Meet our 2023 officers

​The WVCBA is pleased to announce its Executive Committee for 2023. The Board of Directors is responsible for setting WVCBA policy as well as direction for the organization. The Executive Committee is comprised of officers elected by the Board and monitors the Alliance's operations. The Board is made up of 18 directors plus eight Lifetime Directors, as well as non-voting Board liaisons from like-minded organizations. 

Top row (l-r):

Chair: Dona Lacayo, The Port of Hueneme
Dona Lacayo joined the Port of Hueneme as the Director of Business Development in 2014 with a strong background in the maritime industry, commercial development and global logistics. In 2017 Dona was promoted to the Chief Commercial and Public Affairs Officer. In her new role she leads the Commercial Strategy and Development Planning at the Port. She is also the head of Public Affairs including Government and Media relations.

Chair-Elect: Andrew Kiefer, CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.
Andrew Kiefer is a director and shareholder of CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C., a national top ten public accounting firm. He began his career with the firm in 1998 and now oversees all of the audit, tax and accounting services to commercial entities in the construction, manufacturing, software, and retail industries, as well as government contractors and governmental entities. He is a graduate of California Lutheran University, and resides in Camarillo with his wife and two boys.

Immediate Past Chair: Dawn Simmons, Edward Jones
Dawn Simmons has lived in Ventura County for over 30 years, raising four children and is the wife of an active duty military member. She is an Edward Jones Financial Advisor with over 30 years in the financial services industry. She is an avid supporter of local business and uses her expertise to help business owners grow and plan for the future.

Bottom row (l-r):

Vice Chair/Treasurer: David Wellik, Citizens Business Bank 
David Wellik has been a business banker for over 15 years in Ventura County. His office is in Oxnard, where he has been Center Manager with Citizens Business Bank since 2015. He serves on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard & Port Hueneme, the finance committee for Rescue Mission Alliance, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Ventura. Other than his time obtaining a BA from Westmont College and MBA from Cal State Northridge, he has lived in Ventura for over 30 years. He has three kids with his wife, Becka, who is a nurse at VCMC.

Vice Chair: Yuliana Gonzales, Visit Camarillo
Yuliana Gonzalez serves as the Executive Director of the Camarillo Hotel & Tourism Association, also known as Visit Camarillo. Yuliana oversees the implementation of data-driven marketing strategies and innovative advertising campaigns aimed at increasing hotel occupancy and tourism efforts, positively contributing to the local economy. Utilizing key target markets and demographics to strategically define audiences, her team is constantly looking at new ways to inspire travel and effectively navigate the tourism landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Vice Chair: Julia Justus​, Meissner Filtration
Julia Justus has lived in Ventura County on and off for 30 years. Having worked both in the private and public sector in Ventura County, she is passionate about leveraging that experience to benefit WVCBA and her community at large. She believes when businesses thrive, so does the community.  
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Vice Chair: Anthony Mireles, Business Manager of Laborers' International Union of North America- Local 585
Anthony Mireles brings a wealth of skills and new perspective from more than 30 years in business, labor and coalition building, starting as a Retail Store Manager, 10-year Laborer, and 19-year Union Representative. Anthony has extensive knowledge in contract compliance, apprentice mentoring, workforce recruitment, strategic planning for infrastructure finance, and development, as well as social media communication engagement, and community coalition building. He is also a prior member in the Farm Workers Commission, Oxnard Gang Commission, and actively engaged in the Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation, Ventura County Housing Trust Fund, Ventura County Laborers Apprenticeship Subcommittee and Training Trust, Central Coast Labor Council, and Chair of the Ventura County Workforce Development Board - Clean Green Committee.