At the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC), it is our mission to be the premier advocate for more than 125,000 Hispanic-owned small businesses and more than 2 million Hispanic consumers statewide. We promote the success of minority-owned businesses by facilitating business relationships, economic development, market intelligence, advocacy and sharing education stimulate the state’s economy and the success of our chamber members. We are a valuable and trusted resource to our corporate and strategic partners and we are committed to serving our members’ needs by empowering them to prosper at the state, national and global business levels. We provide a variety of programs and services to meet them where they are in their business life cycle. Our metric is the success of our members, sponsors and staff in our commitment to achieving excellence by fostering a spirit of teamwork, collaboration, caring and mutual respect.
Our President and CEO, Monica S. Villalobos, was selected for this leadership role after serving as the Vice-President and Foundation Executive Director for seven years. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic growth initiatives of the chamber. The AZHCC is also the operator of the Phoenix Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center; NABEDC serving the American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities in AZ, UT, and NV; and Ascend Phoenix funded by JP Morgan Chase Foundation. Monica has also always been rooted in her Catholic faith and has served on Bishop Olmsted’s Together Let Us Go Forth (Juntos Sigamos Adelante) recent Campaign board and served as emcee for the campaign launch gala, whose mission was to raise $100 million dollars within three years to support initiatives in religious education, build schools, help people in need as well as strengthen parishioners ties to the church. With strong credentials in education herself, Villalobos demonstrates that valuing great education requires commitment from the whole family and community. Soon-to-be Dr. Villalobos explains, “Catholic education has long been at the center of my life and taught me how to be a servant leader. From my mother who was a teacher in Catholic schools for 30 years to my own Catholic school education and now to my son’s who attend Catholic school, no one does well-rounded education better than the Catholic Church.”
Our flagship research publication DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market, we know that of all K-12 students in AZ, 46% are Latino. Further, the data from June 2009 to June 2019 indicates that Latino businesses grew by 34%. The correlation between the growth of the population making Arizona a minority majority state by 2040 and the impact it will have on all small businesses in Arizona is clear and we will need a strong, educated workforce to drive the state’s economy.
We value our partnership with Catholic Education Arizona as well as their membership at the AZHCC. They play a crucial role in helping families attain tuition scholarships for Catholic education. With many success stories and support from the Diocese of Phoenix and other community partners, they are a significant part in providing great education for our future business and community leaders of Arizona. We especially appreciate the role of Dr. Maria Chavira, Chancellor at the Diocese of Phoenix as a well respected board member, who not only assists the bishop with key leadership but serves as a liaison for business matters.
The AZHCC looks forward to our continued partnership with CEA and are excited to see how education continues to play a role in the growth of our state. We are honored to be part of the nconversation and we know that together, we can continue to pave the way forward. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out our Website, for up-to-date information about AZHCC.
