EMPIRE DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

Francisco Deleon Guerrero serves as a public representative. Currently a Mortgage Advisor for Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group, a local mortgage bank in Merced, Francisco has lived in Merced for over 14 years and considers the Central Valley a terrific environment to raise his family. Mr. Guerrero greatly supports GVHC’s mission of serving minority communities as he is part of a growing Pacific Islander community in the Central Valley.
Francisco began in the industry working for a large consumer bank, Wells Fargo. Subsequently, he pivoted to mortgage loans as an independently contracted loan signer while earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from the University of California, Merced. During that time, he interned at Castle Air Museum as an Assistant Curator, cataloging and exploring database management solutions.
Mr. Guerrero is currently involved with a number of community organizations. He serves as a Committee Chair to the Merced County Realtors Association Closing Cost Grant Fund Committee, where he helped write new guidelines and procedures for fund implementation and management. Mr. Guerrero also serves as the Community Service Chairperson for Merced’s Young Professional Network, a non-profit organization that focuses its efforts on raising funds for monetary support for other nonprofits in the community.
In his free time, Mr. Guerrero loves to explore the sites and food scenes of the Valley and beyond with his wife, Hanna, and two daughters.

Martina Giselle Ramirez is Dean of the College of Science & Professor of Biology at California State University, Stanislaus. Dr. Ramirez received her B.S. in biology from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) and her Ph.D. in biology from U.C. Santa Cruz. Prior to Stan State, Dr. Ramirez was a professor and later an administrator at Pomona College, Bucknell University, Denison University, East Stroudsburg University, LMU, and St. Norbert College, where she served as Dean of Natural Sciences. Dr. Ramirez received the Rudinica Award for Student- Faculty Research from LMU’s Seaver College of Science & Engineering (2012); a Biology Mentor Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research (2013); and an LGBTQ+ Mentor Award from LMU’s LGBT Student Services Office (2016). Along with having published 22 scientific papers, including 14 with 59 undergraduate student co-authors, Dr. Ramirez is also co-author of a book, Happier as a Woman: Transforming Friendships, Transforming Lives (Cleis Press, 2019).