CITD Staff
Candy Hansen-Gage
Director
candy [dot] hansen-gage [at] scccd [dot] edu
Candy Hansen-Gage is the Director of the Fresno Center for International Trade Development and the California-Mexico Trade Assistance Center. She is also founder of the San Joaquin Valley International Trade Association.
Ms. Hansen-Gage has served as Director of Fresno CITD since 1989. Over the years, Candy has worked closely with a hundreds of companies developing global business strategies and international business plans. Through one-on-one consulting and specialized training programs, Candy's efforts have resulted in more than $550 million in export sales for Central Valley companies. Candy has also been instrumental in organizing a number of international trade missions to Mexico, Argentina, Germany, Poland, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Through the USAID Entrepreneurs International Program, she works with participants from Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia in agricultural production, food processing, and export marketing. During her tenure, the Export Center has received a number of awards including the "Project of the Year Award" from the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers and the “E” award and the "Outstanding University Center in the Western U.S. Award" from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Ms. Hansen-Gage received her Masters of Science in Business with an emphasis in International Business and a BA in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno. She resides with her husband and daughter in Fresno, California.
Alicia Rios
International Trade Specialist
alicia [dot] rios [at] scccd [dot] edu
Alicia Rios is the International Trade Specialist with the Fresno CITD and serves as the Statewide Ag Coordinator to implement the Memorandum of Agreement the CITD entered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Ms. Rios began her career with the CITD in 1999 serving a duel role as a California-Mexico Trade Assistant and a Program Development Assistant. Alicia was responsible for the implementation of the California-Mexico trade Assistance grant activities and also pioneered the development of many of the same export training programs offered today.
In 2001, Ms. Rios became the International Trade Specialist and has served in that capacity since. As the official “Ag Coordinator” for California ‘s international buyer program, she has lead over a hundred trade mission to and from California, which have generated millions of dollars in export sales.
Ms. Rios is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business. Alicia is currently attending Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University to earn her Masters in Business Administration with a Public Administration Concentration. Expected graduation date is Fall 2011.
Frank M. Nuñez
Program Development Assistant
frank [dot] nunez [at] scccd [dot] edu
Frank M. Nuñez is the Program Development Assistant with the Fresno CITD and serves as the coordinator for the statewide implementation of the California Agricultural Export Training Program or “CalAgX”.
Mr. Nuñez began his career with the Fresno Center for International Trade Development in 2007 and has served at the Center’s Program Development Assistant since. As the CalAgX coordinator, Frank has already provided over 60 new-to-export food and agricultural companies with advance export training with many companies already making export sales in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition to this responsibility, Frank is charges with facilitating advisory board meetings, focus groups, international seminars at the World Ag Expo, and new grant research and development.
Prior to Mr. Nuñez’ tenure at the CITD, he was the Director at a local vocational school for 9 years. During this time, Frank was instrumental in developing the training curriculum for 9 vocational programs, expanding business capacity, and acquiring over $500,000 in grant funding to train young adults.
He is a graduate of California State University Fresno, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Frank plans to begin graduate school during the Fall 2010 semester to earn his Masters in Organizational Development.