Private sector 7-Up / RC Bottling Company Contreras-Sweet entered the private sector as the Director of Public Affairs for
Westinghouse's 7-Up / RC Bottling Company and rose to vice-president of Public Affairs. During her tenure with the company, they grew their portfolio to include other beverage companies such as
Evian,
Perrier,
Sunkist,
Lipton, and several others. Contreras-Sweet became one of the leading corporate negotiators for the creation of the Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act of 1986 which introduced the
California Redemption Value for bottles and the mass expansion of the recycling system in the state. Contreras-Sweet was a part of the management leveraged buy-out of the Bottling Company, becoming an equity partner.
Contreras-Sweet Company Maria Contreras-Sweet started the Contreras-Sweet Company, a marketing and research consulting firm with a specialization in the Latino market. Her clients included
The Coca-Cola Company,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
Hoechst AG,
The Walt Disney Company, and
Sempra Energy.
Fortius Holdings, LLC After leaving public office, Contreras-Sweet joined with
Edward P. Roski to form Fortius Holdings, LLC, a private venture capital firm that sought to invest in small business with an emphasis in Latino-owned and women-owned businesses.
ProAmérica Bank In 2006, Contreras-Sweet became the Founding Chairwoman of the first Latino-formed commercial bank in California in over 35 years, ProAmérica Bank. ProAmérica Bank targets the small business community in Southern California. Maria Contreras-Sweet recruited such notable co-organizers as
Henry Cisneros,
Edward P. Roski, Alex Chaves, and
Solomon Trujillo. ProAmérica Bank's client base includes some of California's most important corporations, foundations, non-profits, and small businesses.
Public sector State legislature Contreras-Sweet first experienced public service as a secretary for
Leo T. McCarthy when he was the Speaker of the California State Assembly. She used her time with him to gain exposure and understanding of the state legislative process. Recognized for her growing know-how and ambition, California Senator Joseph B. Montoya appointed Contreras-Sweet as field deputy where she engaged in constituency affairs, legislative analysis, and public policy proposals.
U.S. Census Bureau After working for the state legislature, Contreras-Sweet joined the Department of Commerce as a District Manager for the
United States Census Bureau's Decennial Count in 1979. There, she was responsible for over 800 employees and the accurate count of the South East portion of Los Angeles County.
California Cabinet Secretary Contreras-Sweet was appointed by Governor
Gray Davis to be Cabinet Secretary of the
California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BTH), becoming the first Latina to be named Cabinet Secretary in United States history. During her 5-year term, Contreras-Sweet was the longest serving BTHA secretary, overseeing 44,000 employees, a $14 billion budget, and 14 state departments. Her projects included: • Creating of the Department of Managed Health Care and its accompanying Office of Patient Advocate • Serving as chairwomen for the Commission on Building for the 21st Century and published the Invest for California Infrastructure Report • Securing funding; building consensus among local, state, and federal governments; and commencing the construction of the eastern span of the
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (at the time, the project was considered one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States) • Driving the passage of California Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion housing bond • Creating the first international architectural competition ever undertaken for a state building, which led to the construction of the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters. • Serving as Chairwoman of the
2000 United States census for California.
Small Business Administration On January 15, 2014, she was nominated by President
Barack Obama to join his Cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration. President Obama's first Administrator,
Karen Mills, left the position the previous September, and
Jeanne Hulit ran the agency in the interim. She assumed that role on April 7, 2014. == Other activities ==