Alicia Mendoza
Chivas USA
Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Mike Murray
Verizon
Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Michael Murray (Mike) has worked for Verizon in California for twenty-five years. He started in Operations as a departmental clerk and his most recent position is Director – Government & External Affairs for Long Beach and Southern California.

Murray’s term in External Affairs began in 1983 (then Public Affairs with GTE) when he coordinated GTE’s film library, an extensive collection of educational and career films that was used by teachers and GTE employees. From there, he worked with GTE’s philanthropic program evaluating and managing grant requests submitted to GTE. From 1991 to 1996, Murray was part of GTE’s media relations team in California.

In 1997 Murray became Public Affairs Manager for Long Beach, Signal Hill and Southeast Los Angeles cities. With the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, the position became part of Public Policy and External Affairs. He has held numerous leadership positions in Long Beach, including Chair of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce; President of Better Learning After School Today; President of Leadership Long Beach; and President of the Long Beach Education Foundation.

In 2003, he was awarded the Long Beach Chamber’s “Dewey Smith Award” for community service. In 2005, Murray received the Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent’s “Distinguished Community Service Award,” and the “President’s Distinguished Service Award” awarded by the President of Cal State Long Beach.

Murray has a BA from California State University, Fullerton, in Asian Studies. His interest in Asia began with his thirteen-month tour of duty in Vietnam as a United States Marine. He also has a second BA from California State University, San Francisco, in History. While in San Francisco, Murray worked for the San Francisco Recreation Department and AT&T Long Lines.

Murray has worked extensively in recreation and physical fitness. He managed the Culver City Recreation Department’s weightroom while attending Cal State Fullerton.

Murray lives in Los Angeles, California, and has one son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Kele.

Senator Richard G.Polanco - 22nd Senate District

Senator Richard G. Polanco (Retired) - 22nd Senate District
Richard G. Polanco was elected to the California State Senate in 1994 where he now serves as Senate Majority Leader representing the Twenty Second District. Senator Polanco was first elected to the State Assembly in 1986 where he served for eight years. While in the Assembly he attained statewide recognition for successfully working in a bipartisan manner to better serve all Californians. Senator Polanco continues his efforts to provide strong leadership and represent his constituents in the best manner possible.

Senator Polanco has authored essential legislation that helped fuel California's economic recovery and has been a leader in education, healthcare, children's issues, prison reform, water resources, transportation and technology. Senator Polanco has been a tireless advocate for business and for equal opportunity in contracting for women, minority and veteran owned businesses. Senator Polanco will continue to be one of California's leading policy makers concentrating on issues and legislation that improve our quality of life.

Senator Polanco began his dedication to public service through his involvement in student government, the Junior Optimist Club and various other youth organizations. He founded the Eastside Association, which enabled more than 500 youth to compete in sports while emphasizing academics and learning skills. Senator Polanco also helped to establish the Arroyo Vista Family Health Center, which offers quality health care with fees based on a patients ability to pay, the Mujeres Recovery Home, a battered women's shelter and Para Los Ninos Day Care Center.

A native Californian, Senator Polanco grew up in East Los Angeles. He is a graduate of James A. Garfield High School, East Los Angeles College and furthered his studies at the University of Redlands and the Universidad de Mexico majoring in business administration. Senator Polanco has three children, Richard Jr., Gabriel and Liana. He and his wife Olivia make their home in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles. His leadership, dedication and commitment to public service are unrivaled and he will continue to work for government that works for the people of the great state of California.

Senator Jenny Oropeza - D-Carson, 28th District
Jenny Oropeza, Latina role model and policy leader in diverse areas like fighting cancer, air pollution, highway funding, radiation exposure, sexual violence on campus, election reform, homebuyer rights, military defense and national security.

Oropeza served six years in the Assembly, 2000-2006, and in November 2006 garnered 62 percent of the vote to win election to the 28th Senate District, which includes all or parts of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

Voters rewarded Oropeza’s lifelong civic involvement, local government leadership, and commitment to education, budget leadership and views on minority issues.

