Our leadership team brings a wealth of non-profit and for-profit experience, providing the expertise to create long-term, sustainable community impact.
David Adame currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Chicanos Por La Causa, (CPLC) one of the nation’s largest Hispanic community development corporations. Since Adame was named to this post, CPLC has experienced significant growth and expansion in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California, Texas, and Mexico.
Adame has been with CPLC since 2008, serving as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer prior to becoming President and CEO. Adame got his professional start at CPLC in 1985 upon graduation from college, serving two years as CPLC’s Director of Economic Development before moving on.
In between this time at CPLC, Adame crafted an impressive career in business, nonprofits and boards, including an extensive resume in real estate and development projects. He was Vice President of Arizona Operations for McCormack Baron & Salazar from 2003 to 2008, responsible for overseeing the firm’s role in Henson Village, a HOPE VI project in Phoenix. He served as Senior Deputy Director of Fannie Mae’s Arizona Partnership Office from 1997 to 2003. Adame was Program Officer with the Phoenix Office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), from 1994 to 1997, where he managed the HOMESTART program, and he worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (then called Bank One Arizona) for eight years, including as Corporate Banking Associate and later as Assistant Vice President in the Retail Business Loan Center.
Born and raised just south of downtown Phoenix, Adame holds a B.S. in Business from Arizona State University (ASU) and an MBA from the ASU School of Global Management. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Arizona, and an Honorary Doctorate from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM, or the National Autonomous University of Mexico).
Over the years, Adame has served on numerous boards, including: the Greater Phoenix Economic Council; the AARP Foundation; the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders; the Arizona-Mexico Commission; the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation; Unidos US; the Community Reinvestment Fund USA; the Creighton University Presidential Health Sciences Phoenix Advisory Board; and the Arizona Housing Commission.
Recent honors include the Individual Hero of Education Award by Maricopa Community Colleges and the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce.
Andres L. Contreras currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Integrated Health, Social Services & Education for Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC) and has direct oversight of Migrant and Seasonal Headstart/ Early Head Start (AZ, TX and NM), Community Schools, Housing Counseling, Workforce Solutions, Parenting Arizona, Homelessness Services, Community Based Behavioral Health Services, Substance Abuse Treatment Residential Services, De Colores Domestic Violence Services, Centro Esperanza SMI Services, LUCES HIV/AIDS Services; Keogh Health Navigation, Teen Residential Services, Refugee and UC Services, and Community Services which includes adult education, elderly services, immigration services, emergency services, rental and utility assistance, youth/ family ATOD us and drop-out prevention services.
Andres possesses over 32 years of community focused non-profit and for profit program experience. He has been with CPLC for 28 years and has worked with a variety of entities within CPLC including schools, businesses, and other nonprofit organizations. He also has worked directly with local, state and federal government funding agencies to support community development, housing, and economic development activities. His experience includes extensive involvement in strategic planning and program development in the areas of behavioral health, residential treatment, community based counseling, domestic violence, prevention, workforce development, elderly services, behavioral health, housing, child & family welfare, early childhood development, immigration services, emergency assistance, human resource, commercial development and acquisition providing direct services and overall program over sight and leadership. Mr. Contreras has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix and Master in Business Administration Degree from the Ken Blanchard School of Business at Grand Canyon University.
For the last thirty-four years, Patricia Duarte has been an advocate for community development initiatives.
Patricia served as the President and Chief Executive of Trellis for 16 years, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to making stable homes and communities possible through education building and lending. Prior to this, Patricia was the Arizona Manager for the Community Department Group at Chase and prior to that, a Housing Developer in the nonprofit sector where she helped build affordable housing.
Patricia is a former member of the Inaugural Community Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Community Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve. She has been a volunteer board member of non-profits groups that promote self-sufficiency through economic development.
CPLC is glad to welcome Patricia back to the organization, where she originally worked after graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of science degree in finance.
