Carmen Herrera-Mansir, Kristin Johnson, and Nancy Swift will term off at the end of 2023. Please join us in thanking them for their service.
Below find information on the candidates and scroll down for the ballot.
For the 2024 CAMEO Board of Directors, the CAMEO Nominating Committee nominates the following candidates:
- Brett Melone, Chief Business Strategies Officer, California FarmLink
- Daniel Fitzgerald, Regional Director, San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network
- Hilda Kennedy, Founder/President, AmPac Business Capital
- Sophia Kanaan, Women’s Business Center Director, California Capital FDC
Each nominee, if elected, agrees to serve a three-year term through 2024.
The following Board members are renewing for another term:
- Jesse Torres, Founder/CEO, ArroyoWest
- Juan Aquino, West Region Lead Senior Manager, Capital One Bank
- Yery Olivares, Chief Operating Officer, Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
The nominees represent CAMEO’s goals as stated in the bylaws to achieve a geographic, gender, racial and cultural diversity and for at least half of the board to be composed of program practitioners.
Brett Melone
Impact-oriented non-profit executive with more than 15 years of experience leading and designing local, national and international projects, programs and organizations. Highly skilled administrator, fundraiser and team builder, adept at building and sustaining multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary collaborations. Science and practice-based knowledge of agricultural production, resource stewardship, sustainability, social enterprise and knowledge transfer.
Daniel Fitzgerald
The success of small businesses and helping underserved entrepreneurs create generational wealth has been my north star for over 15 years. I have developed large organizations and partnerships to achieve this mission regionally, statewide, and nationally.
Hilda Kennedy
As the Director of Economic & Business Development for the City of Inglewood, I established & implemented a $45 million loan fund with funds from the U. S. Department of Housing & Urban Development & matching funds from Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco member bank. My passion is working with small business owners providing them with every possible advantage. When not working, I enjoy spending time with family, mentoring others & contributing to my community.
Sophia Kanaan
Sophia joined California Capital in 2015 as a program coordinator for the Women’s Business Center and has advanced to her current position as the Director of the Women’s Business where she works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to provide capital and capacity to serve communities. Sophia strongly believes in the success of small business owners for the benefit of local economies and communities. She is a board member on the association of women’s business centers and participates on the California Womens Business Center Network steering committee to help advise around the development of programs and trainings for small businesses.