Meet the Board of Managers

The Hispanic Chamber is the voice of the 120,000 Hispanicowned businesses in New Jersey that contribute over $20 billion annually to the State’s economy. Appearing on various TV Networks including ABC 7, WWOR 9, FOX Business and NJTV, Mr. Medina has discussed issues important to the Diverse Business Community.

With sales in excess 13 billion dollars annually, Horizon is one of the country’s premiere health insurance companies. Mr. Medina serves as a member on the following subcommittees: Governance, Audit, Personnel and Compensation.

He has received many awards for his company’s achievements, community service and leadership with the Chamber. Mr. Medina is a Graduate of Rutgers Newark and Rutgers Law School Newark.

As Managing Director and Global Head of Residential Lending and Trading with Deutsche Bank, Doug successfully executed and managed business activities on five continents, including high-profile transactions in the United States, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. Prior to this role, Doug served as the Chairman and CEO of MortgageIT, which he founded in 1999, led through a successful IPO on the NYSE, placing it among the 10 largest mortgage banks in the United States, and sold to Deutsche Bank in 2007. Doug also founded and served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IPI Skyscraper, which became the largest mortgage broker in the Northeastern U.S. before its private sale.

De La Hoz was the Senior Vice President lending team at the Intersect Fund, a non-profit micro-lender and certified CDFI based in New Brunswick, NJ that provides training, coaching and capital to low-income, minority and women-owned businesses throughout the state of New Jersey. After being granted a Change Maker of the Year 2011 award, he was recently promoted due to his outstanding performance as Senior Loan Officer, a position he held since 2011, and as Spanish Program Coordinator since 2010.

His responsibility is to grow a portfolio of Latino entrepreneurs, small business owners and startups seeking capital. De la Hoz then helps them develop a business plan and follow up on their operation through training and consultation to ensure successful outcomes.

When he is not preparing tax returns or engaging small business owners in training or funding opportunities, De La Hoz works tirelessly to help his fellow Hispanic entrepreneurs. This year, he joined the board of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ) after being granted the Business Advocate of the Year Award in 2012, a distinction for corporate and government advocates, who have contributed to and demonstrated exemplary excellence and leadership in business. He has helped with the development of the new web page and the social media presence of the chamber.

Prior to founding CIG, Gerry held high-level positions at the New Jersey Department of Treasury, serving under as Assistant State Treasurer and Director of the Legislative Affairs Unit which assists and oversees the annual budget process.  Working with Republicans and Democrats alike, the legislative unit also handled legislator’s constituent requests.  While at Treasury, he helped implement the State Alternative Investment Program which invested a portion of the State’s $70 billion pension portfolio to outside money managers and oversaw the Division of Public Finance, Pensions and Investments.

Gerry was a presidential appointee in the Clinton Administration from 1996-2000. He has also has extensive political campaign experience serving as senior adviser to many legislative and gubernatorial candidates and national advance staff member for President William J. Clinton’s re-election campaign.

Her past clients include major chain retailers, spirits companies, national theme and amusement parks, pharmaceutical firms, and nutrition and wellness companies. Her policy areas of expertise
include financial services, tax, trade, border security, transportation and infrastructure, and crisis management.
Featured in Washingtonian magazine in “Success Stories of Washingtonians of Latino and Hispanic Descent” and identified as a “Top Lawyer,” “Power Player,” and “Most Influential 40 and Under Leader” in other regional publications, Cristina provides insider advice on how public policy is created and communicated. As a founding member and former President of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association and a long stint as the interim CEO of the non‑profit Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Cristina has served as both a leader and an advocate, promoting communication, ethics, education, and bipartisanship.
Before transitioning to government relations, in the early 2000s Cristina worked as a Wall Street investment banker and wealth management advisor at major Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. She also served as a legal fellow with the Senate Democratic Steering Committee, then chaired by former Sens. Hillary Clinton (D‑NY) and Tom Daschle (D‑SD).
Today, Cristina is active in charitable work, contributing her business acumen, political savvy, and trademark hustle on the Board of Directors of the CHCI, serving under Chairman Ruben Gallego (D‑AZ), as well as the board of the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Action Fund supporting conservation of endangered species and habitats. Cristina further serves on the finance committee for the March of Dimes’ annual Gourmet Gala, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars boosting maternal and infant health worldwide. Finally, Cristina is also on the Board of Directors for her alma mater, the Brooks School in North Andover, MA, and volunteers with Common Threads, focusing on nutrition education for children.
A native Spanish speaker, Cristina was born in Dallas and graduated from Georgetown University and the George Washington University Law School. She is married with two young daughters, Havana and Brooklyn, who are fiercely loyal to any client that provides toys…or snacks…or anything with glitter.