In January 2002, with barely a year's experience in the Assembly, Oropeza was named chair of the powerful Assembly Budget Committee — on the eve of the worst deficit in California history. She served two years in one of the toughest policy committees in the Legislature.

In February 2004, Oropeza was named chair of the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee. From that pulpit, Oropeza, who served five years on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board, fights to improve highway and transit-funding policies.

She also is one of the highest-ranking Latinas in the Assembly and past vice chair of the Legislature's Latino caucus. In 2005 the League of California City’s Latino Caucus named her Legislator of the Year, and in 2006 the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters awarded her the Smith-Weiss Environmental Champion Award for her work on issues from air pollution and cancer prevention to radiation and environmental advocacy.

Senator Oropeza and her husband, Tom Mullins, have lived in the City of Long Beach for more than 25 years. She began her community service by serving two terms as student body president while majoring in Business Administration at California State University Long Beach. She was appointed by the Governor to the Board of Trustees of the California State University system.

Tony Cardenas - Assembly Budget Chairman 39th District

Tony Cardenas - Councilman 6th District
Tony's secured more than 650 million dollars for new school construction and classroom space in Los Angeles o help relieve over-crowding.

He wrote groundbreaking legislation changing California’s juvenile crime prevention system and defended our children by reforming toxic emission standards on school buses. He changed our state constitution to make sure that lottery monies are spent on textbooks and classroom materials. It’s no wonder Tony Cardenas has served the people for nearly a decade- first as a state assemblyman and now as a Los Angeles City Councilman. The people of the San Fernando Valley have trusted Tony Cardenas to find practical/realistic solutions to difficult problems.

He’s bringing his knowledge and experience as former Chairman of the state’s powerful Budget Committee and making sure the city is working for a community that was long underserved. The San Fernando Valley now has a seasoned champion in Cardenas whose state reforms brought 78,000 new classroom seats and more than 15 universal playgrounds for disabled families.

Now, after only three years on the city council, you can still see that same momentum f change through more street services for Valley residents and more money for Valley businesses. As a matter of fact, in less han two years, he overhauled the city’s archaic business tax system, by cutting through red tape and keeping the bureaucracy on task – an effort previous city leaders attempted, but failed.

You can see his unprecedented policy work that dates back to 1996 when he began the battle to completely reform the state’s anti-gang programs. So it’s no surprise Cardenas has taken on one of the city’s most difficult tasks – tackling gang violence. He’s already identified millions of dollars overlooked by the city to help keep our kids off the streets. As Chairman of the city’s gang committee, he’s already secured the funding to transform the local juvenile justice system to better serve our at-risk youth.

The common theme here in all his successes is a love for good policy work – no matter how complex. Cardenas has the ability to dive into those policy matters most legislators would shrivel at. The amount of energy, time, and mechanics it takes to pass good, effective policy has never intimidated Cardenas. But you wouldn’t expect less from an engineering graduate who looks forward to multi-layered strategies.

As an example, his groundbreaking clean-air movement is cracking down on toxic businesses and making national headlines. Cardenas’ Environmental Justice Zone is ensuring the people of Sun Valley a brighter and healthier future. This is the first of its kind in the county. But “firsts” is what Tony does best.

Last year, he created Los Angeles’ very first Animal Cruelty Task Force to put away callous criminals who abuse our city’s animals. One of the task force’s first felony convictions put a known gang member away for busing a family pet.

But the truth is, what really fuels his love of good policy, is his love for the people of the San Fernando Valley. As a native of Pacoima and having rown up in a family with eleven brothers and sisters, the San Fernando Valley is his home. And now, thanks to Tony Cardenas, it’s a community that has a voice.

Tony Cardenas – working for you, getting things done.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn - 15th District
Honorary Board Member, South Bay Latino Chamber of Commerce

Janice Hahn was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and is the daughter of the legendary Kenneth Hahn and sister of Mayor James Hahn of the City of Los Angeles. In 1997, Janice was elected to the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission to represent the 15th Council District in the charter reform process. Janice was formerly Regional Manager for Public Affairs at Southern California Edison. Janice has been involved in various community organizations, including Past President of the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce, President of the Board of Directors of the Harbor Area Gang Alternative Program and serves as a board member of the Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club, and the South Bay Private Industry Council. Janice resides in San Pedro and is Councilwoman for the 15th District.

