Mexican Consulate partners with IVSBDC in financial program

IMPERIAL – An agreement between the Mexican Consulate in Calexico and the Imperial Regional Alliance is expected to extend the reach of a program offering financial guidance to Mexican nationals living and working in Imperial County.

Consulate spokesman Mario J. Beltrán Mainero said IRA and local Mexican government representatives signed a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 31 that would make IRA’s Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center the consulate’s local partner in administering its Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera (literally, Financial Advisory Window) program.

The program originated in 2014 and 2015 in the New York and Los Angeles consulates. Beltrán said it was created with the goal of helping Mexican communities in the United States navigate the financial system (banking services, savings and credit) and to promote entrepreneurship and effective management of family finances.

The program is funded by the Mexican Foreign Ministry through all 50 Mexican consulates in the United States, Beltrán said. “Most consulates have a local partner with expertise in financial matters,” he said. “In our case, it is the first time that we have worked with IVSBDC.”

Beltrán said under the agreement, the consulate will provide funds and informational material developed by the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior, a department of the Mexican Foreign Ministry) as well as some manpower.

IVSBDC will provide local expertise and manpower.

“IVSBDC gets the funds and a new way to approach its institutional objectives,” Beltrán said.

IVSBDC Director Meredith Garcia said the agreement is for one year.

She said the MOU will serve to further efforts to provide training and orientation regarding how to protect patrimony, familiar economy, financial assistance, and education at no cost to promote the Mexican community’s financial inclusion in Imperial County.

“The Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center has a strong commitment to offering an inclusive service for our community, and our collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Calexico is one step forward to achieve our goal,” she said.

IVSBDC was established in 2016, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses through one-on-one counseling and workshops at no cost. Garcia said the SBDC’s top priority is to empower business creation and growth to achieve job creation and retention, capital investments, and dynamic innovation that improves the quality of life at Imperial County.

Because of ongoing health and safety concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, programs created under the SBDC’s agreement with the consulate will be largely relegated to online for the foreseeable future. Garcia said the first fruits of the new partnership will be a webinar scheduled for Oct. 3 on handling personal finances.

For more information, contact Garcia at (760) 31-9800 or via e-mail meredith@imperialalliance.org.