Barbara De Lucca was named President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hawaii in 2020 after serving as the Vice President and Founding Member in 2019. Mrs. De Lucca is a native of Phoenix, AZ. She moved to the beautiful islands of Hawaii in 1999 and started her real estate career in 2006. Mrs. De Lucca is a Broker-In-Charge with Soldier to Soldier Hawaii Realty. It is her mission to give back to a nonprofit with each home sale. Her passion comes from being a mother of a child that had a traumatic brain injury at birth. She practices real estate with a purpose! With a dedication for giving back to the community, connecting people, and helping others grow their businesses, it was a natural progression for Mrs. De Lucca to lead the movement to organize the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Marysol Ruiz is a first generation Mexican-American. Originally from Los Angeles, she moved to Oahu in 2005. Ms. Ruiz is an accomplished Mortgage Loan officer at Edge Home Finance and has been in the mortgage industry for over ten years.  She graduated from the University of Southern California with a double major in Business Administration and French.  She is fluent in Spanish and French. Marysol studied at La Sorbonne in Paris, France and was awarded the Top 10 business plan from the Lloyd Greif center of Entrepreneurial Studies at USC for her Crepe Café business. Marysol successfully operated Crepe Cafe’ Hawaii for nine years. She is passionate about educating families on home ownership, credit, and self-employment.

Dr. Ruben Juarez is the HMSA Distinguished Professor in Health Economics at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO). He is also the CEO of Hawaii Integrated Analytics, a biotech company with the mission to show that healthcare doesn’t always take place in a doctor’s office. Dr. Juarez was granted the Ph.D. in Economics from Rice University and has been a Professor of Economics and UHERO member since 2008. His main research interests include network economics, behavior and health economics.

Dr. Juarez has publications in top Economics, Health and Policy journals. He has prestigious research awards and projects for a variety of institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kamehameha Schools, and regularly advises community organizations and companies.

Mónica Núñez was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has Mexican roots. Her parents are from Oaxaca, and Jalisco, México. Mrs. Nunez earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts and achieved her B.A. in Social Studies from Chaminade University of Honolulu. She has been in the Escrow and Title side of Real Estate on Oahu since 2012 and is currently an Escrow Officer at Old Republic Title & Escrow of Hawaii. Mrs. Nunez has a successful U.S. Navy career in which her assignment and role was Intelligence Specialist (Analyst). With three deployments to the Persian Gulf in support of wartime operations, conducting counter-terrorism missions throughout Southeast Asia and having served onboard four U.S. Naval Warships, Monica eventually chose to plant her feet on solid ground and move on from her 14-year service career.

Dr. Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen serves as HCCH Chief Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Officer and Head of Health and Research. She is an academic leader in the areas of health equity and multicultural and Latinx health. Dr. Sanchez-Johnsen has 30 years of experience conducting research and clinical work with Latinxs, Blacks, and other ethnic minorities in the area of culturally competent health behavior assessments and interventions. She was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and received her A.A. from Kapiolani Community College, B.A. in Psychology from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Hawaii, Illinois, and Wisconsin), a Board-Certified Telehealth Professional-Level II, and the owner of Multicultural Health and Wellness, PLLC, a clinical psychology and consulting practice where she will soon start to see patients via tele-health in Hawaii.

Omar Vaquerano, Founder and Managing Attorney at Valar Immigration, brings a wealth of expertise to our board. With over 5 years of experience in immigration law, he has tirelessly advocated for hundreds of individuals and families. His commitment to the immigrant community is deeply personal—having immigrated from El Salvador 12 years ago, he understands the challenges firsthand.

Education:

Master of Laws (LL.M.) from USC Gould School of Law

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Emory University School of Law

Bachelor of Laws from Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios

Omar’s dedication to empowering immigrants drives his work. He believes in creating a more inclusive society and ensuring that everyone has access to justice.

Growing up in the historic San Francisco neighborhood of Hunter’s Point. "Dreaming big was how I was raised, the son of entrepreneurs.  I learned that if I was going to obtain my dreams I had to be determined to work hard."  With over 20 years of graphic design experience, Mario Patino has dedicated 14 years to building Patino Graphic Design in Hawaii. His commitment to excellence has earned his company prestigious accolades, including a Pele Award for logo design and the 2024 Latino Business Awards Small Business of the Year. Mario's mission is to continue delivering high-level design and top-tier customer service to every client.  

Born and raised in New York, Deanna takes pride in her Puerto Rican and African American heritage. With a background in Sociology and a Master’s in Business Leadership, she has always been passionate about building relationships and supporting others. As a Business Development Representative for ProService Hawaii, she is honored to partner with local business owners, helping them set up for long-term success. Hawaii’s strong sense of community and local support align with her values, and she loves the opportunity to network, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact.

Excited to take her support even further, Deanna is eager to connect with and uplift the Hispanic community in Hawaii. Through meaningful partnerships and active involvement, she looks forward to fostering growth, sharing resources, and creating opportunities for Hispanic business owners to thrive.

Ellis Natalia Garcia is a marketing expert, entrepreneur, and founder of Marketing Coco, a strategy-focused marketing agency based in Honolulu. With over 18 years of experience spanning traditional, digital, and event marketing, Ellis works closely with businesses to build strong, effective marketing ecosystems that drive growth.

Originally from Mexico and raised in South Texas, Ellis has called Honolulu home for the past eight years. She is passionate about community involvement and currently serves on the board of the Waikiki Swim Club, in addition to working as a certified lifeguard.

Known for her approachable style and commitment to education and equity, Ellis values building strong relationships that create lasting impact. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, staying active, and supporting local businesses and community initiatives.