He is a Vice-President of NaLEC (The National Latino Evangelical Coalition), an advocacy group that focuses on improving the quality of life of all people by addressing key national and global issues such as poverty, immigration, and education. He is one of the co-founders of Jersey City Together, the leading and most influential community organization in Hudson County.
He was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to serve as the Chair of the New Jersey Puerto Rico Commission for Relief. Pastor Joshua holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from Nyack College, graduated with honors from the Alliance Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree and has an earned Doctoral degree in Global Leadership from Nyack College. He is a dynamic and energetic speaker who has inspired and empowered people in many nations of the world. Joshua and his wife Paula have four children and live in New
Jersey.

Her firm, based in New York City with offices throughout the U.S. and Latin America, offers big-data analytics, business consulting and marketing strategies for companies to successfully turn cultural trends into profits. Her proprietary methodologies of Cultural Intelligence™ and ability to use big data and artificial intelligence tools to discover cultural insights globally, have been presented and featured by The United Nations, The World Economic Forum, Harvard University, among others.

She is a regular TV commentator seen on Fox News, Fox Business and CNN en Español, and has been featured by Forbes, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, The NY Daily News, MM&M, among others. She is also the recipient of many awards including the highest recognition to a Latino entrepreneur in the U.S., 2018 Hispanic Businessperson of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Top 40 Under 40 by PODER Magazine, 2018 Women of Excellence Award, Top 50 Healthcare Influencers by PRWeek, among others.

Lili is an advocate to minority and women-owned businesses contributing to initiatives at The United Nations, The World Economic Forum, The White House and around the world. Lili serves as a board member of the Harvard Women’s Leadership Board, National Board of Directors of the YMCA USA and mentor to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program. In 2017 she was appointed by Governor Cuomo to join the New York State Council on Women and Girls and Mayor Bill de Blasio to join the NYCx Technology Leadership Council. Lili is also the creator of the entrepreneurship platform Dreamers Ventures designed to empower minorities and women in the U.S. and Latin America.

She holds a degree in Business Administration from Southwestern Adventist University, completed foreign studies at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado and an executive degree from the Harvard Kennedy School in Global Leadership and Public Policy. She lives in New York with her husband Chris Valletta and her two sons.

Miranda is also able to, by drawing on years of experience and relationships in the public and private sector to help companies expand their operations and customer base. One of Miranda’s highest achievements was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of the State of New Jersey in 2003, he was proud to be the highest ranking Latino appointment in the history of the state’s executive office. Miranda works to develop a platform that enhances his ability to apply his passion to the initiatives he is involved in.

Mr. Miranda chairs the advisory boards to Broadway League’s Viva Broadway, and the Caribbean and Latin American Studies Department at the CUNY Graduate Center. He and his family have supported the relief efforts in Puerto Rico following the destruction of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. They have actively fundraised for the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS for Puerto Rico program, raising over $43M to date for community organizations throughout the island. In honor of HAMILTON’s historic run in Puerto Rico in 2019, the Miranda family, the producers of HAMILTON, and the Flamboyan Foundation have partnered to create the Flamboyan Arts Fund, with the goal of raising $15 million dollars for arts and culture on the island. He earned his BA degree from the University of Puerto Rico and pursued graduate work in psychology at New York University. He and his wife Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda have been married for 41 years and have two adult children, Luz Miranda-Crespo and Lin-Manuel Miranda. They reside in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights/Inwood.

