Aguascalientes - Pittsburgh Sister City  

Who We Are

Pittsburgh Citizens Participating:

Name:  Mary T. McKinney, Ph.D
Occupation:  Director, Duquesne University Small Business Development Center and Center for International Regulatory Assistance, Duquesne University. Also Director of the USAID Ties Partnership Program which has been the stimulus for the formation of this Sister City Initiative. It is our desire that the Sister City program grow and develop a “life of its own” to continue the work started through the partnership program. The partnership has initiated trade and educational programs that this initiative can sustain and grow.
Education:  B.A. Economics, Goucher College; MPIA and Ph.D in Public Administration, University of Pittsburgh

Name: Guillermo Velazquez
Occupation:  President of IntellaCore, a Pittsburgh-based company helping other companies become globally competitive. Chair of Aguascalientes-Pittsburgh sister city project. Former Director of special projects at World Trade Center of Pittsburgh. Former president of Western Pennsylvania Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Education:  Degree in business, marketing and information systems. Born and educated in Mexico City. Speaks Spanish, English, Italian and Portuguese.

Name: Brent Rondon
Occupation:  Manager, Global Business Program, Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center at Duquesne University
Education:  B.S. Agronomical Engineering, Univ. La Molina, Lima, Peru.
M.S. International Affairs and Public Administration, Univ. of Pittsburgh

Name:  Michelle Jesse (Economic Development Committee)
Occupation:  Assists organizations with phone calls and any other communications with Latin America.  Formerly worked for manufacturers providing inside sales support to Latin America, coordinating the export process and assuring export compliance.
Education:  B.A. Spanish with concentration in Business. Many export seminars.

Name:  Mary Jayne McCullough
Occupation:  Operations Director JBM Language Services
Education:  Completing Master’s Degree in Public Policy at Univ. of Pittsburgh. Studied:  Public Service; Latin American Studies; Spanish Translation and Spanish Phonetics at Univ. of Pittsburgh and National Autonomous Univ. of Mexico

Name:  Vivian Revis (Arts/Culture Committee)
Occupation:  Senior Consultant for VREVIS Enterprises and Operations Manager for Nego Gato Inc.
Education:  B.S. Human Resource Management.

Name:  Manuel Diaz Flores
Occupation:  Visiting Professor at Univ. of Pittsburgh (GSPIA).  Economics Researcher-Professor at Autonomous Univ. of Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Education:  PhD and Master’s in Public Administration. Bachelor in Economics with specialty in Foreign Trade

Name: Gary G. Cramer, Tmc
Occupation: Inside Sales Telephone Sales Consultant and Trainer. Has worked with large international corporations. Author of Professional Telesales 101
Education: Associates degree Business Administration and Accounting. Certified Telemarketing Consultant.

Name:  Jacob K. Pietrzak
Occupation: Bio immuno therapy consultant. Immuno stem cells-diagnostic. Cell-biot.
Education: M.D. Immuno pathology. Bio-medical venture start-up.

Name: Angelica Martinez Montanez    
Occupation: Prior to coming to Pittsburgh was full-time Marketing Professor at Univ. Autonoma de Aguascalientes. Business and Finance Administrator.
Education: Currently MBA student and Duquesne University, Graduating 2009    

Name: Lisa DiGioia-Nutini
Occupation: Co-owner, Store Manager, Web Designer/Administrator of Mexico Lindo Mercado y Galeria de Artesanias. Also makes jewelry and specialized crafts for store.
Education: Graduate Gemologist

Name: Cindy Hayko (Education Committee)
Occupation: Spanish teacher

Name: Valerie Waters
Occupation:  Manager, Performance and Compliance, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

Name:  Karen Hoffman
Occupation:  Freelance writer, photographer and translator
Education:  Bachelor’s degrees in biology and writing, Carnegie Mellon University

Name:  Catherine Bazan-Arias
Occupation: Civil Engineering Consultant and University Lecturer
Education:  Ph.D., P.E.

Name:  Rick Croyle
Occupation:  Manufacturing of equipment to mine, mostly coal.
Education:  MBA, Point Park Univ. B.A. Music Education, Edinboro Univ. Associate’s degree Child and Family Development, Community College Allegheny County

As of May 9, 2008

¿Quienes Somos?

 Aguascalientes Citizens Participating:

Name:  Alma Graciela Lopez Enriquez
Occupation:  Business Consultant in Quality Systems, food safety, management. Expert on food quality and safety. Consultant on labor practices.
Education: Biochemical Engineer. MBA concentration in Strategies for Quality Systems

Name:  Jorge Alberto Lorenzana Perez
Occupation:  Project Management and Business Development Consultant. Partner at consulting firm Unicorn Business Solutions.  Professor at Cuauhtemoc Univ. and Univ. Autonoma of Aguascalientes
Education:  Civil Engineering. MBA. Karate. Instructor in Gojuryu Karate Do, and Kendo practice.

Name:  Mylenna Lopez Castro
Occupation:  International Business Consultant. Certified by Bancomext Foreign Commerce and Secretary of Commerce.  Translator in both written and simultaneous translations.  Can accompany people on business trips. Worked for U.S. companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Texas Instruments.
Education:  Electronic Engineer

Name:  Andres Lopez Enriquez
Occupation:  Professor and Researcher, Univ. Autonoma de Aguascalientes
Education:  B.A. Business Administration. MBA. Certified consultant on labor practices

Name:  Marycruz Espinoza Rodriguez
Occupation:  Director of  Quality Control at Agua San Marcos Company. Professor. Food Technology Engineer with 16 years experience in microbiologic, physics and chemistry of food. Application of official norms and regulations. Teacher in high school of chemistry, biology, and mathematics.
Education:  Food Technology Engineer. Specializing in quality and competitiveness.

Name:  Cuauhtemoc Garcia L.
Occupation:  Architect. 15 years project management experience. Architectural and construction on industrial consulting groups. 13 years experience in valuation of industries and real estate.  Professor at Cuauhtemoc Univ.
Education:  Architect


Name:  Ma. Guadalupe Lira Peralta
Occupation:  Consultant on environmental engineering projects and resource-saving measures. Experience in pharmaceutical and industrial, food technology.
Education:  Biochemistry engineering. Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering.

Name:  Martha Barron Licon
Occupation:  Student. Business Administration. Univ. Autonoma de Aguascalientes
Education:  Student

Name:  Jose Pavon
Occupation:  Master in classical guitar. Concert maker.
Education:  Classical guitar
   
Name:  Jorge Ledesma H.
Occupation:  Aguascalientes’ government committee on vegetal sanitation. Consultant and presenter on good agricultural practices, good packing practices for horticulture growers in the state of Aguascalientes.
Education:  Food Technology Engineer

 As of May 9, 2008