From a Mexican Immigrant to an American CEO

I’m an immigrant person born in Pihuamo, México then raised on an avocado and citrus farming community in San Diego County. My parents risked everything to give me a better life. As a one-year-old, they carried me in their arms across the treacherous Mexican border into America, where new challenges waited for me the next 46 years. As a young immigrant boy, my journey in America started in 1976 in Pauma Valley, California where I dreamt of being successful and having a meaningful life. Education played a significant part in my journey; I earned a B.A. in Spanish Literature & Linguistics with a minor in Business Administration at the University of Southern California in 1997 and an executive M.B.A. from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 2014. I set a goal to build a successful career that would result in achieving my childhood dream of leading an organization. Now, as President & CEO of the Employees Club of California, I lead a highly dedicated and talented team who work vigorously to celebrate the lives and work of city, county and state government employees by honoring, recognizing, thanking, and expressing gratitude for serving their American communities.

From a Mexican immigrant to an American CEO, I learned the power of overcoming struggle, and I want to share that with you in the hopes that the lessons I learned from my journey can help you find your inner strength, personal growth, and your definition of success.