Maria Contreras-Sweet

Maria Contreras-Sweet
Born	1955 Guadalajara, Mexico
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, government official
Known for	24th Administrator of the Small Business Administration, founding chairwoman of ProAmérica Bank, California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing

Maria Contreras-Sweet (born 1955) is a prominent American entrepreneur and former government leader who held the position of the 24th Administrator of the Small Business Administration between 2014 and 2017. She established ProAmérica Bank, a commercial financial institution dedicated to serving small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly within the Latino community, where she also served as executive chairwoman. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Contreras-Sweet relocated to Los Angeles, California during childhood. Her professional background spans both private enterprise—where she launched a private equity firm—and public administration, including her role as California Secretary of Business, Transportation, and Housing under Governor Gray Davis.

On January 15, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated her for the leadership of the Small Business Administration. Following confirmation by voice vote on March 27, 2014, she officially took office on April 7, 2014.

Early life and education

Contreras-Sweet was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States at the age of five with her family. Her mother provided financial support by working in a chicken processing plant located in El Monte, California. Contreras-Sweet completed her undergraduate studies at California State University, Los Angeles, earning a bachelor's degree.

7-Up / RC Bottling Company

Her career in the private sector began as Director of Public Affairs at Westinghouse's 7-Up / RC Bottling Company, where she was later promoted to Vice-President of Public Affairs. During her tenure, she oversaw the expansion of the company’s product lineup to include brands such as Evian, Perrier, Sunkist, and Lipton. She was instrumental in shaping the Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act of 1986, which introduced the California Redemption Value system for bottles and broadened recycling initiatives statewide. Additionally, Contreras-Sweet played an active role in a management-led leveraged buyout that resulted in her becoming an equity partner.

Contreras-Sweet Company

She launched the Contreras-Sweet Company, a consulting firm focused on marketing research targeting the Latino demographic. The firm’s clientele encompassed major corporations including The Coca-Cola Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Hoechst AG, The Walt Disney Company, and Sempra Energy.

Fortius Holdings, LLC

Following her tenure in public service, Contreras-Sweet co-established Fortius Holdings, LLC alongside Edward P. Roski. This venture capital firm concentrates on investments in small businesses with an emphasis on enterprises owned by Latinos and women.

ProAmérica Bank

In 2006, she assumed the role of Founding Chairwoman at ProAmérica Bank—the first Latino-founded commercial bank in California in over three decades. The bank primarily serves Southern California’s small business sector. She brought together distinguished co-founders including Henry Cisneros and Edward P. Roski. ProAmérica Bank caters to a diverse range of clients such as large corporations, foundations, non-profit organizations, and small businesses across California.

State legislature

Contreras-Sweet’s involvement in public service commenced as secretary to Leo T. McCarthy during his period as Speaker of the California State Assembly. Subsequently, she worked as a field deputy for Senator Joseph B. Montoya, managing constituent relations and legislative research responsibilities.

U.S. Census Bureau

In 1979, she began her career at the Department of Commerce as District Manager for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Decennial Count, where she supervised a workforce exceeding 800 employees responsible for South East Los Angeles County.

California Cabinet Secretary

Governor Gray Davis appointed Contreras-Sweet as Cabinet Secretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BTH), marking her as the first Latina to hold a Cabinet Secretary position in U.S. history. Over her five-year service—the longest tenure in BTH’s records—she directed 44,000 staff members and managed a $14 billion budget spanning 14 state departments.

Significant accomplishments during this period included:

• Founding the Department of Managed Health Care along with its Office of Patient Advocate
• Leading the Commission on Building for the 21st Century and authoring the Invest for California Infrastructure Report
• Obtaining funding and orchestrating collaboration among various government levels to initiate construction of the eastern span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the nation at that time
• Spearheading the approval of California Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion housing bond measure
• Initiating California’s inaugural international architectural competition for a state facility, culminating in the development of the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
• Acting as Chairwoman for California’s 2000 United States Census campaign

Small Business Administration

President Barack Obama nominated her on January 15, 2014, to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), succeeding Obama's initial Administrator, Karen Mills. She was confirmed by voice vote on March 27, 2014, and officially took office on April 7, 2014.

Other activities

Contreras-Sweet founded Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), an organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic women through political education to foster community growth. HOPE offers initiatives such as the HOPE Leadership Institute and a Youth Leadership through Literacy Program.

Selected by the United States Senate to serve on the original Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, she contributed to research addressing workplace obstacles faced by women and minorities. Additionally, she is a Founding Director of The California Endowment, a philanthropic organization managing assets worth billions.

Her governance roles include board membership at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of California during its transition to WellPoint (now Anthem), participation on Harvard Women's Leadership Board advising on women's advancement and academic leadership, and involvement with PepsiCo's Ethnic Advisory Board focusing on marketing strategies and procurement practices. She also sits on the Milken Institute's California Advisory Board, which addresses critical policy and economic matters.

Contreras-Sweet holds an executive board position with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and joined Los Angeles-based Larta Institute in 2017 as its inaugural Distinguished Fellow to promote science commercialization. Her board service extends to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, chairmanship of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), appointment to the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Commission (LAFPP), participation on California's Independent System Operator (ISO) executive board, and involvement in Rebuild Los Angeles efforts aimed at economic revitalization following the 1992 riots.

She chaired the committee responsible for creating "Latinas: The Spirit of California," an exhibition hosted at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

In November 2017, Contreras-Sweet submitted a $275 million proposal to acquire The Weinstein Company, envisioning a female-led restructuring after Harvey Weinstein’s departure. The studio filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2018 before her firm reached a $500 million acquisition agreement that included a $90 million fund for victim compensation. Nevertheless, this deal fell through in March 2018 due to previously undisclosed additional liabilities.

In 2016, she was honored with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree from Whittier College.