Board Member Bios

Christian Gonzalez Esq

Christian Gonzalez is an attorney with the law firm Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP. Christian advises clients on various aspects of banking, corporate and securities law, including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, business formation, regulatory compliance, and general corporate governance matters. He has been involved in the representation of financial institutions, underwriters, port authorities, 501(c)(3) corporations, and state and local governments in a wide variety of financing transactions including general obligations, revenue bond financings, certificates of participation, tax-increment financing, and student loan securitizations. His prior experience includes serving as General Counsel for the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, which is the supervisory authority for state-chartered financial institutions, handling complex regulatory and corporate matters. In addition, he has served as an associate of a large national firm and at UBS Financial Services, New York. Christian has a degree in finance from Rutgers University and graduated with honors from New York Law School.

Christian is a first generation Cuban American and has shown his commitment to serving the community as a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus’ Board of Directors, as well as speaking at various events discussing obstacles facing young Hispanics and previously serving as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters. In addition, Christian has been featured in the Who’s Who in Latino Columbus publication (2010, 2011).

Deb Hill

Market Human Resources Manager
Columbus Market
Walmart Stores, Inc.

Deb Hill has been a human resources generalist for 25 years.  Currently a district-level human resources manager for Walmart Stores, Inc., she is responsible for 15 retail stores in Central Ohio. A certified Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR), she has an MBA and a BS degree in Human Resources Management. Ms. Hill is on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus.  She is a member of the local Human Resources Association of Central Ohio where she serves as a member of the Diversity Committee and the Government Affairs Committee.

Eric Thompson

Eric  B.  Thompson is a Financial Planner with Prudential Financial.  Eric has over 29 years experience in the financial services industry.  Eric conducts financial planning seminars on a regular basis for several Fortune 100 & 500 companies, as well as numerous schools, colleges, and universities throughout Ohio.  In addition to serving on the board of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus, Eric has volunteered as a math and reading tutor with Columbus Public Schools and has written several articles dealing with financial planning issues for various publications over the years including the Building Industry Association News of Central Ohio.

Fernanda Cárdenas MBA

Fernanda Cárdenas is a native of Cuenca, Ecuador. She earned her professional degree in Economics from La Universidad de Azuay in Ecuador and she is a member of the Colegio de Economistas del Azuay since 2003. She came to the United States in 2004. Her hard work and dedication helped her to work her way up the ranks in the banking industry relatively quickly. Now she is the Branch Manager for Chase Bank of the Ohio State University branch. In 2007, she earned her Master’s in Business Administration.

Guadalupe Velasquez

Will be up momentarily.

Joe Altieri MBA (Past President)

Joseph Altieri, partner, Motus LLC

Joseph Altieri is a founding partner of Motus LLC, an advertising agency in Columbus, Ohio. Motus LLC has unique expertise in Hispanic Marketing in terms of strategy, planning and creative communications. Motus LLC also provides specialized translation services; generally for projects with complex language needs, such as those in the financial services industry. Motus LLC is a certified Hispanic-owned business in the City of Columbus, EDGE certified, and a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in the State of Ohio.

Joseph has over 20 years of professional experience and has an MBA from the University of Michigan. He served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army for six years; working in various capacities including as a project manager at the National Security Agency (NSA).

Joseph is a past president of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus and currently serves on the Board of Directors. In addition, Joseph teaches marketing at Franklin University and Columbus State Community College as an adjunct marketing professor.

Kenneth Ramos MBA (President)

Kenneth Ramos MBA serves as President of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus Board of Directors.  He is a Columbus Police Officer working as a Community Liaison in the Clintonville area of Columbus.  He is responsible for being the link between the community and the Police Department with a special concentration to the Hispanic community.  His vast community involvement includes serving on the Board of Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) the Ohio Hispanic Coalition and as the Treasurer of the Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

He was also featured in the Who’s Who in Latino Columbus publication (2010 & 2011).  Kenneth was featured in United Way of Central Ohio’s marketing materials in 2009-2010, as an advocate for safe communities. He was given the 2009 Padrino award from the Ohio Hispanic Coalitions. Ken attained his Masters of Business in 2009 and is a member of the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s (NSHMBA).

Kenneth is an avid Pilot and Photographer with over 30 years of experience in both.  As the owner of KRamosPhotography.com  he blends the art of photography with the art of flying. He is authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to Licence pilots in Helicopters.

Lair Marin

Lair Marin is the Office Manager for Ohio Latino Affairs Commission. She studied Economics in the University of Minnesota & Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She holds a Spanish-English bilingual interpreter & translator Diploma from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and is a recognized Supreme Court provisionally certified interpreter.

