Board of Directors

Oralia Herrera

Oralia Herrera is Broker/Owner of Century 21 TK Realty Inc. She came to this country as a child from La Purisima Durango Mexico with her parents and five siblings. Her family established in Franklin Park where she attended school and has raised three children together with her husband.

On her 21st birthday, Ms. Herrera became a real estate agent and made it her profession and passion. With over 25 years of experience in real estate, she has made a mark in her community with professionalism, integrity and care. Ms. Herrera has made lifelong relationships with her clients and friends, helping them every step of the way into homeownership and real estate investments. Her passion is clear and her energy heartfelt.

Her many real estate achievements include:

• Century 21 Centurion producer Award 1996-2006
• Masters Diamond Award Century 21 1999
• Hall of Fame Award Century 21 2004
• Double Centurion Award 2005
• SFR Designation 2007
• TRC Designation 2008
• CIPS Designation 2009
• Chicago Magazine Top Agent Award 2011, 2012, 2013

Gary Acosta

Gary Acosta is an entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for the Latino business community. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the largest Latino business organization in the nation with more than 58,000 members and 100 local chapters. Under his leadership, NAHREP created the Hispanic Wealth Project, a non-profit committed to increasing household wealth in the Latino community.

In 2025, Gary co-founded AVANCE Global, an event platform designed to spotlight Latino leadership, entrepreneurship, and culture. AVANCE Global was created with media entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author, Nely Galán. The event platform builds on the momentum of L’ATTITUDE, the renowned national event Gary co-founded alongside international business executive Sol Trujillo, former United Airlines CEO, Oscar Muñoz, and music icon Emilio Estefan.

Gary also founded AVANCE Sports and the National Hispanic Construction Alliance (NHCA), both are business organizations focused on advancing the professional and economic mobility of Latinos in their respective industries.

He is a founding partner of L’ATTITUDE Ventures, the largest venture capital fund in the country that invests exclusively in Latino-led startups. Over the course of his career, Gary has launched and led several companies in real estate, mortgage, and technology, including New Vista Asset Management, CounselorMax, and RealEstateEspanol.com. He also co-founded The Mortgage Collaborative, a for-profit network of more than 200 mortgage companies.

Gary served on the consumer advisory board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and on advisory boards for several Fortune 500 companies, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and JP Morgan Chase. He currently serves on the boards of NAHREP and BaseCap Analytics.

Gary has been recognized by REALTOR® Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Real Estate and by Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the 101 Most Influential Latinos in America. His video series, “The Latino Brand,” shares his take on business, leadership, and the image of Latinos in America.

Gary grew up in Montebello, California, and attended the University of California in San Diego and Pomona College, where he played varsity basketball for Hall of Fame coach, Gregg Popovich. He lives with his family in San Diego.

Edwin Acevedo

Edwin Acevedo began his real estate career in 2008 weeks before the market crash. After 6 years of real estate sales, he began a new venture called Lotus Group Real Estate, which became the fastest-growing independent real estate brokerage in the city of Downey in 2016. Entering 2022, he franchised his brokerage with Century 21 which is now called Century 21 LOTUS. It now consists of over 60 agents that span three different locations in 3 different counties, Downey Rancho Cucamonga and Ventura. He was the Chapter President for Los Angeles and now serves on the National Board of Director for NAHREP. He also fixes and flips properties and has appeared on the HGTV Network show called “Flipping 101” along with his wife, Claudia Acevedo. Their main focus is to continue to use these capital gains to purchase buy/hold properties throughout the country. He prides himself as an entrepreneur and his focus is on strategic business building.

Nora Aguirre

Nora Aguirre is an associate with Century 21 Americana. She has been in the real estate profession for 16 years, rapidly growing her business to become one of the top agents in the country.

As a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, she is passionate about educating buyers about real estate and helping them find their next forever home. She has a unique ability to connect with home buyers and bring comfort to the home buying process. Her customer base is unique for a REALTOR® with a large transactional volume. Her customers are traditional home buyers looking to make a purchase of a primary residence.

Ms. Aguirre has grown her business to more than 200 transactions per year resulting in an average of $1.5 million in gross commissions. In 2006, Ms. Aguirre joined Juan Martinez at RE/MAX Executives shortly after launching her career. Nora led the buyer’s team for seven years and then ventured out to create her own business and has had amazing success. She has become an inspiration to others and an incredible leader.

