Leo Vasquez Email and Phone Number

Independent Consultant/Advisor providing corporate finance, management & operations, and strategy services, including Chief Financial/Administrative Officer implementation tasks and analysis. Available for engagements on a per project or retainer basis.

Appointed to the board by Gov. Greg Abbott in May 2017 and later named as the Board's Chairman in November 2020. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) is the state’s agency responsible for affordable housing, housing related and community service programs, as well as the regulation of the state’s manufactured housing industry. Annual financial value of Department activities exceeds $2B. The Department’s services address a broad spectrum of housing and community affairs issues that include low income housing tax credits (LIHTC), low-interest mortgage financing, emergency food and shelter, rental subsidy, and energy assistance.The charge of the Department is to serve the State’s extremely low to moderate-income populations. Funding priority is given to those populations most in need of services: extremely low, very low, and low income households and individuals. See: http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us

As a research center of Rice University’s School of Social Sciences, the Texas Policy Lab draws on the expertise of the university’s faculty and its own professional research staff in addressing today’s social issues. TPL collaborates closely with state and local government agencies to translate their research agendas into evidence-based, policy-relevant research projects that inform agency decision-making.

Executive roles in a series of companies in the beverages and soft commodities businesses, with a particular focus in coffee and spirits. Served in leadership positions with privately-held operating companies in global-scale sourcing & supply chain, manufacturing, processing, packaging, warehousing services and 3PL distribution services. At various times have overseen and managed all administrative functions of companies including finance, accounting, treasury, M&A, HR, IT, payroll, labor relations, government affairs, contracts, legal and insurance, while also contributing to strategy, development and sustainability efforts.Companies have worked with Coffee, Cocoa, Cotton, Tea, Sugar, Salts, and Bourbon, Vodkas, Whiskey and other beverages.Firms include Cadeco Industries, Buffalo Bayou Distilleries (dba Gulf Coast Distillers), Eximius Coffee, Coffee Process Technology Corporation, Maximus Coffee Group (l/k/a Atlantic Coffee Solutions), ECOM Agroindustrial Corporation, and a series of related real estate limited partnerships. [Remained as paid consultant/advisor during tenure as county Tax Assessor-Collector.

Board Secretary and Audit Committee Chairman; The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) manages offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities that contract with TDCJ. The agency also provides funding and certain oversight of community supervision (previously known as adult probation) and is responsible for the supervision of offenders released from prison on parole or mandatory supervision. Appointed by Gov. Perry in 2005 and reappointed in 2011. Annual budget over $3 billion; Approx. 39,000 employees.

The Windham School District (WSD) was established by the Texas Legislature as an entity separate and distinct from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), with the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) members serving as the Board of Trustees for the WSD. It is the policy of the Board that the WSD shall provide academic, as well as career and technology education, to eligible offenders incarcerated within the TDCJ.

Chief executive officer of Tax & Voter Registration office for nation's third most populous county. Managed 500-employee, 17 site organization collecting $5 billion annually. Recruited/Elected by Harris County Commissioners Court.

Texas umbrella licensing and regulatory agency for over 25 diverse statutes. Appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush in 1999. Elected as Commission Chairman in 2003.

Clients ranged from start-ups to $1.4 billion/year corporations. Engagements in a diverse array of industries including: coffee decaffeination, water/wastewater treatment systems, temporary staffing services, facilities management, multi-family housing, electronic display systems and cellular towers, among others.

Partner/Officer in an entrepreneurial environment (1992-1997) creating a series of start-ups, joint ventures, contracting groups and acquisitions across a diverse array of industries, including: Civil Construction,Defense Electronics Manufacturing, and Government Contracting (RTC/FDIC) projects including real estate asset management and disposition, financial data processing center operations, call center operations, commercial real estate auctions, financial institution management, and others.

In the “pre-Internet era,” advised Wall Street international investment managers, researchers and bankers in conducting financial, market and economic research via Datastream’s global databases and research applications.