Maria Contreras-Sweet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Contreras-Sweet
Official portrait, 2015
24th Administrator of the Small Business Administration
In office April 7, 2014 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Karen Mills
Succeeded by	Linda McMahon
California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
In office January 4, 1999 – November 17, 2003
Governor	Gray Davis
Preceded by	Dean Dunphy
Succeeded by	Sunny McPeak
Personal details
Born	1955 (age 69–70) Guadalajara, Mexico
Political party	Democratic
Education	San Antonio College California State University, Los Angeles (BA)

Maria Contreras-Sweet (born 1955) is an American businesswoman and a former government leader. She served as the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) from 2014 to 2017. The SBA helps small businesses grow and succeed.

Before her role in the government, she founded ProAmérica Bank. This bank focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses, especially those in the Latino community. Maria Contreras-Sweet was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. She moved to Los Angeles, California when she was young. She has worked in both private companies and for the government. She was also a top official in California's government.

In 2014, President Barack Obama chose her to lead the Small Business Administration. She was approved for this important job in March 2014. She started her role in April 2014.

Early Life and Education

Maria Contreras-Sweet was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1955. When she was five years old, her family moved to the United States. Her family included her mother and five brothers and sisters.

Her mother worked hard at a chicken packaging plant in El Monte, California to support them. Maria Contreras-Sweet later earned her bachelor's degree. She studied at California State University, Los Angeles.

Career Highlights

Working in Private Companies

7-Up / RC Bottling Company

Maria Contreras-Sweet started her career in the private sector. She worked for Westinghouse's 7-Up / RC Bottling Company. She began as the Director of Public Affairs. She eventually became the Vice-President of Public Affairs.

During her time there, the company grew a lot. They added many other drink brands to their business. Maria Contreras-Sweet helped create a law in 1986. This law made it easier to recycle bottles and cans in California. She also became a part-owner of the Bottling Company.

Contreras-Sweet Company

Later, Maria Contreras-Sweet started her own company. It was called the Contreras-Sweet Company. This company helped other businesses with marketing and research. They specialized in understanding the Latino market.

Some of her clients were very well-known companies. These included The Coca-Cola Company and The Walt Disney Company.

Fortius Holdings, LLC

After working in government, she joined with Edward P. Roski. They formed a company called Fortius Holdings, LLC. This company invested in small businesses. They especially focused on businesses owned by Latinos and women.

ProAmérica Bank

In 2006, Maria Contreras-Sweet helped start ProAmérica Bank. This was the first commercial bank started by Latinos in California in over 35 years. ProAmérica Bank helps small businesses in Southern California.

She brought together many important people to help create the bank. The bank works with many important companies and organizations in California.

Working in Government

California State Legislature

Maria Contreras-Sweet first worked in public service for Leo T. McCarthy. He was the Speaker of the California State Assembly. This job helped her learn how the state government works.

Later, California Senator Joseph B. Montoya hired her. She worked as a field deputy. In this role, she helped people in the community. She also helped with new laws and public policies.

U.S. Census Bureau

After working for the state, she joined the Department of Commerce. She became a District Manager for the United States Census Bureau in 1979. She was in charge of over 800 employees. Her team made sure everyone in a part of Los Angeles County was counted correctly.

California Cabinet Secretary

Governor Gray Davis chose Maria Contreras-Sweet for a very important job. She became the Cabinet Secretary for the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. She was the first Latina woman to hold such a high position in the United States.

She held this job for five years, which was the longest anyone had served in that role. She managed 44,000 employees and a large budget. She oversaw 14 different state departments.

Some of her big projects included:

• Creating a new department for managed health care.
• Helping to build the eastern part of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. This was a huge construction project.
• Helping to pass a law that provided $2.1 billion for housing.
• Leading the 2000 United States Census efforts for California.

Small Business Administration

On January 15, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated her. He wanted her to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA). The previous head of the SBA had left the year before.

Maria Contreras-Sweet was approved for the job on March 27, 2014. She officially started her role on April 7, 2014. She worked to help small businesses across the country.

Other Activities and Contributions

Maria Contreras-Sweet is the founding president of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). This group teaches Hispanic women about politics. It helps them improve their communities. HOPE has programs like the HOPE Leadership Institute.

She was also chosen by the United States Senate to be part of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. This group studied the challenges women and minorities faced in the workplace.

Maria Contreras-Sweet is a founding director of The California Endowment. This is a large foundation that gives money to good causes. She also served on the board of directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of California.

She was part of the Harvard Women's Leadership Board. This board advises Harvard University on issues important to women. It also supports research by female professors. She helped advise the university when they chose their first female president, Drew Faust.

Maria Contreras-Sweet also advises PepsiCo on various topics. She is an executive board member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. She joined the Larta Institute in 2017 to help bring new scientific ideas to market. She is also on the board of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

She served for many years on the board of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF). She also helped lead the Rebuild Los Angeles board. This group worked to help Los Angeles recover after a difficult time in 1992.

Maria Contreras-Sweet led a committee that created an exhibition. It was called "Latinas: The Spirit of California." This exhibition was shown at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

In 2017, Maria Contreras-Sweet made a bid to buy The Weinstein Company. This was a film studio whose founder had been fired. She wanted to turn it into a company led by women. Her company reached a deal to buy it in March 2018. However, the deal later fell apart due to unexpected debt.

In 2016, Whittier College gave Maria Contreras-Sweet an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.