In early 2019, after six years of operating on her own, she and Juan Martinez collaborated to create a dynamic partnership at Century 21 Americana. Here, she lends her influence and passion for mentoring real estate professionals to build capacity and provide exceptional service.

Nationally recognized, Ms. Aguirre has earned a number of honors: Top 25 Most Influential Women in Real Estate four years in a row, third Top Millennial Team, Top 25 Latino Team, and winner of the NAHREP Top 250 Latino Agents three years in a row. In 2018, she was recognized as #1 Female Agent in Nevada.

Ms. Aguirre is passionate about sharing her knowledge and expertise of real estate. For the past five years, she has hosted “Real Estate with Nora,” a 30-minute radio program on La Verdad Radio 95.9 FM Las Vegas which airs daily during the week covering topics that demystify the real estate market.

A member of NAHREP® since 2008, Ms. Aguirre founded the Greater Las Vegas Chapter in 2017 and served as its founding president. She also serves as a coach and mentor to new professionals in the field.

Ms. Aguirre served in the Nevada Army National Guard for six years where she was a drill instructor for at-risk youth in Southern Nevada. She frequently volunteers her time for veteran’s groups and other causes close to her heart. She lives with her family in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nuria Rivera

Nuria Rivera is a transformational speaker, business owner & self-development coach on a mission to inspire permanent change for her employees, clients and business leaders. Rivera’s efforts have helped increase major results, helped rewire the mindset of people to achieve personal and professional goals while making a lasting impact to reach their potential.

The thought leader has won the ‘Best Of State’ award for her multi-million dollar Salt Lake City Title company, Novation Title, for 6 years – boldly investing back into her employees; providing high ticket life training, masterminds, financial literacy, non-profit work and travel experiences, to name a few. Ms. Rivera has presented and in some cases as a key-note speaker in more than 30 stages across the nation including a TedX stage.

Reaching success as an immigrant in this country, Ms. Rivera shares her wisdom & experience by actively teaching entrepreneurs how to scale their businesses while becoming the best version of themselves through her coaching program. Ms. Rivera has served with honor on NAHREP’s national board for over 5 years and was installed as the 2023 National President. Ms. Rivera is actively a part of Tony Robbin’s platinum partners and has been for the last 3 years as it fulfills her passion for learning. She is proud to have created a movement & evolution for change in her industry and has a mission to build others.

She feels passionate about giving back and has a non-profit organization called “Dreamers’ Foundation” that holds a fundraising event to give back to other charities. They have held over 6 large events in the community to help make an impact.

Sara Rodriguez

Sara Rodriguez is the CEO/Owner of Titan Title and a partner at Mendez Rodriguez, PLC. Her practice specializes on all matters related to residential and commercial real estate transactions. She served as 2016 President of NAHREP Northern Virginia and has served on the chapter’s board of directors since 2013 in various leadership roles. Additionally, she serves as a national chapter coach.

Since 2005, Mrs. Rodriguez has taught DPOR approved courses through various state-licensed schools in both English and Spanish. She also teaches Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for the National Business Institute in Virginia. Mrs. Rodriguez has appeared as a speaker at multiple events and conventions speaking on a multitude of real estate issues including contract, short sales and foreclosures. She was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 2003 and has practiced immigration law, family law and real estate law.

Jona Gamboa

Jona Gamboa, Founder and CEO of the Gamboa Real Estate Group, is driven by a passion for empowering clients and the community. From facilitating the purchase of first homes and investment properties to leading educational mentorship programs, radio talk shows, virtual classes, and classroom instruction. As a seasoned real estate investor and developer who started his career back in 2006, he imparts extensive knowledge, extending beyond residential transactions to encompass market analysis, investment strategies, and personal finance for the benefit of clients and colleagues.

The Gamboa Group has frequently been recognized as a top real estate team both nationally and in the state of Utah, including earning a place on the prestigious NAHREP Top 250 Real Estate Agents list for the past six years and counting.

As an active leader in NAHREP, Jona has a passion for serving the Hispanic community and the organizations’ mission of advancing sustainable Hispanic homeownership and wealth creation. Jona was the 2016 President of NAHREP Salt Lake City Chapter, he also served as NAHREP National Coach and currently he is serving as a NAHREP National Board Director and a NAHREP 10 Certified Trainer.

Jona was born in Mexico City and now resides in Palm Harbor, Florida with his wife and three children.

