Veronica Maldonado-Torres named president of Georgia’s Hispanic Chamber

By Maria Saporta

The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has selected Veronica Maldonado-Torres as its new president. She will begin her new role on June 1.

Veronica Maldonado-Torres

Maldonado-Torres has been an active player in Georgia’s Hispanic community as founder and CEO of VMT Consulting. She also served as director the Georgia Mentor Protégé Program, the first state-sponsored program matching small businesses with corporate mentors with one year of business development and leadership training.

Ivan Shammas, immediate past board chairman of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, chaired the search committee, which conducted a national search for a new executive. Joel Koblentz and Jeff Neppl of the Koblentz Group assisted with the search.

“Veronica Maldonado-Torres brings innovation, talent, experience and passion to the GHCC. She is a champion of diversity and inclusion with a future focus in a time that demands change,” Shammas said. “We were looking for change, and she’s going to bring it.”

The board, under the leadership of Chair Antonio Molina, voted to name Maldonado-Torres at a meeting Thursday morning. The organization has 1,300 members with about 45 percent of them being women-owned businesses, according to its website.

Santiago Marquez

“We are confident that we have selected the right leader at the right time,” said Shammas, who also serves as general manager of Telemundo Atlanta. “We are excited for what’s on the horizon under Veronica’s leadership, not only for our Chamber but for all Georgia businesses that will be impacted by our programs and partnerships. She will lead the vision for the next generation of this Chamber.”

The former president of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber – Santiago Marquez – was named CEO of the Latin American Association last summer.