Max Gonzales is Executive Vice President of Strategy & Relationship Management where he maintains a consistent corporate image that unifies complex service and product offerings. Max’s responsibilities also include corporate communications, public and corporate relations, resource development, events, human resources, information technology, and research and evaluation.
Prior to joining CPLC, Max spent more than 20 years at SRP, a water and power utility based in Tempe, Arizona where he provided marketing, direct marketing, market research, public relations, advertising, and strategic planning to the Hispanic Market.
Max is involved in a number of community organizations and has held board positions with Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Friendly House, and Valle Del Sol. Max currently serves on the advisory board for the ASU Morison Institute of Public Policy and The Arizona Chapter of the American Heart Association.
Max earned a Bachelor’s in Management and a Masters of Business administration from Arizona State University. More recently, he completed the NeighborWorks America, Achieving Excellence Executive Leadership program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
With over 20 years of experience in non-profit management, and fund development, Jose Martinez serves as both Executive Vice President of Economic Development, and President of Prestamos CDFI, LLC. Mr. Martinez is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of Prestamos – a subsidiary lending division of Chicanos Por La Causa, and also leads CPLC’s strategy to improve economic conditions in low-income communities by providing investments and services that lead to job creation and economic prosperity. Mr. Martinez also provides strategic direction for CPLC’s Opportunity Zone initiative.
Under his leadership, Prestamos has more than tripled its annual lending, deploying over $89 million (2011-2018), and has led the institution in providing access to capital and technical support to small businesses and economic development projects in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. In 2018, Mr. Martinez had recorded and managed a portfolio of over $52 million in assets.
Mr. Martinez has dedicated over 20 years to CPLC in various capacities, including his service as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Throughout his career, he has raised over $165 million for CPLC programs and joint ventures.
Mr. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Master’s in Business Administration from Arizona State University.
Alicia is Chief Financial Officer at CPLC with more than 23 years of financial and operational management experience in both for-profit and non-profit businesses. Prior to joining CPLC in 2006, Alicia was Assistant Director of Finance for The Ritz Carlton, Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, California.
Alicia has served as Director of Business Enterprises for CPLC, and President of CPLC Insurance, Inc. During her time serving as President of CPLC Insurance Alicia helped develop the infrastructure, process, and business model for the successful inaugural launch of the program.
Alicia served as Vice President of Business Enterprises for CPLC and has managed several for-profit entities within the organization. Prior to this Alicia was Vice President of Accounting where she managed the accounting department at CPLC.
Alicia earned a BA in English Credential Program from California State University Northridge and received her Executive MBA from The University of Arizona in 2017.
Maria Morales Spelleri serves as General Counsel & Executive Vice President. In this capacity, Maria oversees CPLC’s legal, compliance, internal audit, human resources; risk management, insurance corporate services, and advises the CPLC Board of Directors on all legal matters.
Prior to CPLC, Maria was an equity owner and partner at Lewis and Roca LLP, counseling nonprofit organizations, public agencies, small manufacturers and affordable housing developers in financing the acquisition, construction, renovation, equipping or refinancing of new or expanding capital projects.
Maria received Arizona’s 2016 Associate Corporate Counsel Award for excellence in the non-profit sector and was recognized as one of Arizona’s top business lawyers in public finance in the April 2010 edition of AZ Business’ Top Lawyers.
Maria’s community service includes leadership positions on boards of several nonprofit organizations and is a member of the Board of Directors for The Industrial Development Authority of Maricopa County and has served as the Chairwoman of Valle del Sol, Inc., the Phoenix Residential Investment Development Effort (PRIDE), and the Secretary of New Arizona Family, Inc. Additionally, Ms. Spelleri has previously served as a member of the Phoenix Commission on Housing and Neighborhoods.
Maria received her law degree from Boston University School of Law and an MBA from Boston University School of Management. Maria’s additional graduate studies include selection as a fellow in the Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellowship program at Sacramento State University.