Terry Terauchi - Former Mayor of the City of Gardena
Elected in March 1999 to the office of Gardena Councilmember and then elected again as Gardena Mayor in March 2001, Terrence "Terry" Terauchi has demonstrated effective leadership skills from his first day of service. His belief in the equitable distribution of City resources has led him to make revitalization to the North Gardena / Rosecrans Corridor among his top priorities. He is also pleased to have played a vital role in the process to bring three new housing developments into the community. Mayor Terauchi has already shown his commitment to the City by serving faithfully as a member of the Finance and Agenda Committees, and currently represents Gardena as the City's delegate on the Board of county of Los Angeles Sanitaiton District No. 5, as a member of the Southern California Cities Joint Powers Consortium, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, and the South Bay Economic Development Partnership. He is also involved with the California Cities for Self-Reliance Joint Powers Authority, serving as the City's alternate to that important organization. Mayor Terauchi was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was raised in a military family. He obtained his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and has been on staff with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office since 1986. His colleagues in the District Attorney's Office honored him in January 1994, as Outstanding Prosecutor. During the more than fourteen years he has resided in Gardena, Mr. Terauchi has been actively involved in the life of our community. He is immediate past President of the Gardena Japanese American Citizens League, currently on the Board of Directors of the Gardena-Carson Family YMCA, an Executive Board member of Gardena Memorial Hospital , a member of the Board of the South Bay Honda Golf Classic, a member and past President of the Gardena Evening Optimist Club, a member of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce, a member of Gardena Elks Lodge 1919, on the Board of the Japanese Cultural Institute for several years, and is a past member of the Planning and Environmental Quality Commission and the Gardena Medal of Valor Committee. Although relatively new to Gardena as an elected official, Mayor Terauchi is serving with foresight, sharing new ideas, and displaying strong administrative abilities.

Don Dear - President of West Basin Water District
Donald L. Dear was elected to the West Basin Board of Directors in November 2000, to represent the cities of Gardena, Hawthorne and Lawndale, Director Dear is a well known and widely respected teacher who has taught at Stephen White Middle School in Carson for 37 years. In 1983 he was "Teacher of the Year" for Region A of the Los Angeles Unified School District. He served nine consecutive terms as Gardena Mayor before retiring this year.

Jane Harman - Congresswoman 36th Congressional District
A Representative from California; born in New York City, June 28, 1945; B.A., Smith College, 1966, J.D., Harvard University School of Law, 1969; chief legislative assistant to Senator John V. Tunney, 1972-1973; adjunct professor, Georgetown University Law Center, 1974-1975; chief counsel and staff director, United States Senate Judiciary subcommittee on constitutional rights, 1975-1977; deputy secretary to the cabinet, The White House, 1977-1978; special counsel, Department of Defense, 1979; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Third and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1993-January 3, 1999); was not a candidate in 1998 for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination as governor; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Seventh Congress (January 3, 2001-January 3, 2003).

Henry Cisneros - Chairman, & CEO, American CityVista
Development. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, Secretary Cisneros was assigned America’s housing and community development portfolio. He is credited with initiating a major revitalization of many of the nation’s public housing developments and with formulating policies which have contributed to today’s record homeownership rate. Prior to joining the Cabinet, he was Chairman of Cisneros Asset Management Company, a fixed income money management firmed operating nationally.

In 1981, Cisneros became the first Hispanic American Mayor of a major U.S. city. During his four terms in office, Cisneros helped rebuild the city’s economic base and created jobs through massive infrastructure and downtown improvements, making San Antonio one of the most progressive cities in the nation.

In 1984, he was interviewed by the Democratic Presidential Nominee as a potential candidate for Vice President, and in 1986 was selected the Outstanding Mayor in the nation by City and State magazine.

