State Senator Nell Soto (D – Pomona) has selected Ontario businessman Alex Espinoza as this year’s “Small Business Award” winner from the 32nd Senate District.

The State Legislature and the California Small Business Association will honor Espinoza along with other honorees at a June 15 awards luncheon in Sacramento. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

In 1981, Espinoza, a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, formed (along with his brothers Jimmy and Alfonso) Espinoza Enterprises, a real estate company serving the needs of Southern California Latinos.

The company is now known as the De Oro Group, where Espinoza is president of the home loan division. A former chair of the Ontario Planning Commission, Espinoza is currently a member of the Board of Realtors, Inland Empire West, as well as the California Mortgage Bankers Association.

“By helping thousands of Latinos realize their dream of home ownership, Alex Espinoza has made a real difference in the community,” Senator Soto said. “I am proud to recognize him as a worthy recipient of this award.”