DOWNEY — Small business owner Maria Teresa Villarreal was awarded the Mayor’s Excellence Award by Mayor Mario Trujillo last week.

She started back in 1993 as a small business owner, opening her first beauty company in Downey, and the following year she started the first Latin Stylists Association in California.

Invited by the Department of Industrial Relations of California, she leads the first ever Spanish language apprenticeship non-profit program in the state, making the City of Downey a hub for learners that come from 11 counties. These learners travel to Downey to have their professional education. All programs operate in Downey and are approved by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and the Department of

Industrial Relations, partnering with the Local Education Agency Hacienda La Puente Adult Education.

Villarreal also directs the Cosmetica Beauty and Barbering Academy and teams with Mexican education authorities for a double-certification program. This program allows a graduated apprentice to have their license valid and endorsed to work in both countries.

A number of institutions, including the Mexican Conocer System and others, participate in the program.

Villarreal is an active participant in the Comité Mexicano Cívico Patriótico directive board, that among other activities, is responsible of the Mexico civic ceremonies in our cities, and the biggest independence celebration parade in all of the United States.

She is the founder and chief officer of a number of education systems for the industry:

- Cosmetica Cosmetology and Barbering Apprenticeship Unilateral Committee

- Southern California Cosmetology and Barbering Employers Association. Both are registered non-profit organizations that offer the opportunity to earn a salary and study while working in a beauty salon or barber shop. Both organizations are authorized by the state to operate in a number of counties of Northern and Southern California. Cosmetica was the first Spanish language program approved by the Department of Industrial Relations and by the California Department of Education.

- Cosmetica Beauty and Barbering Academy, traditional school that forms the best professionals, and offers programs in Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetician and Manicuring, in addition of the Master Trainer certification program.

- Cosmetica Latina Edu. Advanced Education, that offers improved skills programs for deeper education on a number of related branches, extending the trainees knowledge in professional, administrative and personal areas.