ENGLISH

A familiar face in Amarillo, and in the Hispanic Community, Ana is a community leader who has worked in business and community development for over 10 years. She recently assisted in launching “Tu Cuidad”, City Federal’s Credit Union community development program helping bridge financial gaps in underserved communities. For fifteen years, she consulted business owners and taught classes for entrepreneurs in all areas of business from start-up to exit planning at America’s SBDC at WTAMU. She launched a series called Pasos al Exito for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs. As a first-generation student and business owner, she understands the importance of small business and education for our community.

She has also held leadership roles at Los Barrios de Amarillo, GROW Christian Network Amarillo Business Women, Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee. Ana holds an M.B.A. in Finance and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from West Texas A&M University. She is the recipient of the TAMACC Award, Hispanic Women of the Year, SBDC’s State Star, Top 20 under 40 and Cinco de Mayo Grand Marshal.
When she is not talking business, she is planning her next vacation, working on her planner or playing with her kids.

SPANISH

Una cara familiar en Amarillo y en la comunidad hispana, Ana es una líder comunitaria que ha trabajado en negocios y desarrollo comunitario durante más de 10 años. Recientemente ayudó en el lanzamiento de “Tu Cuidad”, el programa de desarrollo comunitario de la Cooperativa de Crédito de City Federal que ayuda a cerrar las brechas financieras en comunidades desatendidas. Durante quince años, consultó a dueños de negocios e impartió clases para emprendedores en todas las áreas de negocios, desde el inicio hasta la planificación de salida en America’s SBDC en WTAMU. Lanzó una serie llamada Pasos al Éxito para emprendedores en español. Como estudiante de primera generación y propietaria de un negocio, comprende la importancia de las pequeñas empresas y la educación para nuestra comunidad.

También ha desempeñado funciones de liderazgo en Los Barrios de Amarillo, GROW Christian Network Amarillo Business Women, Comité de Planificación Vecinal del Barrio. Ana tiene una Maestría en Finanzas y una Licenciatura en Administración de Empresas de la Universidad West Texas A&M. Ella recibió el Premio TAMACC, Mujer Hispana del Año, Estrella Estatal de SBDC, Top 20 menores de 40 años y Gran Mariscal del Cinco de Mayo.

Cuando no está hablando de negocios, está planificando sus próximas vacaciones, trabajando en su agenda o jugando con sus hijos.

ENGLISH

Anna Carrillo is the newly appointed Office Manager for the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC). Originally from Hereford, Texas, but she spent the majority of her life in Bovina, Texas. Growing up, she was immersed in both English and Spanish, as her parents hail from Durango and Aguascalientes and immigrated to the United States at a young age. She earned her associate degree from Amarillo College in December 2023 and is currently a junior at West Texas A&M, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in EC-6 Bilingual Education. Having served as the AHCC Management intern since January of this year, she is excited for this new opportunity and eager to continue building connections and developing skills that will benefit the Amarillo and Canyon communities.

SPANISH

Anna Carrillo es la recién nombrada Gerente de Oficina de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Amarillo (AHCC). Originaria de Hereford, Texas, pero pasó la mayor parte de su vida en Bovina, Texas. Mientras crecía, estuvo inmersa en el inglés y el español, ya que sus padres provienen de Durango y Aguascalientes y emigraron a los Estados Unidos a una edad temprana. Obtuvo su título de asociado de Amarillo College en diciembre de 2023 y actualmente es estudiante de tercer año en West Texas A&M, donde está cursando una licenciatura en Educación Bilingüe EC-6. Después de haber trabajado como pasante de Administración de AHCC desde enero de este año, está entusiasmada por esta nueva oportunidad y ansiosa por continuar construyendo conexiones y desarrollando habilidades que beneficiarán a las comunidades de Amarillo y Canyon.

PANTERA ENERGY

Antonia Ballejo was born in Denver, Colorado, but has been a resident of Amarillo since she was 6 years old. In 2014, Antonia graduated from West Texas A&M University with her bachelor’s degree in accounting. Antonia has been a Senior Accountant for Pantera Energy Company for 6 years. Before Pantera, she worked at Amarillo National Bank for almost 10 years in the accounting department. She is a mother of two, her son Isaiah graduated from West A&M University in 2021 and hopes her daughter Thalia will go there as well. This will be her third year on board.

