By: Ashmar Mandou

Overseeing the progression of 300 businesses across the state is no easy feat. However, Jorge Perez, newly appointed executive director for the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), is elated and prepared to meet the challenge. “It is quite exciting because I do understand this long history that HACIA has in terms of its impact organizing and helping out contractors who are Hispanic and educating them,” said Perez. “Couple that with the fact that the name HACIA has a considerable amount of equity in community development…it’s quite a nice challenge to help reposition the organization for sustainability in the future.”

Reposition is the operative word for Perez, whose main challenge is to make sure HACIA helps minority-owned businesses stay afloat during downtrodden economic times. As Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel is a week away from inauguration, Perez, who is part of Emanuel’s Government Reinvention and Budget Committee, has his ears pressed to the ground. “With the new mayor coming in there is going to be considerable amount of changes,” said Perez. “The communication line is very important and we want to make sure we provide that to our members. During this difficult time, we want to remain optimistic that things will pick up and we will work closely with the new mayor on ways to make sure Chicago’s business sector continues to grow.”

Perez brings more than 17 years of management experience to HACIA. Perez previously served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Policy for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and as Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Aviation. In this position he led the redevelopment of the entire Concessions Program for O’Hare and Midway International Airports. Prior to his time in the public sector, Perez was President of the Calumet Area Industrial Commission, a private industrial membership organization based on the far south side of Chicago. Perez, a graduate of Roosevelt University, discovered his passion for economics and urban development when he worked as a young boy in his family-owned grocery store.

“My dad was a steel worker and my mother and I would help out at the store,” said Perez. “Working at the grocery store really served as my introduction to how businesses affect the quality of life and what happens to a community when a business folds.” In the next years, Perez witnessed the devastating affects of lost jobs and heard the stories of men struggling to find a way to support their family. “Back then there wasn’t a 90-day warning. So you had a lot of people losing their livelihoods. As a young kid I saw those changes first hand. Luckily, my father didn’t lose his job, but so many of his friends did,” said Perez. “I realized I wanted to learn a little more and I realized economics is what would help me look at neighborhoods, which then got me into urban development. Later on it helped me get my MBA in Loyola.”

As the new Executive Director for HACIA, every day presents new challenges for Perez. “I really have to make sure everything runs smoothly,” laughed Perez. “Everything from back office accounting work, to the actual membership services, membership attractions, membership retention…I kind of oversee all of that. And it’s really about working with our community and sharing the story of HACIA.”

Founded in 1979, as an advocacy organization, HACIA provides technical assistance to MBE, WBE and DBE firms with the goal of developing long-term sustainability and capacity. HACIA membership includes not only Hispanic firms and organizations, but other minority and women-owned enterprises as well. “It’s a pretty big challenge, but what we undertaken is….well, we always want to continually challenge ourselves as an organization and as a membership organization to get better at understanding our members and their needs. We need to be the eyes and ears at the city level because as well all know it’s all changing.” In the next year, Perez intends to focus on increasing membership and promoting advocacy so that minority-owned businesses have an environment to prosper. “HACIA is here to really help out and provide resources to our entrepreneurs and help entrepreneurs hone in on their targeted market. We want to create relationships so that no one feels they are navigating the business industry alone.” If you would like to learn more about HACIA, visit www.haciaworks.org.