Carlos Guirola

Minister Counselor

Embassy of El Salvador in the U.S.

Biography:

Carlos Guirola, Minister Counselor, Embassy of El Salvador in the U.S.

I’m part of the Economic Section of the Embassy, and I’m tasked with meeting potential investors in the U.S. to look for El Salvador for new ventures. Similarly, I search for business opportunities in the U.S. for Salvadoran that want to diversify their companies and invest or export their products to this market. Additionally, I’m in charge of the Labor Mobility Program outreach efforts in the U.S.

Previous jobs: Grants Officer, USAID Project Bridges to Employment; Administrative & Financial Specialist, USAID Project Fiscal Policy and Expenditure Management Program (FPEMP); Administrative & Sales Manager, Almacén y Camiserías Norma; Quality ManagerQuality Manager, Innvestiga Market Specialists.

Academic achievements/degrees.: Diploma, Finance for Non-Financial Professionals, Universidad Centroamericana ‘José Simeón Cañas’​Universidad Centroamericana ‘José Simeón Cañas’​; Master’s degree, International Business Management, KU Leuven; Bachelor’s degree, Marketing, Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado. 

Nicole Griensewic

Executive Director

Region Nine Development Commission in Minnesota

Biografy:

Griensewic has served as Executive Director of Region Nine Development Commission since 2012. As executive director, Griensewic has made it a priority to foster collaboration and engagement by sharing Region Nine’s story both regionally and globally. Griensewic is an active board and committee member for multiple organizations throughout Minnesota. Griensewic is the immediate past President of the Greater Minnesota Partnership, and is the first female to chair the Executive Committee for the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies, where she served as chair of the Governance Committee. Griensewic also served as secretary of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota’s Governing Board of Directors and chaired the Governance Committee and currently serves as an advisory board member for South Central College’s Center for Agriculture. She serves on the executive committee for the MACS Board, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey Board of Directors and represents the Midwest on the National Assoc. of Development Orgs.’s (NADO) Board of Directors.

Griensewic is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has completed course work through Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Executive Education. She received the 2017 Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Her professional background includes extensive private sector and non-profit leadership experience.