EDUCATION CREDIT UNION

With more than 16 years of experience in the banking and technology industries and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information System from WT, I am dedicated to providing leadership and guidance to help others succeed. As a true believer in the concept of servant leadership, I am passionate about giving back to my community. Currently serving as the Manager of Business Intelligence & Development at Education Credit Union, I am committed to leveraging my skills and expertise to drive growth and success. In my personal life, I am happily married with a young daughter and enjoy staying physically active through activities such as going to the gym, mountain biking, running, and playing sports.

CNS PANTEX

Lisa Torres is a Program Manager at CNS Pantex where she oversees the strategy, planning, and execution of site level objectives within the Facilities and Infrastructure Organization. She is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and feels Pantex is a continuation of her service to the country. She has a bachelor’s degree in applied science with an emphasis in Management and a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. She fosters an environment of teamwork by bolstering communication and collaboration at every level to ensure a shared vision and mission success. Lisa has extensive experience in facilitating teams through critical thinking and problem solving, coaching, and training. She is a seasoned change manager and embodies the leadership, soft skills, and strategic analysis necessary to cultivate change. Lisa is inspired daily by her husband and their four kids ranging in age from 14 to 7. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on her kids in their various activities, spending time with family and friends, and running.

AMARILLO NATIONAL BANK

Asiria Torres was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Mexico. She came to the United States at 17 and faced many struggles. While working and paying her own way through school she was able to graduate from Palo Duro High School. She continued to work while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in accounting from West Texas A&M University. During that time, she met her husband and had her first child all while trying to finish her education. During her time at West Texas A&M University, she started working at Amarillo National Bank as an Internal Auditor and had her second child. Asiria is now the Mortgage Loans Servicing Collections Manager at Amarillo National Bank.

REED BEVERAGE

Jeremy Herrera is a Native from Eunice, NM. He moved to Canyon Texas in the Spring of 2003 to attend West Texas A&M University. He is a graduate of West Texas University as he earned his Bachelors in 2005 and MBA in 2008. He then moved to Amarillo TX, in 2008 and took on the GM-Bar manager job at Buffalo Wild Wings as it was the #1 franchise location from 2006-2009. In 2011 he joined Great Western Distributing “Reed Beverage” as their Chain Account manager. Jeremy brings 10 years of experience in sales, promotions, Category management and analytic discoveries. His major clients/buyers are United Supermarkets, Wal-Mart , Allsups, Toot’n Totum, Pak-A-Sak, Lowes, Stripes and many others. Jeremy has served on the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board, United Way of Amarillo & Canyon as a team Leader, board of directors for the Amarillo Wesley Community Center, Coors Cowboy Club, MGA at Tascosa/La Paloma and is a member of St. Mary’s church.

BURTON INSURANCE

Helen Burton has been an Entrepreneur in the Insurance Industry for almost 20 years. Helen
started Burton Insurance Agency in 2012 and expanded her portfolio of services. She currently
serves on the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Board, Amarillo Area Foundation
Board, Treasurer for Andrea’s Project, TIRZ II East Gateway Board, Advisory Board for the
Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Helen also serves on the Task Force For Greatness
Committee and the Neighborhood Barrio Planning Committee Member. Helen is the founder of
Women Empowering Women with over 3500+ subscribers. Helen was voted Hispanic Woman
of the Year in 2019.

FIRSTBANK SOUTHWEST

Annette Asencio is a native of Hereford, TX. Annette is an SVP, Bank Operations Manager and
BSA Officer for FirstBank Southwest. She has over 38 years of banking experience. She is
certified by and a member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.
She currently oversees back-office deposit processing, electronic banking, identity theft
prevention, Bank Secrecy Act compliance, vendor management and risk management. She
served as a representative for FirstBank Southwest on the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors from 2008 to 2015. She also served as Chairman of the AHCC
Board in 2011 and 2012. She currently serves on the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Advisory Board.

AMIGOS UNITED

Raymond Gaitan is a native of Hereford, TX. Raymond is the Store Director at Amigos.
Raymond serves on the Advisory Council for the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He
is on the Board of Directors with The Wesley Community Center and serves on the Parent
Advisory Council (PAC) committee for Caprock High School. Raymond is the father of four sons
and has seven Grandchildren.

Charlie Sanchez is a lifelong resident of Amarillo, TX. He obtained his Safety Certification in
CHST-Construction Safety Health. He is an instructor at UT Arlington teaching safety courses.
He is a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral where he is a lecturer and an
audio/visual technician. He is actively involved in the Amarillo community through the United
Way Campaign and Los Barrios de Amarillo. He is the past president of Amarillo Center City
and past chairman of Center City Block Party. His hobbies include playing golf, watching Turner
Classic Movies and gourmet cooking.

