President Alexander Gonzalez was named Business Man of the Year by the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to business excellence.

Gonzalez serves on the boards of Valley Vision, LEED (Linking Education and Economic Development) and Sutter Health.

The goal of the boards is to link education and economic development, aligning Sacramento’s educational resources to meet the region’s current and future workforce needs.

Ana Rojas, who won Business Woman of the Year, is the founder and director of business development at Opening Doors. The program help immigrants, refugees and underserved individuals develop their social and economic skills.

The goal is to assimilate them into society while maintaining their cultural identity and individual aspirations.

A panel of small business and chamber representatives in the community selected the finalists.

Gonzalez and Rojas were selected for their major accomplishments in business and economic development.

They also had to demonstrate leadership qualities and promote practices in programs or services that expand the growth of Hispanic businesses.

The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber was founded in 1972 to promote business, commerce and culture within Sacramento for all minority groups.

Gonzalez will receive his recognition at the chamber’s 37th annual Business Awards & Recognition Gala on Feb. 27 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Catherine Robledo can be reached at [email protected]