Hispanic Heritage Month: Overcoming Adversity and Creating Success

Rebecca Contreras is currently the President & CEO of AvantGarde LLC (AG), a consulting firm she cofounded in 2011 as the majority owner.  AvantGarde has grown to over 120 employees across nine states including a team in the great State of Texas where Rebecca resides. Prior to moving into the consulting business, Rebecca spent fifteen years working in government, four of those years in federal government serving in President Bush’s Administration in Washington DC. While living in DC, Rebecca served first as a Commissioned Officer to President George W. Bush in the Bush White House, managing the personnel appointments process for over 1,200 positions in the federal government.  Then the president appointed her as a senior executive to lead corporate HR in the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary & Chief of Human Capital for the U.S. Department of Treasury, a workforce of 128,000 employees. Rebecca started her government career working as a civil servant for nearly twelve years in Austin in Texas Government, including serving as the Director of Human Resources for the Office of Governor Bush for six years. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, she served six years at the State Treasury under two Texas women icons Ann Richards and then Kay Bailey Hutchison.