Preserving & Promoting Portuguese Culture, Heritage & History
CALuso is committed to the preservation and celebration of Luso-American culture, specifically focusing on Portuguese history, heritage, and culture in California, the West Coast, and the United States. Our mission is rooted in recognizing the significant role that Portuguese communities, particularly those of Azorean descent, have played in shaping the development of the United States.
From the early 19th century onwards, there were waves of immigration from the Azores, Madeira Islands, the mainland: first the whalers, followed by boat builders, fishermen, and later the dairy farmers, forming communities in North America and leaving a legacy of colorful and historically significant contributions to American culture.
Our Mission
CALuso’s mission is to preserve and promote Portuguese culture, heritage, and history in California, the West Coast, and throughout the United States. The three main types of projects and events to be promoted by CALuso are:
1. Concert Performances: Bringing Portuguese musicians to perform in California and the United States, or highlighting Luso-American artists.
2. Artistic Exhibitions: Exhibition of Portuguese and Luso-American artists in all genres of artistic endeavors, via exhibits of their work.
3. Historical Preservation: Supporting projects that preserve the rich Portuguese heritage and history throughout the United States.
Other examples of the types of projects to be supported and promoted by CALuso include:
4. Cultural Exchange: Fostering connections between communities in the United States and Portugal through cultural exchanges, creating a bridge that celebrates shared traditions and values on both sides of the Atlantic.
5. Community Building: Cultivating the Luso-American communities by connecting individuals, institutions, and organizations, with the goal of fostering, preserving and expanding such communities.
6. Culinary Exploration: Exploring the rich tapestry of Portuguese and Luso-American cuisines and wines, sharing Portuguese culinary traditions, recipes, and experiences to enhance appreciation of Portuguese culture heritage through the universal language of food and wine.
7. Educational Initiatives: Promote awareness and understanding through lectures, presentations, exhibits, and educational programs that highlight the historical ties, contemporary collaborations, and future opportunities for cultural exchange between the United States and Portugal.
About CALuso
At CALuso, we strive to honor this heritage by fostering awareness, appreciation, and understanding of Luso-American contributions. Join us in preserving the tapestry of our shared history and celebrating the cultural mosaic that continues to thrive on the West Coast and beyond.
CALuso is sponsoring a reprint of this popular award-winning children’s book which tells the story - in English and Portuguese - of a young Azorean leitaria (dairy) girl who loses her calf in the Marin headlands the night before the big Festa.
Maria and the Lost Calf
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Undisclosed Family Foundation
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The John & Connie Goulart Trust
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Angelo Garcia
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Vasco Morais & Holly Kaiser/The Kaimor Trust
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The Schwab Foundation - George and Maureen Pereira
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Connie and Greg Paiva-Maddox
Institutional Donors and Sponsors
Individual Donors
Donors, Sponsors and Supporters
Advisors
Greg T. Maddox
Greg T. Maddox has 10 years of experience in investments and wealth management at Wells Fargo Bank. Greg currently serves as Advisory Council Member for the National Association of Securities Professionals, the premier trade association for minorities and women in the financial services industry. In addition, Greg currently serves as Board & Faculty Member for the American Bankers Association Wealth & Trust School as well as Advisory Board Member for the II Sub-Advisory Institute. Greg served for 7 years as President, Board of Director the Hamilton Family Center, the largest provider of shelter, eviction prevention, rapid re-housing, and support services to homeless families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg is in the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship.
Head of Agile Product Management
Wells Fargo & Company
Michael A. Silva
Michael A. Silva has over 35 years of experience in Commercial Banking at Union Bank, Imperial Bank, and Comerica Bank. He currently serves as Comerica Bank’s Market President for Northern California which includes responsibility for the Bank’s six Commercial Banking teams in the region as well as the Wine Industry Specialty Group. For the past 7 years, Mike has enjoyed the role of Treasurer for Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) which serves Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Mike serves on the Board of Junior Achievement Northern California and recently joined the Marin Advisory Board of 10,000 Degrees. The mission of 10,000 Degrees is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. Mike's father immigrated to Mill Valley, California from the Azores.
