Maria A. Lugo; I.A.M. Supplies, LLC. (www.iamsupplies.com)  –   Sugar Land, Texas

A bilingual native of Brooklyn, NY, Maria is President and Co-Founder of I.A.M. Supplies, LLC, an industrial supply company located in Sugar Land, TX.  Maria is responsible for business development, strategic partnerships and relationship management.

In her most previous role at another firm, Maria performed several key functions including  employee relations, risk mitigation, and business development.  She maintained the company’s MBE/DBE and HUB Certifications locally, regionally and in other states. The firm oversaw the SBE/DBE Program for Houston’s METRO Light Rail Project valued at $1.4 billion

Throughout her professional life, Maria has been actively involved in her community. She is  an active member of Transportation Diversity Council and American Public Transportation Association. Past memberships include The Galleria Chamber of Commerce, The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Hispanic Professional Organization, Sociedad de Puertorriquenos en Houston and a volunteer with La Rosa Domestic Violence Preventive and Healing Agency. Her passion for helping others became evident while still in high school by working with agencies dedicated to helping young people such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Job Training Partnership Act and Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District.

Of particular mention is Maria’s participation as Board Member  of Sociedad de Puertorriquenos en Houston, Inc., a local non-profit where she served as founding director of the Business and Professional Services Committee.  During her term as director, the committee was recognized and accepted into The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest Hispanic Chambers in the nation. This committee was instrumental in forming an economic partnership agreement between the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Her other accomplishments include being chairperson and co-coordinator of sold out quarterly business networking luncheons hosted by the Committee that covered varied topics of interest to local business professionals which featured distinguished panelists from the Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Corporation, The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Camara Empresarios Latinos en Houston with attendees representing various industries within the business community.

Maria was recognized for outstanding community service by receiving the “Puerto Ricans Making the Difference (PRMTD)” Award given by Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration A/and PRMTD Houston. Maria continually seeks out new ways to expand her network to help improve the community around her.