She studied violin & voice at the Conservatorio de Música de Madrid. She started her career as a Training Manager in Canon Europe. Her work experience includes Marketing & Corporate, Product Manager for Virgin Records and Operational Events Marketing Director at SAP Global and Corporate Insurance Markets at Nationwide Financial. Her volunteer work encompass Medicos sin Fronteras, The Red Cross, BBBS, United Way, Habitat and several Mentoring programs. is the Office Manager for Ohio Latino Affairs Commission. She studied Economics in the University of Minnesota & Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

 

Laura Jurcevich Esq. (Secretary)

Will be up momentarily.

Mariangee Merino MBA

Mariangee Merino (2011). Ms Merino is a Corporate Marketing Manager-VP for JP Morgan Chase in the area of Multicultural Marketing. She is committed to reaching out and connecting Hispanic and Asian communities to the bank by leading Multicultural Advertising such as television, radio, print and collateral for Chase 23 state retail footprint.  Her passion for the community and multicultural marketing experience allows her to share her knowledge and expertise in communicating to diverse groups and assist the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus in reaching Hispanic Business Owners.

Nathan A. Farr

Nathan A. Farr, Co-founder of Empleos and Employment, LLC, graduated from The Ohio State University with degrees in Finance and International Business Administration. He has worked in a variety of roles including HR, strategy, sales and marketing.  His experience spans many industries and includes several years as a contractor with Federal, State and local government agencies. He has lived and worked in the Hispanic community for over 20 years and speaks fluent Spanish. Early in his career he spent nearly two years in Venezuela where he led his company's sales and marketing strategies. He has said that he did not fully understand the need for cultural and language understanding until he was sitting across the table from Venezuelan union representatives and discussing why they should buy American.

Ramona Reyes

Ramona Reyes is the immediate past president of the HCC. She currently sits on the Columbus Board of Education where she is the first Hispanic member. She is also an HR professional at Nationwide Insurance, a bilingual trainer for Working Partners, and the Associate Publisher for Columbus Latino Who’s Who.Ramona, awarded the Campbell Soup Scholarship for children of migrant families, graduated from The Ohio State University. She is an alumnus of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a Grass Roots Leadership program. Over the last several years she has committed herself to volunteerism and community service, including Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Todd Christian MBM (Treasurer)

Todd Christian is chief of staff for Nationwide Better Health. In this role, he leads the project management office to ensure the company is implementing strategic projects that enhance its existing portfolio of offerings and executing these key initiatives on-time and in-full. Todd's career and travels have led to a strong affiliation with the Hispanic community; his goal in serving with the Chamber is to enable Hispanic businesses to grow and thrive.

Todd has more than 17 years of diverse organization effectiveness and general management experience. Before joining Nationwide ten years ago, Todd served as a general manager and paramedic for Rural/Metro Corporation, a flight paramedic for Mercy Flight Western New York, and an infantry Sergeant in the US Marine Corps reserve. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from University of Phoenix, and a master’s in business management from Arizona State University. Todd lives with his wife Jennifer Christian and their two children in Orange Township, where Jennifer is currently serving as Town Trustee.

Victoria Nunes Vice President

Victoria works in the Community Affairs Department of Fifth Third Bank. Her area of coverage includes Central and Southern Ohio, West Virginia and Northern Kentucky. She is responsible for developing and implementing techniques to develop business within today’s emerging markets. She is also responsible for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) reporting and compliance, managing the Bank’s flagship financial education programs, and providing technical assistance to non-profits and small businesses.

Her vast community involvement includes serving on United Way of Central Ohio’s Financial Stability Results Committee and Franklin County’s Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition. She also serves on Fifth Third Bank’s Diversity Council. She Chairs the Multicultural Employee Resource Group and is on the Fifth Third Bank Community Advisory Forum. Victoria is a member of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. She serves as Vice President of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus Board of Directors. She is also currently serving as the youngest member in the history of the YWCA of Central Ohio’s Governing Board of Directors.

In 2008-2009, Victoria was featured in United Way of Central Ohio’s marketing materials as an advocate for financial stability for her contributions to the organization. She was also featured in the Who’s Who in Latino Columbus publication (2010,2011), and was recognized as the Ohio Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Corporate Advocate of the Year (2009) and  Business First’s Forty under Forty Class of 2010.

Victoria is of Venezuelan decent and has a strong commitment to spirituality, family, friends and community. She recently bought her first home in Hilliard, Ohio where she resides with her two adorable Shih-Tzu’s.

Xanath Van Frayen

Xanath Van Frayen works as a business development officer for Stewart Title Agency of Columbus. She has worked there for six years. Prior to that, she worked for North American Title in Denver Colorado. Van Frayen graduated from Mount Union College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and Economics. She is currently the Secretary of the Hispanic Chamber and have been for the last two years. Van Frayen is also involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and join their efforts every year to raise money with Bowl for Kids Sake. In her personal life, she is married and has 2 year old twins. She resides with her family in Bexley, Ohio.