Executive Vice President
Regional Market President (Comerica Bank)
Dr. Filipe Ramalheira
-
Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros
-
University of Geneva
Consul General of Portugal
In San Francisco
President and Director
Connie Paiva-Maddox
Connie Paiva Maddox, a native of Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal currently resides in Marin County, California. Connie was a project co-sponsor for the Tiburon Portuguese Dairy Mural Wall project focused on bringing awareness, education and honoring the Portuguese cultural heritage of the Azorean/Portuguese dairy farmers in Tiburon. Over the last 12 years, Connie has served in a variety of volunteer roles in the Tiburon community and the public school district, Reed Union School District, where she is currently the Del Mar Middle School PTA President.
Treasurer and Director
George Pereira
George Pereira is an Independent Board Director & Trustee, Former Investment Management COO & CFO at Schwab Investment and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) Mutual Funds, with Audit, Risk, and Compensation Committee expertise. George has a long history of building organizations, including non-profit organizations, as a board member of Rotaplast International, Inc. Prior to commencing his Board service, George was active in building and improving organizations productivity. George is a native of Porto de Mós, Portugal, where he splits his time with his home in California.
Secretary and Director
Vasco Morais
Vasco Morais has 30+ years of experience in legal and corporate finance, including as General Counsel at ATEL Capital Group, and with Bank of America and Consolidated Capital prior to that. Vasco has had an equal amount of time and experience with promoting, funding, and managing non-profits organizations and projects. Vasco has a combined JD and MBA. He lived in Cascais as a child and currently splits his time between California and Portugal, where he lives in the surfing community of Peniche, near Óbidos.
Officers & Directors
Officers, Directors, and Advisors
From the early 19th century onwards, there were waves of immigration from the Azores, Madeira Islands, the mainland: first the whalers, followed by boat builders, fishermen, and later the dairy farmers, forming communities in North America and leaving a legacy of colorful and historically significant contributions to American culture.
Donors, Sponsors and Supporters
-
Undisclosed Family Foundation
-
The John & Connie Goulart Trust
-
Angelo Garcia
-
Vasco Morais & Holly Kaiser/The Kaimor Trust
-
The Schwab Foundation - George and Maureen Pereira
-
Connie and Greg Paiva-Maddox
Individual Donors
Institutional Donors and Sponsors
Officers, Directors, and Advisors
From the early 19th century onwards, there were waves of immigration from the Azores, Madeira Islands, the mainland: first the whalers, followed by boat builders, fishermen, and later the dairy farmers, forming communities in North America and leaving a legacy of colorful and historically significant contributions to American culture.
President and Director
Connie Paiva-Maddox
Connie Paiva Maddox, a native of Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal currently resides in Marin County, California. Connie was a project co-sponsor for the Tiburon Portuguese Dairy Mural Wall project focused on bringing awareness, education and honoring the Portuguese cultural heritage of the Azorean/Portuguese dairy farmers in Tiburon. Over the last 12 years, Connie has served in a variety of volunteer roles in the Tiburon community and the public school district, Reed Union School District, where she is currently the Del Mar Middle School PTA President.
Treasurer and Director
George Pereira
George Pereira is an Independent Board Director & Trustee, Former Investment Management COO & CFO at Schwab Investment and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) Mutual Funds, with Audit, Risk, and Compensation Committee expertise. George has a long history of building organizations, including non-profit organizations, as a board member of Rotaplast International, Inc. Prior to commencing his Board service, George was active in building and improving organizations productivity. George is a native of Porto de Mós, Portugal, where he splits his time with his home in California.
Secretary and Director
Vasco Morais
Vasco Morais has 30+ years of experience in legal and corporate finance, including as General Counsel at ATEL Capital Group, and with Bank of America and Consolidated Capital prior to that. Vasco has had an equal amount of time and experience with promoting, funding, and managing non-profits organizations and projects. Vasco has a combined JD and MBA. He lived in Cascais as a child and currently splits his time between California and Portugal, where he lives in the surfing community of Peniche, near Óbidos.