Mr. Cisneros has served as President of the National League of Cities, Chairman of the National Civic League, Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and as a board member of the Rockefeller Foundation.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard, a Doctorate in Public Administration from George Washington University, and has been awarded over 20 honorary doctorates from leading universities.

Senator Alex Padilla - D-San Fernando Valley, 20th District
Alex Padilla was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and has represented Valley residents for nearly 8 years. In 1999, at the age of 26, he was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council becoming the third youngest person ever elected to city office. Just two years later he was elected Council President. He presided over the council for 4 1/2 years and passed on the gavel to seek election to the State Senate - which he won. He was sworn in as a Senator on December 4, 2006.

As an elected official he has worked effectively to make the San Fernando Valley a stronger and safer community.

He expanded after-school programs, created quality jobs, and made local neighborhoods safer by leading efforts to build the City's first new police station in 27 years in the Valley.
He led efforts to build two new fire stations.
By the time he left city office crime was down 35% over a three year period and Foothill Division, which covered a large area of his district, had become the safest in the city.

A proud graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Alex Padilla has a first-hand understanding of the value of a quality public education.

Padilla worked to expand the nationally-recognized LA's BEST after school program to 16 schools in the Northeast Valley.
He worked with the LAUSD School Construction Team to site and construct new schools in the Valley, relieving overcrowded schools and reducing class sizes in the process.
He worked to bring new, state-of-the-art libraries to Sylmar, Pacoima, Sun Valley and Lake View Terrace. The Lake View Terrace Branch was a first for that community and was recently presented a Platinum Level LEED Award by the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainable design.
He also led the effort to identify a site and funding to build the new Children's Museum of Los Angeles in the Valley. The $43 million Children's Museum is being built in an environmentally sustainable manner and will teach environmental awareness to children throughout the region.

Alex Padilla has worked to recruit and retain jobs in the Valley and to fund job training programs.

He played a key role in bringing much needed housing and retail developments to his district, including a Wells Fargo Bank Branch to Pacoima, only the second bank branch to serve that community.
Padilla worked with the North Hills community to develop the Paseo Sepulveda shopping center, which has revitalized that neighborhood with new jobs, businesses, and retail services.
He strongly supports community based organizations that provide job skills training, including the Valley Family Technology Project, Youth Opportunity (YO!) Valley, and the Valley Economic Development Center.

Senator Padilla's commitment to a clean and healthy environment began at the age of 15 when he stood with neighbors in front of the Lopez Canyon Landfill in the struggle to shut it down - which they eventually did. As a Los Angeles City Councilmember, Padilla continued to be a champion for our environment.

He voted against extending the city's contract with the Sunshine Canyon landfill's operator and strongly opposed the expansion of Bradley Landfill.
He worked to bring more parks and open space to the Valley, including new, neighborhood parks and soccer fields.
He led the effort to transform Hansen Dam into an outdoor recreational center that families in the Northeast Valley are proud to call their own.
To help clean our air, Padilla pushed the City to adopt a renewable portfolio standard so that by the year 2017, the city's Department of Water and Power produces 20 percent of the city's power supply from renewable energy sources.
In 2004, Padilla helped craft and pass Proposition O, the $500 million bond measure to clean up the polluted storm water that flows to our rivers, lakes, and beaches.

Alex Padilla's leadership has been recognized locally and nationally. 2005, he was elected to serve as President of the League of California Cities. He currently serves as Chair of the Los Angeles Leadership Council of the American Diabetes Association, as a Board Member of the Children's Museum of Los Angeles, and as an Advisory Board Member of Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND).

Prior to being an elected official, Alex Padilla served as staff to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and then-Assemblymember Tony Cardenas.

Alex Padilla holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a graduate of the Coro Fellowship Program in Leadership and Public Affairs. He grew up in Pacoima and now owns a home in the same neighborhood.

James Acevedo - Former Harbor Commissioner
James E. Acevedo grew up in East Los Angeles and cut his political teeth as a teenager in the Chicano movement. Mr. Acevedo earned a Master of Arts degree in Structural Media & Communications from USC and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles . In his late twenties he participated in a fellowship at the CORO Foundation, a Democratic training ground in Los Angeles.