CNS PANTEX

Darlene Saldivar is a lifelong resident of Amarillo, Texas. In 1988, she was one of two
individuals nominated from all Amarillo high schools to work for the Department of Energy and
has been employed at the Pantex Plant ever since in various capacities. She has since been a
Senior Manager in the Supply Chain Management organization since 2005 in various
capacities. She currently manages shipping, receiving, and warehousing operations. She
served as a representative for the Pantex Plant on the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors from 2010 to 2021. She now serves on the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce Advisory Council. Darlene is married to Ernesto and they have three sons, Alex,
Fabian, and Gabriel.

HAPPY STATE BANK

Gilberto was born in Amarillo but was not raised here. He grew up in a small town about an hour south of here named Friona. Once he graduated High School he moved to Amarillo and attended Amarillo College and WT. In 2019, Gilberto Elite Fight Promotions alongside his twin brother Gerardo and his business partner Jose Montanez. They started locally but due to the tremendous support received from the community of Amarillo, they have been fortunate enough to expand to other cities in the state. With the success of the company, he began to make investments in real estate and that is how his passion for Mortgage derived. Buying a home is one of, if not the most important purchases one can make in their lifetime and it is an honor for Gilberto to be able to help in the process, especially helping our Hispanic community. “The community of Amarillo has done so much for me and I want nothing more than to give back.”

BUDWEISER DISTRIBUTING COMPANY

Paul is a Sales Manager for Budweiser Distributing Company and has worked with the company for 14 years. Paul is married to his wife; Melissa Warner Rodriguez and they have four children. In his free time, he enjoys umpiring baseball on the weekends and enjoys playing golf and poker.

AFFILIATED FOODS

Manuel Tovar is the Director of Ethnic Marketing at Affiliated Foods Inc., with responsibilities for marketing programs, brand management and corporate sponsorships. Prior to Joining Affiliated Foods, he worked in strategic business development and marketing at several companies and served in different staff positions. Notable is his 11 years with HEB Supermarkets and his 5 years as Localized Manager. Manuel’s greatest strength is his creativity, drive and leadership. His most recent project involved a strategic program to increase the international product lines offered at Affiliated Foods. Manuel is a past Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters in San Antonio and currently involved in Amarillo’s program.He has also been involved with United Way, YMCA, Church Organizations and many volunteer programs.

AFLAC

Ismael Joseph Anguiano is from Muleshoe, Tx and graduated from West Texas A&M University with a BS in Music. Joseph is also a Veteran of the United Sates Army and served two deployments to Afghanistan. Joseph currently works in the insurance field specializing in supplemental insurance, life insurance and Medicare. Joseph currently sits on the Board of directors The United Way of Amarillo and Canyon as well as Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle.

STREET TOYOTA

Ivanna Flores was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, but has called Amarillo her home since she was a little
girl. In 2022, Ivanna joined the Street Toyota dealership in the Finance Department as their Finance
Administrative Assistant. In addition to working full time and chasing around with her daughter, she is
pursuing a Business Administration degree at Amarillo College and plans to finish her education at West
Texas A&M University in Accounting. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her family, exercise,
and try new things.

ATMOS ENERGY

Marco Valdez is a Supervisor of Customer Operations at Atmos Energy. He began his career at Atmos Energy in 2011 as a high school contractor during his senior year of high school at Caprock. He then attended Amarillo College and completed his degree plan in 2015 for his associate’s degree in graphic design. He was later promoted to the instructor position in November of 2018, and during that time, was nominated for the Robert W Best Rising Spirit Award. In October 2019, he was promoted to Supervisor of Customer Operations. He enjoys empowering his employees with confidence, developing their skills, and getting to know them more personally. He is inspired daily by his colleagues and wife, Pam. In his free time, he likes to hike with his camera, play video games, and spend time with family.

CITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Quintin Marquez is a native of Amarillo, Texas. He is currently the Marketing Manager at City Federal
Credit Union. Quintin graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication
Studies. Mr. Marquez enjoys lifting weights, basketball and traveling in his spare time. Quintin is also on
the board of the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee and the Amarillo Area Chapter of Credit
Unions.

