Board Of Trustees

Angel R. Rodriguez currently serves as the Business Banking Sales Leader for Northeast Ohio at KeyBank, responsible for leading a team of Relationship managers, who provide trusted advisor financial and business guidance to growing businesses in Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Erie PA., and surrounding communities. Prior to joining KeyBank, Angel held numerous leadership roles in Banking and Financial services in which he was responsible for leading regional and national teams of Bankers and Sales Professionals to provide access to capital to fast-growing small business and middle market companies. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of North Coast Insurance Group, an Allstate exclusive Insurance Agency.

In addition to his experience working in Insurance and Financial services, Angel founded and served as President/CEO of Genesis Surgical Solutions INC., a medical implant and instrumentation salers, service, and education enterprise, specializing in spinal fusion and alternative spine health procedures. Mr. Rodriguez has more than 25 years of experience in sales and workforce management, operations management, credit risk management, strategic planning, leadership development, and business development.

Angel serves as the KeyBank Consumer Banking Champion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and is also a member of the Hispanic-Latinx Key Business Impact and Networking Group, a KeyBank employee source group for professional growth and business development which identifies opportunities for its Hispanic-Latinx employees to become involved in the workplace and its community. Outside of KeyBank, he also serves as the Board Chair for the Spanish American Committee as well as a board member for the Sisters of Charity Foundation and a board member of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.)

Montgomery joined The NRP Group in 2017, managing NRP’s student housing portfolio. Since then, she has served as a Development Project Manager and an Asset Manager of both affordable and market rate assets. In 2021, Montgomery was elevated to the newly created role of Director of Commercial Spaces and Ancillary Revenue. Montgomery received NRP’s Employee of the Year, Inspire Award in 2019.

Montgomery has been a leader in expanding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at NRP. She has served as the Co-Chair of the Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) since 2018 with a goal of hiring, developing and advancing female talent at The NRP Group. She has branded 4 unique programming series’ that are aimed at sparking curiosity, enriching personal and professional growth, promoting mentoring and spotlighting women.

In 2020, she assumed leadership of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee which provides strategic direction and assessment of NRP’s Employee Resource Group initiatives. Montgomery has been an advocate for employee well-being and launched NRP’s inaugural Mental Health Awareness campaign in 2021. She serves as a member of NRP’s Diversity Leadership Council and provides support to the Leader Accountability pillar.

Prior to her time at The NRP Group, Montgomery worked in Higher Education for 10 years. During that time she served in Admissions, Residence Life and Housing and College Counseling Centers. She provided leadership to staff teams and advised a number of student organizations. Montgomery instructed First Year Experience, Leadership and Living-Learning Community courses. She founded the Help A Zip, early alert system at The University of Akron to provide academic, financial and social supports to students. She was the recipient of The University of Akron’s Pillar of Excellence Award and Hall of the Year awards in 2015.

Montgomery earned a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences and a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Development from Walsh University. She is a licensed School Counselor in the State of Ohio. In 2021, she completed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certification from the University of South Florida. In 2022, Montgomery earned an Executive and Professional Coaching Certification from the University of Texas at Dallas. She holds an Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation. Montgomery serves as the Vice President of The Spanish American Committee Board of Directors.

Alexandria Halmbacher serves as the Assistant Vice President of Strategy and Bank Performance in the Executive Office at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She oversees strategic planning and performance management, collaborating closely with senior and functional leaders to drive key projects and initiatives for the executive office.

Ms. Halmbacher joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in 2018 and has served in various roles within the external engagement, strategic programs, and strategy and Bank performance departments. Prior to joining the Cleveland Fed, Ms. Halmbacher served as the manager of education products at the Ohio History Connection where she oversaw the development of several curriculum-based projects and professional development programs. Ms. Halmbacher also spent time working in Joya de Cerén, El Salvador on behalf of the University of Colorado at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cerén as a field archaeologist.

