Dora Westerlund is the founder and CEO of The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation. She leads an experienced group of staff to recruit and retain Foundation membership and develop fundraising activities; ensures that sound financial plans are made and carried out; and oversees the implementation of proposed projects from the beginning until completion.Mrs. Westerlund provides the vision for the organization and guides the work so as to maximize our mission. Under Dora’s leadership, the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation successfully established the Microloan Small Business Program with a $1.7 million grant, the only bilingual business incubator in the Western United States. The program has invested over $3 million dollars into hundreds of small Hispanic businesses, creating 500 jobs and reinvesting more than $12 million back into the local economy. Dora has more than 15 years of experience in business leadership, innovation and strategic management. She has provided guidance to over 3,000 start-up and existing businesses with “Next Level” workshops and business resources.Her leadership skills have received much notoriety from many sectors: Business Street Newspaper (Most Influential Women), State of California Assembly member Juan Arambula (Non-Profit Employee of the Year), and 2 awards from the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Chamber Executive of the Year), with the most recent in 2012. Mrs. Westerlund’s work has also been acknowledged through certificates of recognition from the State of California Senate 24th District, Mayor of Los Angeles, the California Legislature 30th Assembly District, and Member of Congress Grace Napolitano. As FAHCC’s Executive Director, Mrs. Westerlund has fostered the organization to become a highly visible entity in the non-profit sector worthy of many awards.