Victor Valdez brings to the Center many years of experience in business, economic development, and international trade with a strong background on minority business issues. His previous positions include serving as the Program Director of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s Seattle MBDA Business Center, President & CEO of the Northwest Minority Business Council, and the Associate Director of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce overseeing various chamber business development programs.

Rhonda DeVito began her entrepreneurial career at the age of nineteen, growing logistics companies in the refrigerated food industries with a focus on government contracting. She later divested her award-winning firms to become a business development consultant helping emerging companies, particularly women and minority-owned, with strategic planning, capitalization and government certifications. Rhonda counseled at the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s MBDA Business Center and the SBA’s Women’s Business Center in Seattle before becoming a Procurement Counselor at the Monterey Bay PTAC.

Chuck Jehle works out of our Monterey/Salinas office. He brings with him over 14 years of non-profit experience including as Executive Director for the MCSC Women’s Business Center in San Luis Obispo and previously as a small business consultant for the SBDC. His direct government contracting experience includes researching, writing, and winning contracts for a nationwide privately owned service company with offices in 16 states. Contracts won included cities, VA hospitals and on military bases.

Evelina LaMonda guides businesses through finding, bidding, and performing on government contracts and subcontracts and assessing their capacity/suitability for government contracting. Evelina’s government procurement experience began in the United States Airforce, where she enlisted as an Aircraft Armament Loader on F-16s; she also conducted minor contract fulfillment. Evelina worked for a government technology reseller upon completing her initial tour, which was the foundation of her government purchasing and contracting knowledge.