Born in Billings Montana into a family involved in the heavy construction industry Manny always dreamed of having his own construction business. He enlisted in the ARMY after attending one year of college during the height of the Vietnam War. He has always admired strong leaders such as General Patton and President Washington for the decisive leadership shown during difficult challenges. He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Squadron 4th Armored cavalry Regiment in South Vietnam in June of 1968 as a Tank Commander in first platoon of A Troop. As you will read in this bio he was severely wounded in combat on 8 January 1969.
Following an experience in which he did not walk for over a year as the result of vascular surgeries and rehabilitation he realized he would have to forgo his construction dream as his physical abilities were limiting.
He enrolled at the University of Denver and in 1976 joined Seattle-First National Bank’s Seafirst Leasing division and was responsible for opening the Denver Regional -Inter-Mountain region. In early 1983 Seattle-First National Bank was acquired by Bank of America. Since B of A had an equipment finance unit, they permitted Manny and other senior management members to engage Goldman Sachs to prepare an offering memorandum to find a buyer for the leasing unit.
In October of 1983 Manny and his teammates efforts were rewarded as the unit was acquired by The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The unit became Metlife Capital where Manny served as a Managing Director with P & L responsibility of a strategic business unit with $1.2 billion in assets. He departed after 21 years when the unit was sold in 1999. Manny and Lynn decided to relocate back to Orange County to be near their daughters and families. He has completed executive business management courses at Columbia University and numerous other leadership development courses throughout his career.
Prior to forming EG Montanez Construction in 2009 a federal and military installation and public works general contractor; and LMP CAPITAL an equipment finance company focused on the Fortune 1000 public and private sector, he has also worked with Bombardier Capital and was a principle in a boutique finance group.
As President of EG Montanez Construction and LMP Capital; his extensive, energetic, and generous engagement in charitable good works is astounding. It is a challenge to name the diverse and significant projects to which Manny has given his support. Manny, a strong supporter of scouting, CHOC Children’s Hospital, OC Catholic Charities, Orangewood Children’s Home. He is President of the Orange Coast Chapter of Legatus a Catholic business owners group and is on the board of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, NLPOA. .
In 2001 he was named Orange County Council Boy Scout of America Man of Character and subsequently has served as the co chair of the event. For over 20 years, Manny has been a primary force behind the successful development of the Children Hospital of Orange County “CHOC” and was an active member of its main governing board for 6 years. He currently sits on three committees; Audit, Investment and Ethics. His energy has literally caused many millions of dollars to flow to all kinds of causes supporting youth.
He has chaired CHOC’s largest annual fundraiser in 2006 and 2007, raising approximately over 3 million$ in those two years. The Latino 100 named Manny as one of the most influential Latino men in Orange County. Manny has been very supportive of Orangewood and chaired Orangewood’s first annual promise Ride an event designed to fund the Orangewood Children’s foundation.
Manny’s leadership abilities distinguished him as an extraordinary versatile tank commander and Tank Section Leader in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat when his lead tank was disabled in a bullet swept area. With complete disregard for his own safety and under intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, he dismounted and gave hand signals to his driver in snapping the track back on to the main sprocket and thus making the tank mobile and engaging the enemy. Later, during this battle, Manny was so severely wounded in both legs from shrapnel from an enemy rocket propelled grenade that he could not walk for over a year.
Whether building homes for the poor in Mexico, teaching religious education, coaching softball, baseball, soccer, or volleyball, or mentoring youth, Manny Montanez is proof that one person can truly change the world. Manny is a man of exceptional gifts of mind and heart that he shares with all he meets. He lives in Coto de Caza with his wife Lynn; they have four children.