Following his fellowship Mr. Acevedo worked as district deputy for Assemblyman Richard Katz for the East Valley, where he became familiar with Los Angeles County politics. Doing fieldwork for Assemblyman Katz in the San Fernando Valley, Mr. Acevedo realized that the Latino families needed a voice to be recognized in the political arena. This became an opportunity to begin what he now calls his life's work. "My agenda is to get Latinos elected-nothing more clandestine than that.” Despite having roots in street activism, he came to accept that the ballot was the way for community development power. "We couldn't stay on the fringes. We had to get into mainstream politics." James has been a political consultant of over 300 campaigns including local, statewide, legislative congressional and propositions primarily in California. He's been known to be called “The Godfather of Latino Politics.”

Mr. Acevedo is the president of De Colores Production, Inc., and of the Neighborhood Empowerment & Economic Development, Inc., a non-profit development. These businesses conduct real estate development services on single family, multifamily affordable housing, commercial centers, and mixed-use development.

In 1990, Mr. Acevedo served as director of development at Panorama Hospital. From 1991 to 1995, he served as CEO for American Healthcare, Inc. and from 1993 to 1995, for Orinda Healthcare. Mr. Acevedo was project manager of the Charles Company and served as CEO for the Community Hospital in Huntington Park. He was also the regional administrator and supervisor for Greater El Monte Hospital, Woodruff Hospital, Monterey Park Hospital, Community Hospital of Monterrey Park and Mission Hospital of Monterey Park.

James has served on the Los Angeles City Board of Zoning Appeals & The Los Angeles City Fire Commission. He was just recently reappointed to a second term as a commissioner for the Port of Los Angeles, he is a member for the California State Board of Pharmacy and is also a board member of the World Trade Center of Los Angeles. Moreover, he continues to empower Southern California communities by showing Latinos political empowerment and financial independence.

Linda Sánchez - 39th Congressional District
Congresswoman Linda Sánchez was elected to represent the newly created 39th Congressional District of California on November 5th, 2002. The 39th District includes the cities of Artesia, Cerrritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Lynwood, Paramount, and South Gate (in their entirety), a large portion of Whittier, small portions of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and parts of unincorporated Los Angeles County - East La Mirada, Florence-Graham, Los Nietos, West Whittier, and Willlowbrook. Sánchez’s election is historic as she joins her sister Loretta (D–Garden Grove) in the U.S. House. They are the first sisters and the first women of any relation to ever serve in Congress. Linda Sánchez is an advocate for California’s working families. She is committed to reducing crime, making public schools safe and secure for our children, providing quality education and affordable health care, improving our economy by creating economic opportunities, and decreasing unemployment.

Sánchez serves on the Judiciary Committee, which considers all legislation pertaining to judiciary and to civil and criminal judicial reform. Specifically, the committee reviews issues such as civil liberties, constitutional amendments, immigration, and naturalization, and protection of trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies. The Committee also has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as federal aid to local law enforcement.

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez also serves on the Committee on Government Reform, which has oversight over all federal government activities and serves as the watchdog to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Additionally, she serves on the Small Business Committee. Linda Sánchez is the sixth of seven children born to immigrant parents from Mexico. Born in the City of Orange, she attended public schools before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. After working her way through undergraduate school as a bilingual aid and "English as a Second Language" instructor, she attended law school at U.C.L.A., graduating and passing the bar exam in 1995.

During her legal studies at U.C.L.A., Linda interned with the Honorable Judge Terry Hatter, Jr., Chief Justice of the Central District Court. She also spent a summer working for the National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund (NOW LDEF) in New York City.

