Maria Contreras-Sweet (born 1955) is an American businesswoman and former government official who served as the 24th

Administrator of the Small Business Administration The administrator of the Small Business Administration is the head of the Small Business Administration of the United States. The administrator is responsible for managing and the day-to-day operations of the agency. The administrator is nominat ...

from 2014 to 2017. She was the executive chairwoman and founder of ProAmérica Bank, a commercial bank focusing on small to mid-sized businesses with a specialty in the Latino community. Born in

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, Contreras-Sweet immigrated to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and has since been involved in both the private sector founding a private equity firm and in public service as the California Secretary of Business, Transportation, and Housing under Governor

Gray Davis Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 37th governor of California from 1999 until he was recalled and removed from office in 2003. He is the second state governor ...

. On January 15, 2014, she was nominated by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

to join his Cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration. She was confirmed as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration by

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "by live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by respondin ...

on March 27, 2014. She assumed that role on April 7, 2014.

Early life and education

Born in

, Contreras-Sweet's family, including her mother and five siblings, immigrated to the United States when Contreras-Sweet was five years old. Her mother worked at a chicken packaging plant in El-Monte, California to support the family. Contreas-Sweet earned a bachelor's degree from

California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 m ...

Career

Private sector

7-Up / RC Bottling Company

Contreras-Sweet entered the private sector as the Director of Public Affairs for Westinghouse's 7-Up / RC Bottling Company and rose to Vice-President of Public Affairs. During her tenure with the company, they grew their portfolio to include other beverage companies such as

Evian Evian (, ; , stylized as evian) is a French brand that bottles mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. Evian is owned by Danone, a French multinational corporation. In addition to the miner ...

, Perrier, Sunkist,

Lipton Lipton is a brand named after its founder, Sir Thomas Lipton, Tom Lipton, who started an eponymous grocery retail business in the United Kingdom in 1871. The brand was used for various consumer goods sold in Lipton stores, including tea from 1 ...

, and several others. Contreras-Sweet became one of the leading corporate negotiators for the creation of the Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act of 1986 which introduced the California Redemption Value for bottles and the mass expansion of the recycling system in the state. Contreras-Sweet was a part of the management leveraged buy-out of the Bottling Company, becoming an equity partner.

Contreras-Sweet Company

Maria Contreras-Sweet started the Contreras-Sweet Company, a marketing and research consulting firm with a specialization in the Latino market. Her clients included

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...

Pacific Gas and Electric Company The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered at Kaiser Center, in Oakland, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 million households in the norther ...

Hoechst AG Hoechst AG () was a German chemicals, later life sciences, company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999. With the new company's 2004 merger with Sanofi-Synthélabo, it became a subsidiar ...

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

, and

Sempra Energy Sempra is a North American public utility holding company based in San Diego, California. The company is one of the largest utility holding companies in the United States with nearly 40 million consumers. Sempra's focus is on electric and natur ...

Fortius Holdings, LLC

After leaving public office, Contreras-Sweet joined with Edward P. Roski to form Fortius Holdings, LLC, a private venture capital firm that sought to invest in small business with an emphasis in Latino-owned and women-owned businesses.

ProAmérica Bank

In 2006, Contreras-Sweet became the Founding Chairwoman of the first Latino-formed commercial bank in California in over 35 years, ProAmérica Bank. ProAmérica Bank targets the small business community in Southern California. Maria Contreras-Sweet recruited such notable co-organizers as

Henry Cisneros Henry Gabriel Cisneros (born June 11, 1947) is an American politician and businessman. He served as the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 1981 to 1989, the second Latino mayor of a major American city and the city's first since 1842 (when Jua ...

, Edward P. Roski, Alex Chaves, and Solomon Trujillo. ProAmérica Bank's client base includes some of California's most important corporations, foundations, non-profits, and small businesses.

Public sector

State legislature

Contreras-Sweet first experienced public service as a secretary for Leo T. McCarthy when he was the Speaker of the California State Assembly. She used her time with him to gain exposure and understanding of the state legislative process. Recognized for her growing know-how and ambition, California Senator Joseph B. Montoya appointed Contreras-Sweet as field deputy where she engaged in constituency affairs, legislative analysis, and public policy proposals.

U.S. Census Bureau

After working for the state legislature, Contreras-Sweet joined the Department of Commerce as a District Manager for the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

's Decennial Count in 1979. There, she was responsible for over 800 employees and the accurate count of the South East portion of Los Angeles County.

