Los Angeles LATINA Style Business Series
Thursday, April 12, 2012 – 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Betty Rengifo Uribe is the President of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce. During her twenty-five year career in the Financial Services industry, Betty has held senior level positions in Retail Banking, Business Banking, and Strategic Planning. Betty recently joined California Bank & Trust as Executive Vice President where she leads the Business and Personal Banking Division, which is comprised of branches and multiple business lending teams in the San Francisco, East Bay, Sacramento, Central Valley, Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, Antelope Valley, and Inland Empire. CB&T is a leading business and professional bank with more than 100 branches statewide and over $10 billion in assets (www.calbanktrust.com). Betty has owned and managed three businesses herself in Southern California and one in South America, so she has employed that entrepreneurial vision in her work-life.

She serves on several boards in California, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, and Texas.

Betty earned her bachelor's degree in psychology, with an emphasis in business from San Diego State University. She received her Executive MBA from Pepperdine University in Finance and Strategy, and is a graduate of the Consumer Bankers Association Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at University of Virginia, and a graduate of the Bankcard Management School.

She is a doctoral candidate at Pepperdine University in the Organizational Development Program. She speaks at national and international forums about how she has turned around large banking operations. Additionally Betty has spoken about values-based leadership in Hong Kong, Beijing, Hawaii, Colombia, Major forums in the US, and her work has been published in trade publications in the U.S., Thailand, Hawaii, and Canada.

She has been featured in many television and radio stations as one of the top ranking women in Financial Services in the United States. Uribe is a recipient of Pepperdine University's American Spirit Award, for her outstanding professional achievements and dedicated public service. A Colombian native, she was awarded a special recognition by the Colombian government for her service to the Colombian community in the U.S. In the last twelve months, Ms. Uribe was highlighted as Hispanic Business Magazine's top 25 Corporate Elite for 2010; she was awarded "Top Woman in Finance" and listed amongst the most Powerful Women in Finance by Women of Color Magazine. Ms. Uribe was also awarded the "Outstanding Public Service and Community Outreach Latina Decade Award" by Para Todos Magazine. Century City's Women's Business Council in Beverly Hills recognized her as a "Woman of Achievement". She has recently received commendations from Dianne Feinstein and Lou Correa from the US Senate, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for her efforts on behalf of local businesses and having a great impact on the State of California.

A native of Colombia, South America, and Ms. Rengifo Uribe came to the United States at the age of twelve, then grew up in Southern California and speaks Spanish fluently. A mother of three, she and her family reside in Chino Hills, California.

Norma A. Vega has recently joined the Washington D.C based Ibarra Strategy Group (ISG) as an Advocacy Consultant. She assists ISG with online advocacy, intergovernmental support and Latino community outreach. Previously, Norma served as Executive Director of the Office of the Census 2010 in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.  Norma developed a citywide educational and community outreach campaign that resulted in the highest Census mail participation rate than any other comparable city.  She also worked in the Mayor’s office as an Area Director where she served as the liaison to the community, civic groups, and city departments.

 Prior to joining the Office of the Mayor, Ms. Vega began her career at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) as a Paralegal.  Later as the Belmont Parent School Partnership Director, Ms. Vega organized parents to ensure the construction of the Ed Roybal Learning Center and the Vista Hermosa Park.  She then served as the National Parent School Partnership Trainer and worked with school districts, community groups, and local governments to effectively engage Latino parents.  At the same time, she worked with parents locally to develop and execute a successful grass-roots/legal organizing campaign to protect much-needed school construction funds and guarantee the construction of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools at the former Ambassador Hotel site.  

Norma Vega is a passionate and motivated community leader who has dedicated her career to advocating and organizing for social justice issues and enhancing the quality of life for under-served communities. She continues her volunteer work on various philanthropic, civic, and social justice projects.  She was awarded an American Marshall Memorial Fellowship and was the Co-Chair for Young Latino Professionals for Obama in 2008. Ms. Vega graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law & Society from the University of California, Irvine.  She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and raised in Los Angeles.  She now resides in Washington, D.C.