Linda Alvarado (born 1952) is President and

Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

of Alvarado Construction, Inc., a large commercial and industrial general contracting/site management and design/build firm in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

. She is also President of Palo Alto, Inc. (a restaurant company), co-owner of the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

baseball team, and currently a member of the board of 3M.

Early life

Alvarado was born in

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. She attended

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. It is in the Pomona Valley, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 census it had a popu ...

where she graduated in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in economics. She was physically challenged at the age of 5, diagnosed with a

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin her ...

. She started the Alvarado company in 1976 with the help of her parents, given a loan of $2,500. The company started off by building concrete sidewalks and moved on to larger projects such as schools, stadiums, and aquariums. When she first opened her business, she was active on serving nonprofit boards, supporting minorities and developing stronger connections with the inner city. At the age of 27, she served on her first corporate board.

Career

Linda Alvarado founded her company, Alvarado Construction, in 1976 and continues to oversee the company as CEO. Considered to be one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the United States, Alvarado Construction has offices in four different states. Alvarado Construction is now one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the west, reporting a revenue of $41 million a year. She also holds director positions on 5 Fortune 1000 companies and sits on the boards of 3M, Pitney Bowes, the Pepsi Bottling group and Qwest Communications International. Alvarado co-owns the major league baseball franchise, the

. She is both the first Hispanic co-owner of a major league team and the first woman ever involved in a formal bid for ownership of a major league baseball team. Alvarado also owns many restaurant franchises in various states.

Awards and honors

*Sara Lee Corp.’s Frontrunner Award (1993), *

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brother ...

Business Woman of the Year (1996), *Designated one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America by Hispanic Business Magazine, *Member of the

President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics is a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high-quality education while increasing opportunitie ...

(1995–2001), *The 1996 U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year distinction, honored by the prestigious

Sara Lee Corporation The Sara Lee Corporation was an American consumer-goods company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. It had operations in more than 40 countries and sold its products in over 180 countries. Its international operations were headquartered in Utrec ...

Frontrunner Award, *The 2001

Horatio Alger Award The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...

, *Inducted into the

Colorado Women's Hall of Fame The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2020, 170 women have been inducted. History There was a short-lived recogniti ...

(2002), *Inducted into the

National Women's Hall of Fame The National Women's Hall of Fame (NWHF) is an American institution incorporated in 1969 by a group of men and women in Seneca Falls, New York, although it did not induct its first enshrinees until 1973. As of 2021, it had 303 inductees. Induc ...

(2003), *Named to the White House Commission for Hispanic Excellence in Education, *Named Woman of the Year by the Mexican American Foundation, *The National Women's Economic Alliance Director's Choice Award. *Nominated "Most Inspiring American Latino" by the American Latino T.V network.

Community Involvement

Alvarado supports initiatives to educate Latinos and helps to Latino women create business careers. She is a member of the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce, the National Network of Hispanic Women, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

References

External links

Linda Alvarado
Video produced by '' Makers: Women Who Make America''
Linda G. Alvarado
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarado, Linda G. 1951 births American women chief executives Living people American construction businesspeople Colorado Rockies owners Businesspeople from Albuquerque, New Mexico American women restaurateurs Pomona College alumni American corporate directors Women corporate directors 21st-century American women