Saul Alvarado ’00

Chair

Saul Alvarado serves as vice president of facilities at E&I Cooperative Services.  In this position, he is responsible for developing the strategic framework to improve growth and utilization of the company’s facilities category contract portfolio, with a focus on establishing, enhancing and negotiating regional and national contracts for higher education and K-12 markets.

Before joining E&I, Alvarado held various leadership positions, including senior national sales manager, at W.W. Grainger, Inc., where he led the company’s largest education contract, with over 1,800 customers nationwide. In Southern California, he served as district sales manager and government sales manager for Grainger Public Sector West, where he led a top performing team of sales professionals.

Prior to joining Grainger in 2009, Alvarado was managing partner at Pinnacle AGI. His primary responsibility was representing private and public clients on investment, procurement and economic development projects. He has also served as a senior business/economic advisor to three Los Angeles mayors; in this role, he oversaw various city investments and public procurement contracts that ultimately benefited the public and business communities.

Alvarado’s philanthropic efforts are focused on education, human health and development. He currently serves on the board of directors of L.A.’s The Midnight Mission, which provides 12-step recovery, family living, job training, education and workforce development programs. In addition, he has served on the board of trustees of the California Masonic Foundation, which is making a profound difference for public schools across California.

Alvarado graduated from the USC Price School of Public Policy with a bachelor’s degree in public policy & administration. He is also a graduate of the Southern California Leadership Network Class XIV.

Yasmin Davidds ’95

Vice Chair

Yasmin Davidds is a social entrepreneur, organizational psychologist and CEO of the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation, the Women’s Institute of Negotiation and the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute; these organizations are dedicated to the teaching, instruction and development of leadership competencies of women in professional, corporate and entrepreneur settings. Davidds’ commitment to the empowerment and development of all women leaders has brought her recognition and acclaim from the U.S. Congress, the California State Senate and the California State Assembly. She has been recognized and highlighted as one of the top “Leading Latinas” by Hispanic Magazine and as one of the most influential Latinas in The Book of Latina Women.

As one of the top female negotiation experts in the U.S. and Latin America, Davidds has trained and consulted thousands of corporate leaders in over 200 blue chip companies throughout 22 countries. Her clients have ranged from senior judges to tribal leaders, from unionized prison guards to accountants, and from public officials to diplomatic trainees. Her practical experience includes a wide range of public and private sector efforts in Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, England, France, Spain, South Africa and the U.S. She has also helped lead intervention and assistance programs for disputing parties and advised corporate, nonprofit and governmental teams on how to prepare for important negotiations. Her fourth bestselling book, YOUR OWN TERMS: A Women’s Guide To Taking Charge Of Any Negotiation, is part of the core curriculum for the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management’s Executive Education Women’s Leadership and Negotiation Certificate Program.

In addition, Davidds’ executive, entrepreneur and millennial programs have impacted and transformed the lives and careers of more than 5,000 professional women worldwide. A USC Marshall School of Business graduate with a degree in business entrepreneurship, Davidds went on to receive her master’s degree in women studies and her doctorate in organizational psychology. In 2013, she developed and launched the first Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Program in partnership with the USC Marshall School of Business.

Luis Campa ’02

Secretary

Luis Campa is the vice president of sales for M Chemical Co., a privately-owned manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals. He works with chemists to formulate different compounds to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including the aerospace, pharmaceutical, consumer electronics and military sectors.

A USC McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) program scholarship recipient, Campa earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, with a minor in business from the USC Marshall School of Business, in 2002. He currently serves on the NAI’s board of councilors and is the founder and president of the NAI’s alumni association. In addition, Campa supports his fraternity, Beta Gamma Nu. In 2019, he received a USC Alumni Association Widney Alumni House Volunteer Award in recognition of his dedicated service.

In his free time, Campa enjoys hosting USC football game tailgates, training in Japanese Jujitsu, attending concerts and traveling.

Ismael Bautista ’03

Ismael Bautista is a senior counsel at SoCalGas, where he advises on wide-ranging compliance and regulatory matters, including renewable energy projects, and represents the company before the California Public Utilities Commission. He earned a BA as a dual major in economics and philosophy from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He also received a JD from the UCLA School of Law, where he served as a managing editor for the Chicano-Latino Law Review.