Imelda Manzo

Imelda Manzo is the Broker Owner of Premier One REALTORS® and has been an active and successful real estate practitioner since 2004. She is a very passionate member of The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®). Ms. Manzo is a founding director of the NAHREP Temecula Valley Chapter where she had the honor to serve as President in 2019 and currently serves as the Emeritus Director. Ms. Manzo is a proud ambassador for NAHREP’s Hispanic Wealth Project and is a regional director for NAHREP’ s National Advocacy Committee.

Atila (AT) Almeida

AT Almeida is a top producer REALTOR® in Dallas/Fort Worth. He is Past President for NAHREP Dallas. AT is passionate and focused on advancing sustainable Hispanic homeownership for Latinos in Texas. AT Almeida was born and raised in Brazil and migrated to the U. S. in 2006 as an undocumented immigrant aspiring for the American Dream. As a newcomer to the U. S. with no English experience he relentlessly worked as a dishwasher, pizza delivery, and a professional bullrider to eventually become a top producing REALTOR in the first three years of his real estate career.

Eva Angelina Romero

Eva Angelina Romero, a Los Angeles native, is a distinguished professional and community leader. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, she pursued postgraduate studies in business and entrepreneurship at various esteemed universities.

Relocating to Nashville in 2012, Eva is the dynamic Broker/Owner of Century 21 Capital Properties and a co-owner of Solace Oral Surgery. Committed to cultivating leadership, she empowers individuals within her enterprises through mentorship and strategic leadership opportunities.

Eva embarked on her career as an educator in Los Angeles, imparting wisdom in innercity high schools, focusing on business development and leadership. A lifelong servant leader, she has dedicated herself to community upliftment, serving as the founding president of NAHREP Nashville in 2016 and served as president until 2018.

Currently contributing to various boards, including NAHREP Midwest Corporate Board of Governors, American Red Cross, TLACC (Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce), HOLA (Hispanic Leaders and Achievers), ELLA (Entrepreneur Latina Leaders of America), and presiding over the HDSA TN Chapter, Eva remains deeply committed to service and philanthropy, exemplifying her love for community enrichment.

Magda Esola, CSP SRES AHWD PSA CMP C2EX CRS

Francisco Fernández

Francisco “Paco” Fernández is the broker owner of Best Properties Realty Group. He is a REALTOR® with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and over 8 years of experience in the real estate industry in Puerto Rico. As the President of the Caguas Board of REALTORS in 2016, Francisco led his team to achieve Board of the Year. He served as the 2020 President of NAHREP Puerto Rico, demonstrating his dedication and commitment to this profession. He has since ranked in the NAHREP Top 250 Latino Real Estate Agents.

Olivia Chavez

With over 12 years of experience in the real estate industry, Olivia Chavez is a dedicated professional with Mission Real Estate. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a concentration in Consumer Aairs, and a minor in Chicano Studies. As a manager at her oice and the director of the in-house real estate school, Olivia plays a pivotal role in mentoring and guiding new agents, ensuring their success in the industry. Being the daughter of immigrant parents and the first in her family to earn a college degree, Olivia deeply values education and the opportunities it creates.

Olivia is an active leader in her local real estate association, serving as a Board Director and member of the Executive Committee. Her committee work has included roles as Grievance Chair, Ethics & Arbitration Liaison, and contributor to Professional Standards, Governmental Aairs, and Education Committees. She further demonstrated her commitment to the real estate profession as the 2017 President of the NAHREP San Fernando Chapter, a role that has led to national leadership positions, including NAHREP National Coach, National Advisor, and Northwest Region Liaison.

Olivia’s extensive network and relationships have been instrumental in expanding her business and fostering generational wealth within her community. She specializes in working with first-time homebuyers, providing education and guidance throughout the home-buying process. Known for her ability to connect with clients and bring comfort to what can be an overwhelming experience, Olivia takes pride in helping families achieve the dream of homeownership. With a focus on creating lasting relationships and delivering exceptional service, Olivia Chavez continues to make a meaningful impact on her clients and the real estate community.

Peggy Pratt

Peggy Pratt’s life journey is a testament to resilience, versatility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. She embarked on her career in the real estate industry in 1996, initially managing apartment rentals in East Boston. Though she briefly ventured into the restaurant business with the opening of two establishments, Peggy ultimately found her true calling in real estate sales, leading her to re-enter the field in 1999.