Ms. Halmbacher serves on the board of the Spanish American Committee in the role of secretary and holds leadership positions on the personnel and workforce committees. She also serves on the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Leadership Advisory Council.

Ms. Halmbacher has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and an MA in Anthropology from the University of Colorado. She holds a Graduate Teaching Certificate from the University of Colorado and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Change Management from Cleveland State University. She also holds Certificates in Strategic Management Performance Systems and Strategic Foresight from George Washington University’s Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. She is member of the International Association of Strategy Professionals and a graduate of the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Bridge Builders Program.

Al Sanchez brings more than 50 years of experience in construction, engineering, corporate leadership, and community advocacy to the Spanish American Committee Board of Trustees. Mr. Sanchez earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1958 and his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland State University in 1968, providing a strong foundation for his distinguished career in construction, business, and civic leadership.

Mr. Sanchez dedicated 38 years to Turner Construction, rising through the ranks to retire in 1997 as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales. In this role, he oversaw a multi-billion-dollar business portfolio and negotiated commercial agreements representing billions of dollars in construction projects.

A lifelong champion for diversity within the construction industry, Mr. Sanchez has been widely recognized as a pioneering leader in advancing Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority and Female Business Enterprise initiatives. In recognition of his contributions to the construction industry, he was inducted into the Cleveland Construction Hall of Fame in 1996.

Following his corporate retirement, Mr. Sanchez founded The Sanchez Group, a property management and consulting firm, where he continues to serve as Chairman and CEO. His decades of leadership in construction and business earned him recognition as a member of Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Eight Over 80 class.

A passionate advocate for expanding career pathways and professional development opportunities for Hispanic construction professionals, Mr. Sanchez has dedicated his career to creating greater access and opportunity throughout Northeast Ohio.

His extensive civic leadership includes service on more than 15 professional boards, advisory councils, and community organizations. In addition to serving on the Spanish American Committee Board of Trustees, he has served as a commissioner on the Bond Accountability Commission, providing oversight of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s multi-million-dollar school construction program. He also serves on the boards of CCH Development and BAYarts, supporting affordable housing initiatives and strengthening the region’s arts and cultural community.

Mr. Sanchez’s decades of leadership, commitment to expanding economic opportunity, and dedication to strengthening the Hispanic community make him a valued member of the Spanish American Committee Board of Trustees.

Kenny Torres has poured his heart into bettering the Northeast Ohio Latino community and has both professional and personally dedicated himself to these efforts. Kenny’s experience is similar to many in the local Latino community after moving from Puerto Rico to the states and arriving in Cleveland at seven years old. Seeing first-hand the struggles his family and friends encountered, Kenny has continued to make it his mission to give back and improve the local Latino community.

Kenny is involved with many organizations aimed at impacting both diverse individuals and firms. Having served as the program director for the Spanish American Committee, Kenny now sits on the board and helped establish the Latino Construction Program. This program, established in 2017, is focused on job readiness and entails a six-week course. Over 115 individuals have been placed into a construction trade, with 90% union, and over $1 million in payroll has been generated. Kenny teaches for the program and also leads another program to help Latinos start their own construction companies.

Kenny sits on the board for Cleveland Builds, a Construction Employers Association partner, and supports the creation of opportunities for minorities in construction trades throughout Northeast Ohio. He is a founding member of Rising Hispanic Professionals, a new program that will help more Hispanic professionals enter the architecture, engineering and construction fields.

In his position as project engineer at Gilbane, Kenny is instrumental in the diverse business tracking, reporting and payments for the University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center Phase 2 project in Beachwood, Ohio. He also focuses on several major packages for the project such as steel, elevators and flooring through managing submittals, RFIs, quality control and budget control. Kenny supports the project’s Community Outreach team through activities such as the recent schools supplies drive which donated 6,886 items to five schools in the area. He also supports several Gilbane programs such as the Rising Contractor Program, aimed at providing diverse and disadvantaged trade partners an opportunity to develop and broaden their industry skills and knowledge, while also gaining first-hand insight on working with Gilbane.