As a USC undergraduate, Bautista interned for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard via the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C.; he also served as president of the Latino Honor Society. A former LAA Scholar, Bautista was a 2003 nominee for the LAA’s John R. Hubbard Award. Bautista graduated as a USC Renaissance Scholar and was awarded the Order of Troy. Following graduation, he became an active member of the LAA’s Young Leaders Council.

A past chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s International Law Section, Bautista has been a member of the American Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Mexican American Bar Association. He has also served on various committees and boards, including the UCLA School of Law Marco Firebaugh Dream Fund, and Students, Educators, and Lawyers for Access to a Legal Education. In 2004, he created the Bautista Scholarship at his alma mater, Hawthorne High School, for deserving graduating seniors.

Prior to joining SoCalGas in January 2020, Bautista worked for national law firms, advising domestic and international clients in several areas, including business transactions and disputes, complex litigation, employment, intellectual property, international trade and probate. He tried more than 15 cases, including six as lead counsel. Bautista also volunteered his services to indigent clients as pro bono counsel in immigration, landlord-tenant and probate matters.

Having attended six years of grade school in Mexico, Bautista is fluent in Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys playing competitive soccer, wine tasting and spending time with his wife and daughters.

Rosa Bravo ’86, MS ’92

Rosa Bravo is a senior technology professional with more than 20 years of experience delivering innovative and transformative solutions for the government, as well as the education, health & life sciences, consumer goods and utilities industries. A former Accenture executive, she now provides strategic and market development guidance to clients in the technology and social impact sectors.

A once-aspiring astronaut, Bravo brings curiosity, energy and passion to advancing STEM and education in underserved communities. She is also a thoughtful diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leader and lends her support and experience to Latino students and technical professional communities. Bravo serves on the boards of A Thousand Joys and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall.

A double USC Viterbi School of Engineering alumna, Bravo earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering and industrial & systems engineering, respectively. In 2019, Great Minds in STEM presented Bravo its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her vision, leadership and contributions to the community.

Alma R. Burke ML ’15

Alma Burke is the president and CEO of Burke Consulting Group LLC. She previously served as the assistant chief of operations and the director of the bureau of investigations at the USC Department of Public Safety. 

Burke has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience and began her career with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1996. During her tenure at the LAPD, she worked in patrol operations, undercover gang/narcotics, vice and human trafficking investigations, sexual assault, homicide investigations, use of force and critical incident investigations, public housing/community safety, and in-service training at the police academy. At the police academy, Burke and her team trained over 9,000 local and national law enforcement officers in tactics, command and control, de-escalation, mental health response, tactical communications and non-lethal weapons training. She continues to teach executive leadership and employee wellness throughout the country.

Burke is the former president of the Los Angeles Women Police Officers Organization, the current vice president of the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, the co-chair of programs and advocacy with the California Women of Homeland Security, the public safety advisor for the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club, and a distinguished member and speaker of the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives. The daughter of farm workers and is a first-generation Latinx college student, Burke serves as a mentor for USC students.

Burke earned a master’s degree in executive leadership and management studies from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in organizational change leadership at the USC Rossier School of Education.

Robert Campos ’91

Robert Campos is a proud member of the LAA Board of Directors who served on both the 2019 LAA Gala and golf committees. He has also volunteered his time and energy for Homecoming activities and served as a mentor to LAA scholarship recipients. Campos graduated in 1991 from the USC Marshall School of Business with a marketing emphasis. While attending USC, he was a member of the Trojan Marching Band (TMB), the inaugural Laker Band and the Disneyland All-American College Band. Campos is currently a charter member of the TMB Alumni Association and a member of the TMB 2020 Gala Committee.

In addition to his involvement with the TMB, Campos is  a member of Cardinal and Gold, the USC Dornsife Dean’s Circle and the Interfraternity Parents Council (IFPC). He is also a supportive alumnus of his fraternity, Theta Xi.