After law school, she practiced law in the areas of appellate law, civil rights, and employment law. Committed to political activism, she worked extensively on Loretta Sánchez's 1996 and 1998 campaigns. Since then, Linda has lectured across the country for the National Association of Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) on how to run an effective grassroots political campaign. After the 1998 election, Sánchez went to work for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 441 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) as a compliance officer on public works and prevailing wage issues. A proud member of IBEW Local 441, Congresswoman Sánchez has been an active member since 1998. Prior to coming to Congress, Sánchez served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Claudia Trejos - Sportscaster ESPN Deportes
Claudia Trejos has many years of local, national and international sports reporting experience and enthusiasm. She joined Telemundo in April 2002 as Sports Anchor for “Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste,” Telemundo’s nightly one-hour newsmagazine. Trejos will also be co-hosting NBA Max, the network’s new weekly 30-minute highlight show on NBA games, in addition to providing commentary on the WNBA.

Before joining Telemundo, she worked at KTLA-TV 5 in Los Angeles as sports anchor for the weekend news and sports reporter for the weekday evening news. She also provided Spanish simulcasts for the station’s signature Rose Parade coverage and Academy Awards pre-show.

Trejos was co-host for “In Focus,” a public affairs show on KLCS-TV in Los Angeles, public television that focuses on issues and information for teachers, administrators and students from the Los Angeles Unified School District. She has appeared on Showtime’s “Resurrection Blvd.” and CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Prior to KTLA and KLCS, Trejos was sports director and anchor six nights a week at KWHY-TV in Los Angeles, where she also served as color commentator for boxing broadcasts. She produced and anchored the daily “El Diario del Mundial,” covering France World Cup 1998, as well as serving as co-anchor and executive producer of “Mundo Deportivo,” a weekend sports show.

In 1994, Trejos began her broadcasting career at Fox Sports Americas as a production-coordinator doing voiceover work and scheduling talent. She also served as fill-in sports anchor on WXTV-TV in New York.

Other experience includes voiceover and color commentator for the American Basketball League, AVP and WPVA Beach Volleyball and for the Nuveen Tour, U. S. Open and Compaq Cup tennis.

Considered a role model in the Latino community, especially among Latinas, Trejos enjoys participating and supporting community events and initiatives and truly believes in giving back to the community where she lives. A native Colombian, Trejos currently resides in Miami, Florida.

Tony Mendoza - California State Assembly Member
Tony Mendoza is a teacher at Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles. The first in his family of nine children to graduate from college, Tony wanted to give something back to his community.

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Tony saw firsthand the devastating effects of gangs, drugs and violence. This gave him the incentive to go to college, become a teacher and serve as a role-model for children facing many of the challenges he faced growing up.

Tony moved to the City of Artesia where he quickly became active in the community, fighting to improve neighborhoods. He was elected to the Artesia City Council in 1997 as the youngest Council Member in the city’s history, and was re-elected in 2001 & 2005. On the Council, Tony has worked to provide important services that benefit children and families––the At-Risk Youth Center, Adult Education Classes, the Artesia Family Resource Center and the Artesia Youth Academy.

Tony Mendoza is active in United Teachers Los Angeles, where he serves on the Board of Directors and as a representative to the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association. He has fought for school funding and more resources for classrooms. Tony also sits on the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Board.

Yeniffer Behrens
Yeniffer Behrens was born in Caracas, Venezuela but her grandfather's position as a diplomat led to the family's move to Washington, D.C. when she was just 3 years old. Even as a small child, Yeniffer's dazzling smile and effervescent personality were easily apparent and she was inspired to become a performer by the age of six. At age nine, the family would move to Miami and naturally, Yeniffer grew to be a sparkling cheerleader and win the Miss Teen Miami Pageant. She earned her Associate of Arts degree in theatre from Miami-Dade Community College. She continued her theatre training at North Carolina School of the Arts.

Yeniffer made her film debut in the Sylvester Stallone blockbuster The Specialist. She then landed numerous television roles in both Anglo and Hispanic markets, including Morelia and Te Amare en Silencio, the first novela filmed in Los Angeles.

In 2005, Yeniffer helmed a fundraiser event for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise awareness for breast cancer and made numerous red-carpet appearances including her role as presenter to Wilmer Valderrama at the 34th Annual Golden Eagle Awards. starredin the film shorts, 3some, and Late Bloomer.