Dr. Monica Yepes-Rios is an Internal Medicine Physician at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio City Hispanic Clinic, and the Medical Director for Community Health, Food as Medicine Strategies. In these roles, Dr. Yepes-Rios serves the Hispanic community and works with the Cleveland Clinic to advance the care of the community through partnering and addressing the social drivers of health. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean, Student Engagement and Wellbeing, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Yepes-Rios has over 30 years of experience in medical education and internal medicine clinical practice with a special interest in education to promote thriving and equitable learning environments and the care of underserved communities. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at The George Washington University Medical Center, and is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, Yale University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Yepes-Rios is originally from Colombia, lived throughout the US and moved to Cleveland in 2017 after her spouse’s retirement from the US Navy. She is an avid Stand-up Paddler, loves to hike with her spouse and 2 Australian cattle dogs, and spend time with her 4 children and family.

Dr. Sergio E. Robles is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Baldwin Wallace University. Before joining the School of Business, Robles was an Assistant Professor of Marketing Instruction at the College of Business at Ohio University in Athens and a Visiting Professor of Business Administration at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Oxford. His teaching areas are marketing, sales and international business. Robles’ research interests are in the areas of emerging markets, comparative analysis of consumers in developed and developing economies, and consumer behavior.

Robles is actively involved in the Cleveland diplomatic and business communities. Since 2021, he has been a community advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland where he makes recommendations to the bank leadership in the areas of poverty reduction and economic empowerment of minority communities. Apart from the Spanish American Committee, Dr. Robles holds board seats at the Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, The British American Chamber of Commerce of Ohio, and Esperanza Inc. Robles also volunteers his time with the immigrant and refugee communities for Global Cleveland, where he won the “Volunteer of the Year Award” for his efforts. Finally, he is active in the Cleveland Council on World Affairs and the City Club of Cleveland.

Steve C. Harmon has over 26 years of banking experience. Currently he is the AVP. Community Development Market Manager for Huntington Bank. Steve Harmon has always had a passion for financial and community development as well as teaching financial fortitude and empowerment to those who inquire. His compassion and empathy encourages him to strive to help people become financially literate. His knowledge and experience in home buying techniques makes him an asset to the community as a whole. Steve’s experience comes with hard work from the bottom to the top! Beginning his career as a teller then Personal Banker, Relationship Manager, Branch Manager, and currently Community Development Market Manager.

Marisol Torres is from The Bronx, New York, and relocated to Cleveland, Ohio in her teens. She is of Puerto Rican descent and is fluent in both Spanish and English. She is the Manager of Start-Up and Operation Services at Starting Point Child Care Resource and Referral and has a dual role as a Job and Family Services Licensing Specialist. She began her journey working with families and children in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), monitoring family Child Care homes to ensure that nutritional guidelines were followed and that Federal requirement and guidelines were met for children. From there, her passion for Family Child Care was born, and she began a career in the business of Family Child Care.

Marisol has been an advocate for families for over 35 years, during which she has dedicated herself to Child Care and early education, focusing on the environmental health and safety needs for the well-being of children. Her commitment to advocate for families and children is exceptional. She strives to provide opportunities for professional Child Care providers with micro-businesses to feel empowered, providing business training, coaching, and support to continue their path in Early Childhood Education. Marisol is enthusiastic about advancing her leadership and advocacy skills to impact and generate lasting changes for families and children significantly.

Julie Wisneski is Executive Director of the Westfield Insurance Foundation, where she leads the company’s national corporate foundation, strategic philanthropy, and employee engagement initiatives. In collaboration with senior leadership, she oversees investments and relationships that advance business and community priorities while strengthening the company’s culture of giving and service.