A paper industry executive with more than 25 years of experience, Campos is an account manager of tax-supported businesses for Liberty Paper, based in Los Angeles. Previously, he represented Zellerbach, International Paper, xpedx and Veritiv. Campos recently led a presentation about leveraging modern technology to improve the customer experience at Liberty Paper’s regional sales meeting, and received the company’s Greatest Gross Profit Increase and Achievement Award, which included a trip to Hawaii.

A native Californian, Campos grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He is married to fellow Trojan and TMB member, Kathleen, a USC Dornsife alumna, whom he met during their freshman year at USC. Their son, Devon, is currently a USC junior majoring in environmental studies.

The Campos family lives in Valencia with their two Abyssinians, Elliot and Frankie. They enjoy eclectic music, the Hollywood Bowl, traveling and their beloved Trojans.

Sonia Endler ’97

Sonia Endler has worked in the media industry for 20+ years. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President, TV finance at MGM. In her present role, she leads finance functions for TV content and TV distribution while partnering with senior leadership to drive growth. Prior to joining MGM in 2017, Sonia served as Chief Financial Officer for WGN America and Tribune Studios at Tribune Media for two years. Before Tribune Media, Sonia was Head of Finance at Whalerock Industries, Vice President of Finance at Fox Sports Media group, Director of International Business Operations at E! Networks, and held several senior financial analyst roles at Paramount Pictures.

She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Sonia was born and raised in Lima, Peru. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Mauro Martinez Jr.

Mauro Martinez Jr. is the CEO of HIT Mobile, Inc., a T-Mobile dealer with stores catering to the Latino community throughout Central California, as well as Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. In 2012, the Latin Business Association recognized HIT Mobile, Inc. as the Business of the Year. Two years later, the Los Angeles Business Journal named HIT Mobile, Inc. “Latino Business of the Year” for 2014.

Prior to founding HIT Mobile, Martinez was an AT&T executive for 10 years. While at AT&T, he was tasked to build and develop the model for AT&T to target the Latino consumer; his plan was very successful and was eventually used as the national model for the telecommunications giant. During this time, Martinez also teamed up with the charity Padres Contra el Cancer to develop a program that helped raise over $450,000 in its first two years to help the charity.

Martinez is very active in the Latino community and has served on several boards, including the Latin Business Association (LBA) Corporate Advisory Board. He has also served on the USC Latino Alumni Gala committee since 2017.

A California State University-Dominguez Hills graduate, Martinez earned his certificate in advanced management in telecommunications from USC Marshall School of Business in 2007. He is a proud father of three who enjoys watching all his kids’ games with his spouse. In his spare time, Martinez plays golf and soccer competitively.

Frank F. Medina MPA ’75

Frank F. Medina was born, raised, and lived in the Los Angeles area all his life. He has worked all his professional career in the Los Angeles area except for two years that he served in the United States Army.

Actively involved in his community, Medina serves(d) on the board of directors for the American Red Cross, Selective Service System Local Board, Executive Latino Leadership Association, American Society of Public Administrators/Past, and the fundraising committee of the Latin Business Association/past, USC Latino Alumni Scholarship Review Volunteer (2 years).

Medina retired as Program Director for the Community Development Commission County of Los Angeles and administers the Traffic Administration Services (TAS) department in June 2018 after 17 years. He directed the operations of administrative support in 19 courthouses in the Los Angeles Superior Court Jurisdiction. He oversaw the financial administration, staff deployment, customer relations, and court liaison for the department.

He launched Eagle Consultant Services (ECS) in 1998, to offer clients his expertise in contract management, labor and contract compliance, government affairs, and diversity counseling. Among the projects he currently manages include developing the small business outreach efforts and procedures for the Metropolitan Council/Metro Transit St. Paul, Minnesota; executing the Southern California Hispanic Community Outreach efforts of the California High-Speed Rail Authority; is working on a research project for the Transportation Research Board under the Transit Cooperative Research Program on managing transit’s workforce in the New Millennium; and conducting sexual harassment and diversity training for organizations such as the Chicana Service Action Center. Clients often call on Medina to counsel on business development and government relations issues.

Prior to launching ECS, Medina was the Director of Interagency Programs for Los Angeles’ Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). In this capacity, he established and managed reciprocity agreements with numerous transportation agencies, and supervised the MT A’s Transportation Business Advisory Council, comprised of representatives of the city’s various minority business associations. While at MTA, Medina was promoted to the position of Director of Equal Employment Opportunities offering him the opportunity to work with both small businesses and multi-million-dollar conglomerates. Among his responsibilities included supervising the agency’s small business certification program and contract compliance unit.

