Deep Roots and Community Connections Are the Pillars of Jesse Noriega’s Success
By Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola America News
Quad Cities-Drawing on deep family roots in the Quad Cities railroad industry and years of community service, Jesse Noriega steps into his role as executive director of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with ambitious plans to expand the organization’s reach from Des Moines to Chicago.
The Chamber, a nonprofit, membership-driven organization founded in 2008 that supports businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, and individuals through networking, advocacy, and leadership. Noriega joined the Chamber as a business owner when he launched his cleaning company right before Covid-19 shut down businesses across the world. When the former executive director stepped down in 2024, Noriega’s wife encouraged him to pursue the position. “She told me, ‘I know you love doing this,’” he recalls.
As the Chamber’s new leader, Noriega aims to transform the 16-year-old organization into a regional powerhouse by extending services to underserved Latino businesses across eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Building on his experience as both a Chamber member and local business owner, he plans to recruit beyond the Quad Cities, expand the board of directors, and create new programs that are accessible to members throughout the wider region.
The Chamber’s leadership team expressed enthusiasm about Noriega taking the helm. “Noriega, who served several terms on the Board of Directors, most recently as Chairman, has played a pivotal role for GQCHCC over the years,” the Chamber announced on their social media. “As a Quad Cities native, he brings over two decades of leadership experience, a wealth of community knowledge and engagement, and great appreciation and commitment for the Hispanic Chamber and the Greater Quad Cities community.”
As a lifelong resident of the Quad Cities, Noriega comes from a long line of community leaders. “My history in the Quad Cities is pretty deep. My family were railroad workers who came up from Mexico to work on the Rock Island railroad lines, and my great-uncles are part of the Hero Street Monument.” His love for his community and commitment to helping others will be his guide in this new role as he focuses on growing and connecting. “I’ve been here my whole life. I have so many connections from my business background, and that’s going to be a huge asset.” Having spent over a decade as a debt collector, Noriega knows how to counter challenges and pivot rejections. He’s counting on that skill to increase membership beyond the Quad Cities and go to areas that don’t have Hispanic Chambers. His goal is to make their resources and services accessible to busy business owners. He believes that whether new or established, businesses can benefit from the programs his Chamber offers.
Noriega’s other goals include growing the Hispanic Chamber’s staff by hiring a full-time Program and Operations Manager to assist with enhancing member benefits and planning programs and events. He also wants to see new members take leadership roles on the board of directors. “We have quite a bit of room to add more people, and I think adding representatives from those outside communities so they can have a voice on our board and the programs we do will really help us expand,” he shares about his plans to expand across new parts of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois.
Noriega sees the Chamber as a catalyst for economic growth. “The Hispanic chamber is walking into a great new phase this year. Our business community is so helpful that I know we’ll all be able to lean on each other to grow.” He sees his first year as a transformational one with lots of possibilities. “With some of the things the board and I have planned this next year to highlight our existing members and bring in new members, it’s going to be a plus in 2025.” For Noriega, the mission is personal. “I want to be able to help others and leave something behind that’s bigger than me in this growing community because my kids are going to be living in it. I want to make it better for them. That’s the biggest benefit for me,” says Noriega of his vision for the future of the Hispanic Chamber and the Quad Cities.
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