EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Since 2020, Guerrero has served as executive director of MCDC.  In this capacity, he is responsible for organizational operations and programming for the agency. Prior to joining MCDC, Alejandro was CEO/President of the VEDC, one of the largest community economic development organizations in the state of California. He is a member of Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR T Cell Therapy Collective - Hematology Global Patient Advocacy, tasked with developing solutions to barriers in cell therapy treatments for patients. He has secured funding and launched two business incubators in the underserved communities of Pacoima and Watts, both in Los Angeles.  He has also led the Women’s Business Center funded through a grant from the US Small Business Administration, and helped launch a credit union in an underserved community in Los Angeles with no brick and mortal financial institution within 20 miles of the center of the community. In 2018, Guerrero worked with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to launch the retail attraction of the “Mayor’s Great Streets Initiative” to help attract and retain businesses in underserved communities.  Guerrero has been active in community and civic activities and has served as a board member of Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center Foundation, the Valley Economic Alliance, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, and VICA.  He is also a Los Angeles County Foster Parent and a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth in Los Angeles County. As a construction executive, Guerrero has constructed several hospitals and clinics in the region. The majority of the clinics are in underserved communities such as East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, and rural areas with a primary population of migrant farm workers.

ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR

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As the administration director, Matsuda is responsible for general agency administrative functions such as marketing, communications, personnel management and compliance.  Prior to starting On Board in 2018, her own business and community consulting firm in 2018, Pegi Matsuda had extensive experience in corporate and small business operations, administration, management and leadership in numerous industries.  She was also the first director of economic and community development for a global telecommunications company with operations in the western United States.  As director, she created programs that helped corporate operations identify economic and community needs and led the company’s first regional “community needs assessment” to better understand communities and identified opportunities to help thrive and grow.  She also has experience working with health care community benefit programs which help hospitals better understand communities.  Her first experience in the Watts community was serving for  five years as a volunteer with the LA Watts Summer Games. As a student of cultural art in college,  Matsuda has made many trips to the Watts Towers to study its structure and preservation practices.

She’s a highly recognize community leader and has received a variety of recognition from local business and community organizations.  She has a MS in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University and a BS in Human Relations and Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco.  She also holds the designation as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (“CFRE”) from CFRE International and is one of only 8,000 global fundraising executives who has undergone the rigorous training to obtain the certification.

LENDING AND PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

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As Lending and Programs Director, Mel is responsible for leading, managing and directing all community lending programs and also directs all business technical assistance programs. Mel specializes in debt financing for minority-owned small businesses, implementing strategic plans and assisting clients to leverage debt for measured growth.  He is a founder of List Ventures, a Los Angeles-based community development financial institution consulting firm that developed trajectories to take companies from “survival” mode to profitable, growing enterprises.  Mel was also a business consultant under a Los Angeles city program that provided financial reporting, tax planning, IRS, FTB, capitalization, and resolving other barriers to business and economic growth.  He has experience working in manufacturing, wholesaling, retail, entertainment and organic food distribution, among others.  He is bilingual in English/Spanish and has international business consulting experience in Mexico, Guatemala, Columbia and Argentina. Mel is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management, Marketing Management and Research.  He is also a graduate of the Latino Business Action Network at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  Mel volunteers as soccer coach for at-risk youth in East Los Angeles.