Medina honed his leadership and managerial skills while at the American Red Cross, where he served as Manager of Emergency Services and Training for the Central East District. He directed the emergency centers during the’ 89 Loma Prieta Earthquake in Northern California, the ’86 floods in Oklahoma, and the ’86 Los Angeles earthquake.

Medina has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He is married to Patricia Perez, has three children, and lives in Eagle Rock, California.

Laura Peralta MPA ’10

Vice President, Community and Business Development JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Laura joined JPMorgan Chase as Vice President of Community and Business Development in 2021. Prior to joining the Chase family, Laura worked as Vice President of Community Development at Citibank, where she managed public-private partnerships and funded nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities to help close the racial wealth gap. Laura has an extensive background in government relations through her work as Policy Deputy at the Los Angeles City Council, Program Manager for Diversity Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. where she served as a political appointee for President Barack Obama, and as Director of Local Government Relations at California Grocers Association.

Peralta holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of California, Irvine. Laura is the immediate past Board Chair of the USC Price Alumni Association, currently serves on the USC Alumni Association – Los Angeles Regional Advisory Group, and she enjoys mentoring Price students and alumni.

Laura is from Argentina, so she naturally loves steak, red wine and futbol.

Lorena C. Ramos ’03

Lorena Ramos has extensive experience working in the food and beverage industry. She currently serves as the Account Executive II at Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Company (RCCB). With more than 16 years of experience in the beverage industry, Lorena offers a comprehensive knowledge of marketing operations, administration, and technologies. Supporting the success of young female leaders is a personal passion for her and has recently gain recognition from RCCB, in partnership with Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, for her commitment in supporting women in leadership. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Lorena served as Market Manager with Bacardi USA for five years. She was also Retail Sales Representative with Nestle USA for two years and worked with Team Enterprises USA as the Hispanic Market Manager.

A Los Angeles native, Lorena earned her Bachelor of Science from USC Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in Global Management in 2003. To complement her professional background, she has elevated her personal growth by attaining a certificate within the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 1. Lorena is also a supportive alumnus of her sorority, Sigma Theta Psi. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Erick, also a USC alum.

Tricia Sanchez ’91

Tricia Sanchez is Co-Founder and Visionary of C3 Tech, an IT and office technology company in Santa Ana, California. Tricia grew up in Santa Ana, CA where her humble beginnings sparked her hard work and determination to make her own way in the world.

Tricia attended USC on a full scholarship and after graduation, began her career in copier sales and soon became a top sales representative in Southern California. During this time, she gained valuable business experience and meaningful relationships, yet as the industry evolved she saw an opportunity to bring back genuine quality service so in 1994, she founded C3 Tech. Since that day, C3 Tech’s philosophy has been centered around client success: providing best-in-class products and services, as well as on-demand office support. In fact, we believe so strongly in client-centricity that we put it in our name (Client-Centric Consulting).

Being in the industry for 27 years, Tricia continues to advocate for minority women in business. Tricia strives not only to provide the best IT and office technology service for her clients, but to be an impactful professional in Southern California.

Lupita Sanchez Cornejo ’94, MPA ’96

Lupita Sanchez Cornejo is the director of external affairs for AT&T, overseeing legislative and community affairs for the Greater Los Angeles region. She is responsible for executing local strategies that achieve corporate legislative and regulatory objectives; presenting company positions to external stakeholders in key issue areas; and managing community partnerships with nonprofit organizations, philanthropic and corporate social responsibility and consumer advocacy communities. She heads a team who works with policymakers across the Los Angeles region on AT&T’s new technology deployment and infrastructure investment. For over 18 years, she has been a valuable part of the AT&T family, advancing the company’s public policy and philanthropic initiatives through a variety of leadership positions with community and business organizations.

Cornejo earned a BA in political science from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and an MPA from the USC Price School of Public Policy. In 1994, she was named to USC’s Order of Troy for her academic excellence, leadership and extraordinary service and commitment to the university community.