Throughout her illustrious career, Peggy has made a substantial impact in various ways. She has guided both first-time homebuyers and investors, skillfully managing over 300 short sales following the market downturn. Her expertise and dedication have allowed homeowners to navigate challenging situations, liberating them from onerous mortgages with minimal impact on their credit.

Peggy’s exceptional performance consistently ranks her among the top 4% of all Century 21 Agents nationwide. She has also been recognized as a Top 250 Professional by the NAHREP organization annually from 2018 to 2022. Beyond her individual success, Peggy serves as a National NAHREP coach and leads a dedicated team committed to delivering outstanding service in the Greater Boston market.

In addition to her real estate accomplishments, Peggy is a multifaceted professional. She is a past president of the Lynnfield Rotary in 2020 and serves on MLS Board in 2023, as well as being a member of the 2021 Greater Boston Association of Realtors Board of Directors.

Peggy’s accolades include:

• #1 Century 21 Agent in Massachusetts in 2021
• #10 Century 21 Agent Nationwide
• #63 in the NAHREP TOP 100 LATINO REAL ESTATE AGENTS – TEAM VOLUME
• #37 State Rank in the 2022 RealTrends America’s Best Real

Beyond her professional achievements, Peggy is a true entrepreneur and investor. She runs “Sin Permiso,” a Latina lifestyle podcast, providing inspiration and empowerment to her listeners. Her dynamic approach to life and business is an inspiration in itself, demonstrating her dedication to making a positive impact in various domains.

Peggy Pratt’s influence extends further as the team leader of the Pratt Properties Team, a multi-faceted group with a diverse skill set. The team is not only fully bilingual, proficient in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, but also serves in Massachusetts and Florida. They specialize in both residential and commercial properties, as well as new developments, and are equipped to assist with relocations across the country. In 2023, the team achieved the remarkable ranking of #55 among the top 100 Latino teams.

Under Peggy’s leadership, the Pratt Properties Team exemplifies professionalism, linguistic versatility, and expertise in various facets of the real estate market. Their commitment to serving a diverse clientele and addressing a wide range of real estate needs underscores Peggy’s dedication to providing top-notch service and ensuring client satisfaction across different communities, property types, and states.

As the team leader, Peggy Pratt continues to inspire her colleagues and clients with her passion, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to excellence in the real estate industry.

Pedro Rivera

Originally from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico with Dominican roots, Rivera leverages his cosmopolitan background and personality to propel his award-winning real estate career. Rivera is an implementer of sustainable performance, purposeful leadership, and fostering a culture of opportunity that focuses on duplication, accountability, and executional excellence.

So far, Rivera has experienced several milestones in his lifetime including:

• 3rd Place Statewide in Technology and eCommerce – Wisconsin DECA (2009)
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Latino Entrepreneurial Network (2009)
• Co-Founder of The Puerto Rican Family Festival of Wisconsin (2013/2014)
• NAHREP’s Top250 (2017/2018)
• Featured in best selling book: The Next Wave of Influence in Real Estate by Jimmy Rex (2019)
• NAR 30 Under 30 Finalist (2021)
• Founder President of NAHREP Milwaukee (2020/2021 | Rookie Chapter of the Year 2021)

Rivera’s achievements have positioned him to be the only Latino agent in his market to share his knowledge on broadcast television including CBS58/Telemundo Wisconsin and recently Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV/TMJ4.

Rivera is a member of the Professional Standards and Equal Housing Opportunity committee at the Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS (GMAR) and holds the position of Broker/Owner at reThought Real Estate. This firm stands out as one of Milwaukee’s select Latino-owned brokerages. reThought Real Estate is a boutique agency committed to #reDefine traditional real estate expectations delivering a personalized, tech-driven, and client-centric approach to buying and selling real estate.

Diana Sifuentes

Diana Sifuentes is co-owner of Berkshire Hathaway HSA Action office located in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Born in a small town in Tamaulipas, Sifuentes has flourished without formal marketing education, simply relying on referrals from friends, family, and previous customers. Her inspiring customer service has contributed to her success resulting in recognition as one of the NAHREP Top 250 Latino Agents in the USA. Sifuentes served as Chapter President of NAHREP Texas Plano/Garland from 2019 to 2020 and currently serves as the Regional Co-chair for the NAHREP Mountain Region.

