Yolanda Garcia Olivarez was appointed Regional Administrator for SBA’s Region VI in August 2009. As Regional Administrator, Olivarez is responsible for the delivery of the agency’s programs in Region VI, which is headquartered in Dallas and includes Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The SBA helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses.

The five states of Region VI include more than 548,000 square miles. The regional office oversees district offices in Little Rock, AR; New Orleans, LA.; Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City, OK; Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Harlingen, Houston, Lubbock, and San Antonio, TX; and a branch office in Corpus Christi, TX.

Before joining SBA, Olivarez has spent more than 35 years in the trade, commerce and financial services industries. Since 1995 she has been a senior vice president/commercial lender and business development officer at Wells Fargo Bank. She also served 12 years as a Port Commissioner for the Port of Corpus Christi, where she led public finance bond projects for government entities on the state and federal level. Olivarez was the first woman and Hispanic to chair the commission in its 75 year history.

She has served as a member of several boards and commissions and for her service has been recognized by several organizations, including the National Museum of Mexican Art’s 2009 Sor Juana Women of Achievement Award, the Wall of Honor for Del Mar College, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Advance Selena Award. She has also been active in the March of Dimes, United Way, American Heart Association, Texas Tomorrow Fund, Costal Bend Bays and Estuaries, the Corpus Christi Community Development Housing Corporation, Christus Spohn Hospital Board and the Catholic Finance Diocese of South Texas.

Olivarez and her husband, Ronnie, are the proud parents of daughter Sofia Anna.