California Cabinet Secretary

Contreras-Sweet was appointed by Governor

to be Cabinet Secretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BTH), becoming the first Latina to be named Cabinet Secretary in United States history. During her 5-year term, Contreras-Sweet was the longest serving BTHA secretary, overseeing 44,000 employees, a $14 billion budget, and 14 state departments. Her projects included: * Creating of the Department of Managed Health Care and its accompanying Office of Patient Advocate * Serving as Chairwomen for the Commission on Building for the 21st Century and published the Invest for California Infrastructure Report * Securing funding; building consensus among local, state, and federal governments; and commencing the construction of the eastern span of the

San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 in California, Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco an ...

(at the time, the project was considered one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States) * Driving the passage of California Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion housing bond * Creating the first international architectural competition ever undertaken for a state building, which led to the construction of the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters. * Serving as Chairwoman of the 2000 United States Census for California.

Small Business Administration

On January 15, 2014, she was nominated by President

to join his Cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration.Eilperin, Juliet (14 January 2014)
Obama picks Maria Contreras-Sweet to head SBA
''Washington Post'' President Obama's first Administrator, Karen Mills, left the position the previous September, and Jeanne Hulit ran the agency in the interim. She was confirmed as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration by

on March 27, 2014. She assumed that role on April 7, 2014.

Other activities

Contreras-Sweet is the Founding President of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). This organization's mission is to provide political education of Hispanic women so that they can improve the communities in which they live for the betterment of all. HOPE's key programs include the HOPE Leadership Institute, Latina Action Day in Sacramento and Washington D.C., and the Youth Leadership through Literacy Program (YLTLP). HOPE celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 with a special banquet and video presentation that featured Contreras-Sweet sharing the progress the organization has made through the years. Contreras-Sweet was appointed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

to the original Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. These two investigations examined the effects of the

Glass ceiling A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Ful ...

on women and minorities in the workplace. Contreras-Sweet is a Founding Director of The California Endowment, a multibillion-dollar philanthropic foundation. Contreras-Sweet was an elected member of the Board of Directors for the

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, also known as BCBS, BCBSA, or The Blues, is a United States–based federation with 33 independent and locally operated BCBSA companies that provide health insurance to more than 115 million people in the U ...

of California during the critical years of its turn-around period and transition to WellPoint (now

Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...

). She was selected to serve on the Harvard Women's Leadership Board, which advises

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

on women's issues and supports research opportunities for female professors. During her period of service, the University consulted the Board in their selection of Drew Faust, Harvard's first female president. She serves on

PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...

's Ethnic Advisory Board, which executives turn to for consulting on marketing, employment, health, environment, and procurement opportunities. Contreras-Sweet serves on the

Milken Institute The Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California, with offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Miami, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. It publishes research and hosts conferences that apply market-bas ...

's California Advisory Board which studies key policy and economic topics that affect California's well-being. Contreras-Sweet is an executive member of the Board of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. In November 2017, Contreras-Sweet joined the LA-based Larta Institute as the first-ever to help champion and advance the commercialization of science. She is a member of the board of

Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care Pediatrics, children's hospital in the East Hollywood, Los Angeles, East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue ...

. Contreras-Sweet served for 10 years as a Board Member and 2 years as the Chairwoman of the Board of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF). She was appointed to the Board of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Commission (LAFPP). She was a member of the

Independent System Operator A regional transmission organization (RTO) in the United States is an electric power transmission system operator (TSO) that coordinates, controls, and monitors a multi-state electric grid. The transfer of electricity between states is consider ...

(ISO) executive board for California. She was a member of the Rebuild Los Angeles board, which was formed to provide economic development in the southern portion of Los Angeles after the

1992 Los Angeles riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...

. Contreras-Sweet spearheaded the committee that produced the "Latinas: The Spirit of California" Exhibition featured at

The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts The California Museum is the state history museum of the US state of California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the ...

. In November 2017, Contreras-Sweet placed a $275 million bid on American film studio

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...

, after the studio's founder

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...

was fired after dozens of women accused him of sexual abuse. Contreras-Sweet proposed turning The Weinstein Company into a female-led company. The studio was expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 26, 2018 before Contreras-Sweet's company reached a deal to purchase the company on March 1, 2018 for $500 million, including a $90 million victims compensation fund. On March 6, 2018, the acquisition deal collapsed after the studio had an extra debt of $50 million revealed. Contreras-Sweet was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from

Whittier College Whittier College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic-serving institution, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of spring 2024, had 815 ...

in 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contreras-Sweet, Maria 1955 births 21st-century American politicians Administrators of the Small Business Administration American women bankers American bankers California Democrats Hispanic and Latino American members of the Cabinet of the United States Living people Mexican emigrants to the United States Obama administration cabinet members Politicians from Guadalajara, Jalisco Politicians from Los Angeles State cabinet secretaries of California Women members of the Cabinet of the United States 21st-century American women politicians