Republican
National Hispanic Assembly
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The profile below on Hector Barreto appeared this
Sunday in the Washington Post. I'm glad to see accomplished Hispanic
entrepreneurs willing to serve our country and this administration with their
talents.
Those of you who live in the Seattle areas have
two opportunities to meet him this week. Hope you will come and show him that
there is a vibrant small business and an involved Hispanic community in our
state.
Pedro Celis
Republican National Hispanic Assembly
Washington State Chairman
First Person Singular
Hector V. Barreto Jr.- Head of the Small Business Administration, Washington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52812-2002Jul10.html I started working at my family's restaurants when I was 9 years old. When I
was like 9 or 10 years old, they'd give me the moneybag and say, "Go over there
to the bank and make a deposit. Bring back a deposit slip. And don't lose it."
Those early experiences, working in my family's restaurant, you learn a lot. I
think it's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about small business. I've
really lived it. When Reagan got elected in 1980, my father came to Washington to serve on the
transition team. I was 19 years old, and my father said, "I need you to start a
restaurant. I rented this place, and I need you to start it from scratch." In
Kansas City, there weren't many Hispanic people there at that time. Mexican food
was very exotic. He had gotten the building, gotten all the licenses. Before he
left, he gave me the keys to the building, and he said, "Open the restaurant." I
was just a kid. I was just starting college. He said, "You'll figure it out." It
was a lot of hard work because I was juggling full-time school and running this
restaurant. You know, you make a lot of mistakes, and you learn not to make
those mistakes again. In the beginning, I find that a lot of small business owners, myself
included, self-finance. The first thing they do is go through their savings. My
savings were eliminated. Then the second thing that happens is you go through
your retirement [savings]. And I did that. Then the third thing that you do is
you max out every credit card that you have. And I definitely did that. And then
you're left with trying to borrow some money, if you can. Entrepreneurs are
industrious. They find a way to make it work. --Interview by Cathy Areu Jones Bio from http://www.sba.gov/barreto/
HECTOR V. BARRETO By unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Hector V. Barreto as the 21st Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration on July 25, 2001. President Bush nominated him to the post. As SBA Administrator, Mr. Barreto directs the delivery of financial and business development programs to America's entrepreneurs. With a portfolio of direct and guaranteed business loans and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small business. Mr. Barreto has a long history in the corporate sector and the small business community. He's also distinguished himself as a passionate advocate for small businesses. As a young man, he helped his father manage a family restaurant, an export/import business and construction company. After receiving his B.S.B.A. degree in Management from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO., he worked for the Miller Brewing Company as the South Texas Area Manager. In 1986, he moved to California and founded Barreto Insurance and Financial Services, responding to the need for financial services for Southern California's rapidly growing population. He later launched an additional business as a securities broker/dealer specializing in retirement plans. Mr. Barreto is past chairman of the board for the Latin Business Association in Los Angeles. During his term, he increased membership by 50 percent, doubled revenues and increased procurement opportunities for the membership. He also founded a small business institute/incubator, which provides technical assistance, education and development opportunities to small businesses. Prior to becoming SBA Administrator, Mr. Barreto served as vice chairman of the board for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Barreto has received special recognition from the U.S. Congress, the California State Senate and Assembly, the County of Los Angeles, YMCA and American Red Cross. Hispanic Business Magazine has recognized him as one of America's "100 Most Influential Hispanics." Mr. Barreto is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. He and his wife Robin have a son and two daughters. |
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(The Washington Post)
![[Picture of Administrator Hector V. Barreto]](../../images/hbarreto.jpg)