Officers & Directors
Greg T. Maddox
Greg T. Maddox has 10 years of experience in investments and wealth management at Wells Fargo Bank. Greg currently serves as Advisory Council Member for the National Association of Securities Professionals, the premier trade association for minorities and women in the financial services industry. In addition, Greg currently serves as Board & Faculty Member for the American Bankers Association Wealth & Trust School as well as Advisory Board Member for the II Sub-Advisory Institute. Greg served for 7 years as President, Board of Director the Hamilton Family Center, the largest provider of shelter, eviction prevention, rapid re-housing, and support services to homeless families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg is in the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship.
Head of Agile Product Management
Wells Fargo & Company
Michael A. Silva
Mike A. Silva has almost 40 years of experience in commercial banking at Union Bank, Imperial Bank,and Comerica Bank. Currently serves as Regional Market President for the San Francisco and North Bay regions which includes overseeing Comerica’s Northern California Middle Market commercial banking teams and the Wine Industry Specialty Group. Mike has 6 years serving as Board Member CVNL Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership and frequently joined the Marin Advisory Board of 10,000 Degrees whose mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. Mike's father immigrated to the United States from the Azores.
Executive Vice President
Regional Market President (Comerica Bank)
Dr. Filipe Ramalheira
-
Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros
-
University of Geneva
Consul General of Portugal
In San Francisco
Advisors
CALuso is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. As such, all donations are tax deductible. Your generous contribution will make it possible to bring the leading Portuguese fado musicians, jazz artists, and other musicians and artists to the United States, and expose Portuguese culture and heritage to audiences in California and across the United States. Without your donation, the ability to showcase these unique Portuguese cultural art-forms would not be possible.
The amount of your contribution is deductible as a charitable deduction on your tax returns. Should you have received the benefit of any goods or services in exchange for the contribution, the value of the goods or services received would not be deductible. Please consult with your tax advisor on the appropriate amount of your charitable deduction.
Donations and Contacts
Contact:
How to Donate:
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Donations can be made by sending checks to:
2372 Saddleback Drive, Danville, CA 94506
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Or by PayPal:
Links to CALuso Corporate Documents:
Upcoming Events & Current Projects
You are invited to a special dinner event at Uma Casa introducing our new Cônsul Geral, Est. Dr. Filipe Ramalheira.
There will be 2 dinners at Uma Casa - the first on Tuesday, the 29th of October, and the second on Wednesday the 30th of October - both commencing at 7:00pm. Please make sure you select the correct date for your reservation.
The $135 cost per person is fully-inclusive and covers the cost of the private dining room, the 6-course tasting menu, a selection of Portuguese red and white wines, non-alcoholic beverages, taxes, gratuities, and Eventbrite ticketing & processing fees and charges.
(Please contact contact@cal-luso.org if you are interested in a vegetarian options)
Please note that the $135 price reflects our actual costs.
If you cannot attend either event and would prefer an alternative dinner event option in the South Bay, please e-mail your preference to contact@ca-luso.org. With sufficient interest it may be possible to schedule a third dinner event in the South Bay.
This is an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with Dr. Ramalheira, share your thoughts as to our Luso-American community, hear his vision for the new diplomatic posting, and welcome him to the Bay Area!
Event co-sponsored by CALuso - www.cal-luso.org - and PALCUS - www.palcus.org.
Dinner with our New Cônsul Geral - Dr. Filipe Ramalheira
Officers, Directors, and Advisors
From the early 19th century onwards, there were waves of immigration from the Azores, Madeira Islands, the mainland: first the whalers, followed by boat builders, fishermen, and later the dairy farmers, forming communities in North America and leaving a legacy of colorful and historically significant contributions to American culture.
