7. POVERTY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: ROOM 406

Andy Stone, Board Director
County of Santa Cruz Workforce Development

Andy Stone is the Director for the Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board.  In this role, he is responsible for the Workforce Development Board’s administrative and career center operations, including services to employers and job seekers.  He has more than twelve years of experience designing and managing workforce development programs.  Before relocating to Santa Cruz County in March of 2015, Andy was the Deputy Director for a Michigan-based Workforce Development Board.

Carmen Herrera, Executive Director
El Pajaro Community Development Corporation

Carmen Herrera-Mansir is the Executive Director for El Pajáro Community Development Corporation. With a mission of “promoting equal access to economic opportunity”, El Pajáro CDC has supported the creation and expansion of thousands of micro and small businesses in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties. Under Herrera-Mansir’s leadership, El Pajáro CDC has become a leading practitioner of effective and innovative microenterprise development for the Central Coast region and an influential voice in setting national policy. As the daughter of a farmworker-turned-successful-entrepreneur, she has always been deeply drawn to creating opportunities for broader economic inclusion for underserved communities.

Nalleli Sandoval, Senior Director of Programs
United Ways of CA

Nalleli Sandoval is United Ways of California’s Senior Director of Programs. Working closely with local California United Ways and United Ways of California program staff, Nalleli oversees the coordination of various statewide programmatic initiatives, such as enhancing free tax preparation assistance, promoting and strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through advocacy and outreach, CalSavers outreach, Census and 2-1-1. She comes to United Ways of California with a background in non-profit management, public government, and research and advocacy. Nalleli holds a Masters in Social Welfare from the University of California Berkeley. Coming from an immigrant family, Nalleli is deeply passionate about promoting the social and economic empowerment of low-income communities.

Roberto Barragán, Executive Director
Community Economic Development Association

For more than thirty years, Barragán has served in leadership positions with organizations focused on community lending and economic development. He is a nationally recognized expert on economic development loan funds, organization capacity building, and strategic resource generation. Over the last three years, Roberto served as Chair and Vice Chair for the inaugural Federal Reserve Board of Governors Community Advisory Council.

Roberto Barragán is a skilled small business lending executive and an experienced non profit organization professional.  For the past 2 years, he has provided impactful small business and CRA solutions to cities, associations and financial institutions, fund raising, capital development service, strategic planning to CDFIs and other nonprofits across the United States , while providing financing and credit solutions for minority owned businesses in California. Aquaria has assisted in raising $20 million in loan capital and $2,500,000 in grant support nationally for CDFI’s and national CDFI advocates.

Barragán led the VEDC to national prominence as a highly regarded and industry leading small business lender originating millions annually in small business loans to minority borrowers. Under his leadership and innovation, the VEDC increased its assets from $10 million to over $70 million in under 10 years, while he personally raised over $100 million in debt and grant capital.  Additionally, he redefined how African American and Latino entrepreneurs can access capital through partnerships with financial institutions and corporations and launched numerous business programs including Business Opportunity Funds in Chicago and New York, and the National African American Small Business Loan Fund. Under his direction and leadership during a 21-year career, the VEDC helped thousands of businesses succeed.