TYSON FOODS

Alma is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in customer service and a proven track record in recruiting, business processes, and relationship building. Fluent in Spanish, she brings a strong background in human resources, office management, and talent acquisition to her role.

Born and raised in Pampa, TX, Alma has spent the last 16 years in Amarillo, TX, where she lives with her two children. Her deep commitment to community service is inspired by her children, who motivate her to stay actively engaged in making a difference. Alma has successfully volunteered with the Youth Cabinet to guide youth in community outreach, achieving significant fund raising milestones and instilling philanthropic values in the next generation.

As the Community Liaison for Tyson Foods, Alma finds fulfillment in her work by connecting with people and spearheading initiatives that uplift her community. Alma has worn many hats within the United Way of Amarillo & Canyon, starting fs a Loaned Executive in 2018 and now serving as the Executive Campaign Coordinator for Tyson Foods.

FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE

Mirna was born in Grand Island Nebraska and was raised in Cactus Texas. She graduated from Dumas High School in 2002 and move to the big city of Amarillo Texas. She has been residing in Amarillo Texas for 21 years and serving the community. She began her retail banking career in 2005 and her mortgage career in 2011. She is heavily involved in helping the community with their mortgage financing needs. She has been married to Martin Hernandez for 15 years and they have one son, Abrian.

XCEL ENERGY

Stephanie Peña is Manager of Social Investments for Xcel Energy where she oversees the Xcel Energy Foundation, employees community engagement, and the Power Your Purpose Campaign.

With helping and serving others being a passion for Stephanie, she began her career in the nonprofit industry and has served her community for nearly 10 years. Stephanie has honed her skills at the following local nonprofits: The Salvation Army, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Amarillo Area Foundation, and United Way of Amarillo & Canyon.

Was born and raised in the Texas Panhandle. She graduated in the top 2% of her class from Hereford High School and attended West Texas A&M University, where she acquired her Bachelor’s in Marketing.

Stephanie pursued ministry for a number of years as a youth pastor, Sunday school teacher, and worship leader. She recorded an album and traveled across Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico to perform concerts for youth at various churches. She is currently the Stephanie has also served on various boards and been involved with numerous organizations such as VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster), Women of Distinction Committee, American Advertising Federation, Beans and Cornbread Committee, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Bienvenidos Ribbon Cutting Committee, Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Committee, Welcome Pardner, and the Amarillo Downtown Kiwanis Club. Stephanie is the youngest and only Hispanic female to be president of the Amarillo Downtown Kiwanis Club. She is also a certified PIO (Public Information Officer) and MGO (Major Gifts Officer).

Stephanie and her other half, Caleb, have two sweet, spoiled domestic-mixed Maine coons named Lincoln Hawk and Bosco.

CACIQUE INC.

Nune Perez is Amarillo Quality Assurance Operations Manager at Cacique Foods. He is a child of the Panhandle of Texas. Served 6 Years Active-Duty United States Navy, culminating as Master at Arms Second-class Petty Officer when Honorably Discharged in 2010. He has been a part of many organizations ranging from Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation,
WTAMU Student Government, and to being a Founder of WTAMU Veterans Network. He has been married to Mayra Hernandez for 9 years and they have one daughter, lxchel. He is active with St. Josephs Catholic Church and City View PTA. He enjoys Family time and is a resident “foodie”. He has been a resource for developing Food Safety Standards and sits on committee for SQF Code review which is a Global Food Safety Initiative standard. “Amarillo has become my home, and nothing in this world matches the majesty of an Amarillo sunset across the plains”

ATTORNEY DEAN BOYD, PLLC

Adriana Vargas is originally from California, though she was raised in Amarillo, Texas. She is a Palo Duro High School graduate and a proud first-generation college student who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas Tech University in the fall of 2018. Adriana is a Subrogation Specialist, additionally, she assists with strategic insights into Hispanic marketing and client-related needs at Attorney Dean Boyd, PLLC. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, practicing self-care, and spending time with family.

CASTILLO PROPERTIES

Yolanda Castillo is a native from Dumas, TX but has lived in Amarillo for the last 20 years. She is currently the owner of Castillo Properties. Yolanda has 15 years of banking experience, which includes managing several branches.

She has served as Loan Executive with United Way, which helps raise money for programs in Potter and Randall County for families in need. She has volunteered for March of Dimes, Eveline River’s Christmas Project, Hi-Plains Food Bank, Amarillo Chamber, Meals on Wheels and Amarillo Parade of Homes.

She enjoys traveling and spending time with family & friends.