José M. Prado Director Central Los Angeles Small Business Development Center

Described by Mentor magazine as an emerging Latino leader who is committed to the socio-economic growth of minority communities, José Prado is the director for the Central Los Angeles County Small Business Development Center (CLA SBDC). He brings to the project more than ten years experience in community and economic development, project management and financing. He has held various positions where he advocated among corporations, foundations, and government legislators for programs that would spur the economic growth of minority and economically depressed communities.

His previous work experience includes serving as a development and communication specialist in Washington, D.C., for the National Council of La Raza, the largest constituency-based Latino organization in the United States. Mr. Prado also served as a commercial loan officer at the Washington Association of Minority Entrepreneurs where he specialized in the business technical assistance, the writing of Minority Pre-qualification loan packages and development of procurement opportunities for SBA 8(a) certified contractors.

After managing a revolving loan fund in Washington State for several years, in 1998 Mr. Prado went to work for the Los Angeles Community Development Bank in the Intermediary Lending Program. He was soon promoted to commercial loan officer and manager of the bank's Pacoima branch.

In May, 2000, Mr. Prado joined USC's Business Expansion Network as a senior business analyst. He took over as manager of the West Los Angeles Minority Business Development Center in September 2000. Under his leadership, the program went from one of the lowest producing in the region to second in the nation in finance and procurement production. He has sourced and/or overseen the development of more than $92 million in equity and debt financing deals and over $60 million in procurement opportunities.

Mr. Prado became the full-time director of USC's Central Los Angeles Small Business Development Center (CLA SBDC) in July 2002. He has taken the CLA SBDC to a new level—overseeing the production of more than $40 million in loan referrals to banks and the Small Business Administration.

A fellow with the Washington Center's Minority Leaders Fellowship Program, Mr. Prado is very well connected in the banking and investment communities of California. He is a graduate of Washington State University.