Julie brings nearly two decades of experience spanning corporate philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and public-sector funding. Prior to joining Westfield, she served as Senior Director of Development at United Way of Greater Cleveland, leading strategic fundraising and engagement efforts. Earlier in her career, she worked in Washington, D.C., in government contracting and consulting, supporting health and human services agencies on complex public-sector initiatives.

Throughout her career, Julie has built high-impact relationships across the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors to address critical community need. She is recognized for aligning philanthropic strategy with organizational priorities, cultivating effective partnerships, and mobilizing employees and stakeholders around a shared commitment to strengthening communities.

Drew draws on over fifteen years of diverse litigation experience to counsel and defend clients involved in trucking, transportation, motor vehicle accidents, premises, and other serious catastrophic personal injury matters throughout Gallager Sharp’s footprint. Drew is an integral member of Gallagher Sharp’s nationally recognized Transportation Practice and General Litigation Practice, where he leads a team of attorneys in the area of large trucking and transportation accidents, supply chain and logistic disruptions, and broker liability matters. He also is part of the firm’s strategic planning committee and leads the firm’s Columbus office.

From accident investigations to trial, Drew is devoted to protecting his clients’ interests and navigating clients through the complexities of civil litigation. One of Drew’s strengths is his upbringing in rural northwest Ohio, where he learned the value of hard work, grit, and perseverance – skills that he utilizes daily in litigation – but skills he has honed that allow him to connect with truck drivers, blue collar workers, small business owners, and jurors from all walks of life.

Drew has tried over fifteen jury and bench trials – a rarity in today’s litigation, which is a testament to his work ethic, diligence, strategic case management, and the trust that clients have placed in him to present their story and evidence in a compelling and persuasive manner. His prior experience as in-house litigation counsel for a Fortune 100 company has shaped Drew’s commitment to partnering with claims, risk, and legal professionals to achieve the best outcomes for each case that he handles. From timely reporting to distilling complex information into actionable advice, Drew’s clients trust him to guide them to the best possible resolution by motion practice, mediation, alternative dispute resolution, or trial.

DJ Santiago is a transformational leader, executive strategist, and trusted advisor known for driving organizational turnarounds and developing high performing teams. With a background rooted in athletics and a career built in business leadership, DJ brings a rare blend of discipline, strategic vision, and people first leadership to every role he serves.

DJ began his professional journey as an athlete, where competition, resilience, and accountability shaped his leadership foundation. In 2003, he founded Aspiring Athletes, an organization dedicated to expanding access to college and post college opportunities through athletics. Under his leadership, Aspiring Athletes has helped more than 3,500 individuals pursue higher education, generated over ten million dollars in revenue, and created sustainable employment across multiple locations.

Transitioning into the corporate arena, DJ applied a coaching mindset to business growth and turnaround strategy. At Oswald Companies, he earned Rookie of the Year recognition and quickly became a top producer by consistently exceeding growth expectations. He later joined MAI Capital, where he served as National Head of MAI Benefits, building high performing teams, supporting acquisitions, and leading the insurance division with a focus on integration, operational excellence, and long term value creation.

Currently, DJ serves as a Client Executive at Hylant Insurance Group, where he advises organizations on risk management, employee benefits strategy, and organizational resilience. He is deeply engaged in the Minority Business Enterprise community and is committed to helping diverse owned organizations strengthen infrastructure, manage risk, and position themselves for sustainable growth.

In addition to his advisory work, DJ is a speaker and author focused on leadership, strategy, and organizational performance. His forthcoming book, Risky Business Coaching Business Leaders to Win the Game of Health Insurance, translates complex challenges into actionable strategies for executives and decision makers. His speaking style is rooted in real world experience, blending business insight with lessons drawn from competitive sports.

DJ is widely recognized for his ability to see the big picture while executing at a high level of detail. Whether mentoring emerging leaders, guiding organizations through change, or supporting mission driven nonprofits, he is known for turning vision into results and building cultures that perform with purpose.