Nolasco obtained a bachelor’s degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia, and was chosen to participate in the fashion program at the acclaimed SACI School of art in Italy. Stella is a household name in Puerto Rico where her work receives near constant media coverage. Stella’s line has been featured at trend setting and luxurious department store Neiman Marcus.

Stella attended for the first time Atmosphere, at the Paris fashion week. Her line was immediately snatched up by famous European department store Gerard Darel and many international boutiques in Dubai, Rome, Kwait, Paris, Japan, Spain.

In 2011 Stella had her first painting exhibition; Las Sombras De Una Mujer, at the recognized art gallery, Obra, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Recently Stella collaborated with the Hollywood actor, and fashion designer, John Malkovich, for his line, Technobohemian, fashion show in Puerto Rico.

Her designs have been worn by such celebrities as Beyonce Knowels, Eva Longoria, América Ferrera, Kelly Reyley, Cote de Pablo, Elisabeth Rohm, Juliette Lewis (Oscars), Sidney Sierota (EcoSmith), Kristin Maldonado (Pentatonix- Grammys), Joy Nadamas (Jesse and Joy), Kelsea Ballerini (Country Music Awards), Agueda López, Dayanara Torres, Thalia, Roselyn Sánchez, Kany García, Danna Paola, Denise Quiñones, Zuleyka Rivera, Robin Thede, Gus Birney (Netflix), Katie Lowes (Scandal), Shakira Barrera (Glow),  Issa Rae (HBO), Dasha Polanco (Orange is the New Black), Laverne Cox (Golden Globes), John Leguizamo .

Stella Nolasco is one of the few latino designers to present her collection three times under the official agendaof The New York Fashion Week. Along with designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Ángel Sánchez and Carolina Herrera. Currently has her boutique, (787) 723-2897, at 310 Ave. De Diego, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

While on the Board of Freeholders he served as Chairman of the Tourism & Cultural Affairs – Economic Development & Housing and Personnel Committees while also serving as a member of the Public Safety, County Government Oversight & Policy, Family Services, Finance, Budget & Administration and Purchasing Committees along with serving as the HCIA Liaison and Hudson County’s representative on the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC).

Maldonado’s career spans over 35 years of law enforcement and public service experience including his recent position as Deputy Executive Director of the Hudson County Improvement Authority. Prior to that, he served a four-year term as Councilman for the Downtown Ward of Jersey City along with three terms as Chairman to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. He is also the former Chairman of the Jersey City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, having served in that capacity for a consecutive four years in a row at that time.

Maldonado’s career in law enforcement included seven years as a Detective with the County Prosecutor’s Office and two years with the Narcotics/Gambling Strike Force. In 1985, he was promoted to Senior Detective and assigned to the newly created Special Investigations Unit. There he specialized in white collar and organized crime investigations. He is a former member of the elite Emergency Services Tactical Unit having concluded his training at the prestigious Prince George County Police Academy located on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

Throughout his life, Maldonado has been an involved citizen in the Jersey City community. He served as President/Founder of the Fiestas Patronales Committee, an organization that cultivated educational and cultural programs benefitting the Hispanic community and that supported organizations such as the Catholic Charities Relief Fund, UNICEF International, the Roberto Clemente Little League, COBRA Baseball League, the Jersey City Boys Club and the anti-drug treatment program Hogar Crea.

Maldonado has served as President and advisor to the Jersey City Puerto Rican Parade Committee and has been an active member of the Mid-Hudson American Kiwanis Club, the Hispanic Law Enforcement Association of Hudson County, the Roberto Clemente Little League and the Knights of Columbus Paulus Hook Council #475.  He has also served as a member of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, a Jersey City Committeeman and Democratic Ward Leader.  He has been a member of the Statewide Latino Task Force, Lambda Sigma Upsilon Fraternity National Board of Directors, National Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Hispanic Elected Local Officials.

Maldonado has resided in Jersey City for nearly his entire life. He is a graduate of Jersey City’s Public School # 39 and James J. Ferris High School.  Maldonado served in the United States Navy having been selected Company Honor Man at his graduation ceremony for finishing top of his class.  He attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick and is the proud father of Eric and Kelly Anne Maldonado.