Gilbert R. Vasquez '64, CPA, Alumnus of the Year
Managing Partner, Vasquez and Company LLP
Gilbert R. Vasquez is the Managing Partner of the certified public accounting firm of Vasquez and Company LLP. Since 1967, he has managed and directed a successful practice in public accounting, auditing, taxation, and financial consulting. Mr. Vasquez was a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee in the Central District of California, handling in excess of 3,000 bankruptcy cases annually. He has also served as a Chapter 11 Trustee, a Bankruptcy Examiner and a Receiver.
Vasquez & Company, LLP with over 70 professionals and administrators, is consistently rated among the top 30 accounting firms in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Business Journal and has established a reputation for delivering innovative yet practical solutions helping clients gain competitive advantages. The company is a member of the McGladrey Alliance – a premier affiliation of independent accounting and consulting firms in the United States.
Mr. Vasquez is recognized as a prominent Certified Public Accountant, community leader and entrepreneur. He is a member in good standing with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of CPA’s. He is a past president of the California Board of Accountancy, the organization that licenses and regulates CPA’s in California. He was the founder and past president of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) - the most successful professional Latino association in the United States of America. He currently seats on its Corporate Advisory Board.
Mr. Vasquez was an executive board member of the 1984 Olympic Organizing Committee and currently serves as a board member on its successor organization, the LA84 Foundation. Mr. Vasquez also continues to serve as a board member of Manufacturers Bank, Entravision Communications Corporation and Green Dot Public Schools. He is also the Vice Chairman and one of the founding members of the Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles. He has been a member of various Boards of Directors including the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, Promerica Bank, California State University, Los Angeles Foundation, United Way of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Metropolitan YMCA, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and the National Council of La Raza. Other past corporate board appointments include Verizon (formerly) GTE of California, Glendale Federal Bank and Blue Cross of California.
Mr. Vasquez has received many honors including: the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund Achievement Award, the Coca Cola Golden Hammer Award, and the Citizen of the Year by Northeast Chapter of the American Red Cross. He also received recognition from California State University, Los Angeles as one of the 40 outstanding luminaries for his exemplary service to the University on their 40th Anniversary and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ Golden Book of Distinguished Service Award – the highest honor the YMCA bestows.
Mr. Vasquez received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an Accounting option from California State University, Los Angeles in 1964.
In his free time, Mr. Vasquez enjoys spending time with family and friends and travelling internationally.