Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Ozz Lopez _{on Google}

Nov 16th, 2020

Very helpful, lots of ideas on how to grow your business

Jesse Martinez _{on Google}

Dec 14th, 2022

A chamber of commerce is a voluntary partnership of businesses and professionals working together to build a healthy economy and improve the quality of life in a community.
This organization does not fit that definition. I personally know some of the people that sit on the board today, and some of them have good intentions, they genuinely have a desire to help out local, Hispanic businesses and they will be disappointed to find that the "leaders" of this organization will bend over backwards to do the opposite. Instead of empowering other Hispanic business owners, people like Ben Quiroz will actually fight to discredit other Hispanics he simply does not like. But if he does like you, he'll give you a cushy job as the CEO even if you have a history of embezzling funds from other non-profits. One would think that someone like Ben Quiroz would be careful of his actions out in public but when he has one too many drinks, he tends to get handsy - I've seen this personally and quite frankly I expect more out of anyone that claims to be a community "leader".
The Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has a clique mentality. Many of the board members "think" they have power within the community or pretend to be influential but their isolationist mentality is what causes that organization to fail, time and again. They spend more time gossiping about other Hispanic business owners than trying to create a successful organization. If someone on their board has a personal problem with you, or if they simply don't like you because you looked at them the wrong way, they'll be quick to make sure that others don't work with you by spreading gossip and lies.
If you look into the history of this organization you'll find nothing good. There is a high turnover rate amongst board members and CEO's but one thing you'll find more than anything is the consistent mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. From the failed Mexico initiative that scored a previous member a $10,000 a month salary and the MANO experiment to the embezzlement of over $50,000 by the previous CEO there's a pattern that becomes clearer and clearer.
Membership is essentially non-existent and the few that do exist are either board members or a handful of businesses that are misled about the involvement of the OHCC within the Hispanic Community. Much like the Hispanic Heritage club, the OHCC lavishes praise amongst the same loyal members of its clique and rarely, if ever, does it venture outside of its circle to recognize true Hispanic entrepreneurs or successful business owners in the area.
The Hispanic community makes up the vast majority of the population of Odessa, and one would think that an organization like the OHCC would thrive and become a powerhouse of Hispanic talent and leaders. There are countless Hispanic business owners with very little formal education that have grown businesses and become millionaires right here in our back yard. There are also countless Hispanic entrepreneurs that could use guidance on how to scale their small businesses to be able to provide more local jobs. But do they ever receive recognition or assistance from the OHCC? Never. The OHCC has failed to capitalize on local talent because of their narrow mindset.
Many of my friends have received more help and guidance from the Small Business Development Center than any other non-profit organization in the area. The OHCC has tried to mimic what that organization does and each time it runs out of steam in a short amount of time because they lack the motivation (and intention) to build something great.
If you're looking for a place to sit around with small-minded people, drink coffee and "chismear" this organization is perfect for you.
However, if you're looking to be a part of an organization that will advocate for Hispanic businesses and that attempts to empower EVERY Hispanic business owner without prejudice, good luck, you won't find that in Odessa.