US Mexico Sister Cities Association

Board of Directors

Connie Goertz - President USMSCA

Sister City Represent - El Cajon, CA – Municipio de Comondu, Baja CA Sur, MX

Retired from City of San Diego City Attorney ’s office. Involved with Sister Cities programs & activities since 1975. Current Vice President of San Diego/Leon, GTO Sister Cities Society. Also, member of El Cajon , San Diego de Alcala, Azusa , Downey & Santa Barbara Sister City Committees.

Volunteer at Hamilton Glaucoma/Shiley Eye Center, Vietnam Veterans of S.D. and Volunteers of America . Junior Partner of Wits II Women’s Investment Club. Member of UCSD Oceanids, International Friends, Garden Club and Winetasters.

Robert Perez
USMSCA Vice-president

Frances Madrigal
USMSCA Secretary

Affiliation with Azusa Sister City/Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico

Member since 1968. President 2003 and 2004, Vice President 2005,Secretary 2006.Chair of Youth Exchanges and Adult Exchanges, Life member. Director, USMSCA board 2006.Education: Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics/Spanish, Master’s degree in Education

California Retired Teachers Association, 2nd Vice President-Membership, Glendora Seniors' Computer Club-Secretary.

Don Goertz Treasurer - Past President USMSCA

Represent – San Diego, CA – Leon, GTO Mexico

Graduate of Kansas State University (Architecture & Engineering) Member of AIA (American Institute of Architects & CSI (Construction Specifications Institute). Retired Navy Captain. Involved with Sister City Programs since 1975. Past President of USMSCA (two terms). Past President and member of San Diego International Affairs Board and Vice President of U.S./Mexico International Board. Member of San Diego/Leon, El Cajon, Azusa, Downey, San Diego de Alcala & Santa Barbara Sister City Committees. Volunteer at Vietnam Veterans of S.D. and Volunteers of America .

USMSCA Immediate Past President Gil Garcia

Represents – Santa Barbara, CA – Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Gil has been involved with the Santa Barbara/Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee since 1982. He is currently the Treasurer of his local sister city committee and was president in 1985, spearheading many long lasting programs.

He served as a City Councilmember of the City of Santa Barbara from 1992 to 2002. He received his license to practice architecture in California in 1972. He is the beneficiary of the University of California , Santa Barbara (UCSB) Honorary Alumni Award, and Santa Barbara News-Press 1996 Life Time Achievement Award recipient, 1993 Man of the Year Ad Club and various other civic awards and honors.

Remeca Amezcua - Director

Henry August - Director
Past President, United States/Mexico
Sister Cities Association, Inc.

George Barks Director

I live in Redondo Beach. Hermosa Beach Councilman 1974-1986. Mayor of Hermosa Beach 1975-1980-1985. US/MSCA Board Member 1987-present Vice President 2003, Hermosa Beach Sister City Association President 1988-1992. Sister City Involvement 1974-2005. 2 Children, I daughter, 1 son, 1 grandchild. member of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo beach Sister Cities.

Esther Caldwell
Director

Nereida Carrasco
Director

Ana Flores - Director
President - Paramount Sister Cities

Became member of Downey Sister Cities in 1992 and
was elected 2nd Vice President in 1995, in 1999 became the coordinator for San Quintin Baja California.
I joined Paramount-Tepic Sister Cities and elected President in 2000 to date.

2006 U.S.Mexico Sister Cities Board of Directors.

Employed by Los Angeles County for 28 years and retired on July 06, 2004.

Gustavo Guevara, Jr. - Director
www.laredotexas.gov/City_Sec/CitySec.htm

Represents - Texas for the US/MSCA - 2006

I have been involved with sister cities since 1990 as the Sister Cities Liaison for the City of Laredo. I am currently the City Secretary for the City of Laredo an office to which I was elected to in 1978 and left in 1980. I returned to office after getting elected again in 1990 and serving to the present. I organized Laredo's first Sister Cities Youth Committee in 2005. I founded the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival & Exposition which is now going into its 5th anniversary.I was elected to the board of directors of the Associacion Nacional de Cuidades Hermanas - Mexico in 2005 in Ixtapa, Mexico. Received a Bachelors degree in Business Administration at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas which is now known as Texas A&M -Kingsville.

Georgiana McLeod - Director

State Coordinator S.E. CA Region SoCal and Member, Strategic Planning Committee SCI, holds her BA from Whittier College and an M.S. in Administration from USC.

Her credentials, too numerous to list here in entirety, include:

Member, ACSA, Region XVII, Chair, WASC Accreditation Team, Chair ACSA Region XVII Jr. High School Committee, Chair Newport-Mesa USD Management Team, N-MUSD representative, ACSA Legislative Action Committee, Facilitator, Conference on Academic Excellence, Orange County Dept. of Education, NMUSD Liaison for Business Education Programs, CROP/ROP Steering Committee and Liaison, UC, Irvine/Newport-Mesa USD Student Teacher/Intern Program. Her Community Activities include Orange Co. Real Estate Board and Director & Member of Governmental Business and Education Committees. Her committee work and experience in national and international organizations for Sister Cities Relationships are also far too numerous to mention here.

Chuck Medicus - Director

I have been actively involved in the Sister City program since 1971 when the Palmdale/Poncitlan sister city association was first developed.

I have been President of the Palmdale Sister City Association for a total of three or more years ( I can't remember how many times) years and I am still on the board of this organization.