Erika Villegas

Erika Villegas is an established and successful Realtor. She is a partner and Designated Managing Broker at REMAX In The Village in Oak Park, IL. Erika was born and raised on the southwest side of the city and then lived in Mexico for a few years as a teenager which helped her become fluent in Spanish. She established herself as one of the top residential Realtors in Chicagoland serving a wide variety of buyers and sellers. Her bilingual business platform gives her the advantage of helping others pursue sustainable homeownership while achieving her real estate goals. She is a top producer of the Chicago Association of Realtors and recognized as a Top 250 Latino Real Estate Agent in the country by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) since 2013.

Erika is the President-Elect of the Chicago Association of Realtors. She has served the Realtor community on several levels within the association and has been recognized with several awards for her service to the Realtor community.

She has also been featured in many local and national publications like the NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Ris Media, and Chicago Agent Magazine among others for her personal and professional accomplishments.

Erika has volunteered countless hours and has become a fierce advocate for the unhoused immigrant community in Chicago.

When she’s not working, Erika enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and her children.

Gerardo “Jerry” Ascencio

Gerardo “Jerry” Ascencio is the former chairman of the NAHREP Foundation, dba Hispanic Wealth Project, and broker-owner of San Fernando Realty. A 30-year veteran of real estate, he is also the 2012 President of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®). NAHREP is the largest minority real estate trade association in America with over 40,000 members and 100 local chapters nationwide.

A sought-out public speaker, motivator and trainer, Mr. Ascencio is widely recognized as one of the most charismatic speakers in the real estate industry today. A native of Michoacán, Mexico, Mr. Ascencio’s own immigrant experience has made him an impassioned advocate for homeownership and economic empowerment for all Americans. Between 2012 and 2014, he anchored 100 episodes of ESN, NAHREP’s highly successful YouTube talk show. In 2014, he starred in 53 Million and One®, a one-of-a-kind theatrical presentation that chronicles his extraordinary life story. The show premiered at the NAHREP National Convention and Latin Music Festival in Los Angeles, California and was the featured performance of the 2015 Nuevo Latino Tour across the United States.

Mr. Ascencio also owns Mission Real Estate and San Fernando Realty Escrow Division, and served multiple terms as a national board member of the National Community Stabilization Trust NCST. He is the founding president of the NAHREP San Fernando-Santa Clarita chapter and has also held local leadership roles with the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®.

Joe Castillo

Joe Castillo is a second generation REALTOR® following in the footsteps of Maria and Jose Castillo, co-founders of Mi Casa Real Estate, Inc. He grew up in the business that he now loves, talking real estate at the kitchen table and spending many summers at the office helping out. Mr. Castillo obtained his real estate license at the age of 21 while continuing his studies, graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Juan Martinez

Juan Martinez is the Broker/Owner of Century 21 Americana. A leading figure within the real estate industry, Mr. Martinez has been pushing the boundaries of production over the course of his 13 year career. He concluded his successful sales career with over 4,000 closed transactions (with 584 closed transactions in his last year of production), resulting in $16 million in commissions. Since then, Mr. Martinez has laser-focused his efforts towards building an innovative company devoted entirely to training and coaching real estate agents.

For the first 10 years of his 13 year career, he functioned as an award winning real estate agent. The Wall Street Journal’s Top Trends Report named him the “#1 Hispanic Agent” and “#13 Team” in the nation. In 2011, Mr. Martinez was named number one producing Latino real estate agent in the country per the NAHREP Top 250 Latino Agents list. During his time operating within the RE/MAX brand, he was a seven time winner of the Chairman’s Circle Award, three time Diamond Award winner, as well as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement award and a Hall of Fame Award. He also led his team to be named one of the Top 100 Teams in the World, a recognition they’ve received multiple times.

In 2009, Mr. Martinez served as president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®) Nevada chapter. He also served on their National Board before going on to hold the position of NAHREP National President for 2013 and 2014. Since the onset of his involvement with the NAHREP organization, he has collaborated with many leaders in the Housing industry, including Shaun Donovan, former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, former President Bill Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and FHA Commissioner and Assistant Secretary for Housing, Carol Galante. He has also lent his extensive industry insight to leading media outlets such as CNN and CNN Español.

Recently, Mr. Martinez has turned his focus towards the formation of a comprehensive back-end system based on five pillars for powerhouse production. With the assistance of internationally recognized real estate coach, Mike Ferry, of the Mike Ferry Organization, from whom Mr. Martinez has been coached by for the entirety of his career, he was able to form his own thorough style of coaching and mentoring.