Jackie Gomez
Executive Director
Hispanic American Construction Industry Association
Young Women of Color in Construction: What They Don't Tell Us Up Front
Ms. Gomez is an experienced leader in diverse, equitable and inclusive initiatives, business development programming and workforce development strategies. She has assisted hundreds of diverse businesses meet their business objectives in various areas including financing, marketing, and business development. She has worked in all levels of government including local, state and federal sectors and specializes in minority and women owned businesses programs. As the executive director for the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, Ms. Gomez advocates on behalf of its members for equitable participation and inclusive procurement practices.
In her most recent role as the director of supplier and workforce diversity for the Obama Foundation, she was responsible for the implementation and management of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming and during her tenure created the Obama Presidential Center Construction Workforce Initiative, designed to create a robust pipeline of talent from Chicago’s South and West Side residents.
Prior to her role with the Foundation, she served as the director of Cook County’s Office of Contract Compliance, where she was responsible for the administration, implementation and development of the County’s M/WBE Program and oversaw its M/W/VBE certification process and ensured the equitable participation of M/WBEs on County contracts.
As program director for the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), a non-profit advocacy organization, from 2007 to 2010, she was responsible for the outreach efforts covering the Great Lakes Region on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation. She provided technical assistance and business development training to over 1,000 small businesses. Prior to that, she worked for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) in the Business and Workforce Diversity Department. She ensured minority and women owned businesses participated in the Authority’s purchases to achieve maximum participation.
Ms. Gomez holds a BS in finance from the University of Illinois-Chicago and an MBA from National Louis University. She currently serves as a board member for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and has served on a number of boards and committees including UCAN; a member of the Finance Committee for El Valor; Certification Committee member for the Women’s Business Development Center, as well as commissioner for the City of Chicago’s Department of Community Development.