Greg Vaquera is president of the Arlington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy organization representing 200 businesses in the center of the DFW Metroplex. Vaquera rejoined the Chamber as President in February of 2008.

Greg Vaquera was born in Austin, Texas and grew up in Dallas and has been residing in Arlington since 1984. Mr. Vaquera considers himself as self educated in community affairs and on the area of politics. He is very knowledgeable in civil rights issues and has spearheaded numerous mediation talks with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. Vaquera is one of the best-known movers and shakers in North Texas. He is always pinpointing with accuracy specific causes to specific problems and then formulates solutions. Mr. Vaquera is a tireless civil rights servant and businessman who continue to shape and influence the issues of importance to the Hispanic community in the DFW Metroplex. Sometimes known as the padrino of the Metroplex, Greg has successfully built community resources and/or networks within a broad spectrum of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Greg has contributed hundreds of volunteer hours annually to local and statewide organizations.

After 22 years of service at Mobil Oil Corporation’s Engineering and Public Affairs Department, Vaquera decided to take an early leave and do business consulting for small and minority owned businesses. Greg is a graduate of the Community MBA Program (McCombs School of Business-The University of Texas at Austin). He has also taken the Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course and the American Management Association’s Marketing To A Diverse America.

Greg is an effective leader with a solid track record of accomplishments.
In 1993 he founded AHAC (Arlington Hispanic Advisory Council), a well-known community service organization. AHCC has won the respect of leaders and opinion makers in the community. The Fort Worth Star Telegram awarded AHAC the “Small Club of the Year Award” in 1994. No other Hispanic organization had won that honor before.

Vaquera has served in over 30 boards including the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Dallas SER, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, LULAC, and the American Heart Association. And, before leaving Mobil Oil in 1995, Mr. Vaquera was one of three Hispanics chosen to develop that corporation’s first national Hispanic Marketing Study.

Mr. Vaquera also founded the Arlington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) in 1999. Vaquera served as Chairman the first year the chamber was formed and then accepted the position of president for two years. His experience in business and special alliances with the community, including political and community leaders, chambers of commerce members, private sector employees, government and social services agencies, community organizations and volunteer boards made him ideal candidate to take the helm of AHCC.

In 1995, Greg Vaquera was the recipient of The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Community Service Award. And on May 2, 2001, Mr. Vaquera was recognized by Fort Worth community leaders as one of the Hispanic Trailblazers of Tarrant County for his dedication and contributions to the Hispanic Community and all of Tarrant County. Of all the eight recipients, Greg was the youngest to receive this prestigious award. On June 20, 2007, the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Chevrolet recognized Mr. Vaquera as Hero en la Comunidad for his dedication within the Dallas / Fort Worth Community. Another honor that Greg holds dear to his heart is being named National LULAC Man of the Year in 1993.

Greg Vaquera’s latest venture was the creation of LatinoBiz Magazine, a bilingual (English/Spanish) business publication that targets the Latino entrepreneur. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency recently recognized Vaquera for his media coverage of minority business news and for having created new and significant market opportunities for minority business. Following that award Vaquera received the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Diversity’s Organization of the Year Award in 2007.