Greg T. Maddox
Greg T. Maddox has 10 years of experience in investments and wealth management at Wells Fargo Bank. Greg currently serves as Advisory Council Member for the National Association of Securities Professionals, the premier trade association for minorities and women in the financial services industry. In addition, Greg currently serves as Board & Faculty Member for the American Bankers Association Wealth & Trust School as well as Advisory Board Member for the II Sub-Advisory Institute. Greg served for 7 years as President, Board of Director the Hamilton Family Center, the largest provider of shelter, eviction prevention, rapid re-housing, and support services to homeless families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Greg is in the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship.
Head of Agile Product Management
Wells Fargo & Company
Michael A. Silva
Mike A. Silva has almost 40 years of experience in commercial banking at Union Bank, Imperial Bank,and Comerica Bank. Currently serves as Regional Market President for the San Francisco and North Bay regions which includes overseeing Comerica’s Northern California Middle Market commercial banking teams and the Wine Industry Specialty Group. Mike has 6 years serving as Board Member CVNL Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership and frequently joined the Marin Advisory Board of 10,000 Degrees whose mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. Mike's father immigrated to the United States from the Azores.
Executive Vice President
Regional Market President (Comerica Bank)
Dr. Filipe Ramalheira
-
Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros
-
University of Geneva
Consul General of Portugal
In San Francisco
Advisors
President and Director
Connie Paiva-Maddox
Connie Paiva Maddox, a native of Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal currently resides in Marin County, California. Connie was a project co-sponsor for the Tiburon Portuguese Dairy Mural Wall project focused on bringing awareness, education and honoring the Portuguese cultural heritage of the Azorean/Portuguese dairy farmers in Tiburon. Over the last 12 years, Connie has served in a variety of volunteer roles in the Tiburon community and the public school district, Reed Union School District, where she is currently the Del Mar Middle School PTA President.
Treasurer and Director
George Pereira
George Pereira is an Independent Board Director & Trustee, Former Investment Management COO & CFO at Schwab Investment and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) Mutual Funds, with Audit, Risk, and Compensation Committee expertise. George has a long history of building organizations, including non-profit organizations, as a board member of Rotaplast International, Inc. Prior to commencing his Board service, George was active in building and improving organizations productivity. George is a native of Porto de Mós, Portugal, where he splits his time with his home in California.
Secretary and Director
Vasco Morais
Vasco Morais has 30+ years of experience in legal and corporate finance, including as General Counsel at ATEL Capital Group, and with Bank of America and Consolidated Capital prior to that. Vasco has had an equal amount of time and experience with promoting, funding, and managing non-profits organizations and projects. Vasco has a combined JD and MBA. He lived in Cascais as a child and currently splits his time between California and Portugal, where he lives in the surfing community of Peniche, near Óbidos.
Officers & Directors
Below is a sample of past projects sponsored or supported by the Officers & Directors of CALuso:
Júlio Resende “Fado Jazz” with Special Guest Bruno Chaveiro
4:00pm, SF Jazz, 201 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Special Event to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Abril 25!
Júlio Resende presents “Fado Jazz—Sons of Revolution,” featuring the exceptional Bruno Chaveiro on Portuguese guitar. An extraordinary blend of jazz and traditional Portuguese fado, spotlighting the remarkable skills of both musicians.
On April 25th, 2024, Portugal celebrated the 50th anniversary of the “Carnation Revolution”. In honor of this celebration, CALuso, in cooperation with the Portuguese Consulate in San Francisco, hsoted a special concert of Julio Resende, acclaimed Portuguese Jazz pianist, debuted songs from his most recent album “Sons of the Revolution” at a performance at SF Jazz on April 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm.
ABOUT JÚLIO RESENDE
Resende, one of the most internationally acclaimed Portuguese musicians, is a pianist and composer whose career began in jazz, encompassed “fado,” and has recently expanded to include pop-rock. Júlio embraces a continuous musical exploration for the elusive “perfect space”, having already released eight albums in his own name, with his most recent, Sons of the Revolution which debuted at SFJAZZ at 4:00pm on April 7th, 2024.