Our visitations with Poncitlan alternate, they come to Palmdale every other year and Palmdale sends a delegation to Poncitlan every other year. We have seen families grow, have children and their children have children this one strong indication the this PEOPLE TO PEOPLE program really works.

I have been on the US/MSCA National board either as a director or director at large for a total of 30 years and am still on the board this year. My commitment to US/MSCA is as strong as it was when I first became a member of the Sister City program.

Ralph Mundia - Director

My city is Downey and Santa Barbara. I was Past President of Downey Sister City. I have been in the Sister City program 18 years. I also served as Vice President on the National Board.

Rita Valenzuela - Director

In l995, as Mayor of Monterey Park , established a Sister City relationship with Morelia , Michoacan. Elected and serving as a Director of the National Board since 1999. Currently,Vice President of two city School Councils; Executive Secretary, Salesian Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles ; President, Monterey Park/Morelia Sister City Association; Monterey Park Councilmember (9 years), serving twice as Mayor.

Alice M. Vasquez - Director

Joined -July 1991. Board of Directors since 1997-98. Recording Secretary all other years. Joined National board in 2004.

Marjorie Voigt - Historian Past President margevoigt@aol.com

I was married for 54 years to George R. Voigt, Past International President, who died July 31, 1994. We were charter members of South El Monte Sister City Assn. I held offices in that organization before elected Treasurer and the President of USMSC. Our SEMSCA honored both George & me by initiating a Scholarship Fund for deserving seniors who plan to go to college. The US/Mexico Sister City Association office was in our Public Relations Office until my husband's death My husband helped write the original Bylaws & helped get the organization incorporated as a non-profit organization.

Dolores Covarrubias
Director at Large
Paramount, California

Michael Curd
Director at Large - Represents Tempe, AZ

Amparito Doolittle - Director at Large
Represents Hermosa Beach, CA

Annie Mundia
Director at Large

Jeff Failing - Director at Large
Laughlin ,Arizona

Pedro Martinez - Director at Large

Pedro R. Martinez was born in Porterville, on Feb. 6, 1988, and was raised in Woodville, California. He graduated from high school and entered Porterville college in 1988. He joined the U.S. Army in 1989. In Sept. 1990 he served in the Gulf War, "Operation Desert Storm" and received many service medals for his valor and performance. After his release for active service, he became a certified youth director in late 1993 and began his career in Killen, Texas. He was named "Hero of the City" in 1994 for his work in gang and drug prevention. In 1995 he returned to the Porterville area where he helped in developing informative forums on gang and drugs identification and prevention techniques. He has been recognized by many youth organizations and has received many awards for his contributions to youth and families in the Valley.

His desire to improve youth and lead by example led him on an ambitious pursuit to run for Congress. Although he did not win, he was able to provide many youth, as well as himself, an opportunity to develop skills in effectively working with people. This earned him the "Haciendo La Differencia en la Juventud" award from MAPA," Mexican American Political Association," Pedro was elected to the City Council in 2003, and continues to serve his community on the council.

Carlos Tejada - Director at Large

Represent: South El Monte, CA/ Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico.

Involved with South El Monte Sister Cities since 1987. Currently, the Treasurer of the South El Monte/Gomez Palacio Sister Cities Association. Partook in an student exchange program in 1987. Served as President, Vice-President and Youth President of the South El Monte Sister Cities Association. Elected to United States/Mexico Sister Cities National Board of Directors 1994 - 1999 and 2005 - present. Received a Bachelor Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.

Alfonso Contreras - Membership Director

Married with 4 children and 4 grandchildren. Presently serving as Director of the Upper San Gabriel Valley, Municipal Water District. Served 8 years as Director/President of Valley County Water District. Served as President of Baldwin Park/Tototlan Sister Cities for 5 years. Citizen of the year 2003, City of Baldwin Park. Former chair of the 57th District County Central Committee. 27 years with Southern California Edison.

Ernesto B. Villegas - International Relations
Director at Large

Ernesto has been participating in Sister Cities since 1983 and is a member of the Baldwin Park Sister Cities Association where he serves as Vice-President.

He currently serves as:
Mexico/US SC International Vice-President, Director of Mexico/US National Association, Director at Laredo of the US/Mexico SC Association, Rotary Club President in 1988-89 and Rotarian since 1984, member of the Board of Trustees for EMU High Schoo District 1993-2002, named Citizen of the Year in 1997 by the EM/SEM Chamber of Commerce. Real Estate Professional since 1976 and owns andn operates Villegas Realty since 1982. He is married to Bertha; daughters: Maritza, Marvella, and Vanessa.

Gilberto Venegas
WebMaster

Member of Downey Sister Cities Association since June 2001. On June 15, 2002 appointed as Ensenada representative. On May 20, 2003 received six awards by the City of Downey and the State of California for his volunteer work in Downey Sister Cities. On September 25, 2004 coordinated the Official affiliation between Downey, Ca. and Ensenada, BC. On June 15, 2005 became president of Downey Sister Cities. On January 14, 2006 appointed as official webmaster of US/México Sister Cities Association.

Professional Carreer:

Consulate General of México

From January 2000 to June 2007. In charge of The technical support services. Received recognition as employed of the month two consecutives years.

Venegas and Associates

On July 2007, start working as Real Estate Agent; just 3 months after, appointed as Real Estate Coordinator.

On January 2008 appointed as General Manager and Leader of International Projects.

On May 2008 appointed as Vice President and Corporate Officer in charge of the main office in Lakewood California, 2 branch Offices; one in Downtown Los Angeles and other in Rancho Cucamonga. Also, Project Leader for the International Office in Guadalajara.