Conference at a Glance - National Hispana Leadership Institute

Transcription

The Latina Mosaic:
Strength in Diversity
Executive Leadership Training
Conference & Mujer Awards
Table of Contents
Welcome from the Mayor of Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Welcome from the NHLI Chair and President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About NHLI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mujer Awards Conference Sponsors & Media Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Board of Directors & Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2010 Conference Honorary and Planning Committees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Schedule of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Hotel Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
About the Mujer Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2010 Mujer Award Recipients
Maria Elena Salinas, Chair’s Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lethinen, Legislative Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Janet Murguía, National Awardee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Remedios Diaz-Oliver, Regional Awardee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Past Mujer Awards Recipients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Alumna of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Special Recognition Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Maria Elena Toraño. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Raquel Cohen, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rising Stars Awardees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Gaby Pacheco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Maria Isa Perez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Keynote Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Latina Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Presenters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2010 Poster Contest Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2010 Year in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Executive Leadership Program Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Latinas Learning to Lead Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Madrinas of NHLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Advertisements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
National hispana leadership institute • ii
O
Welcome
n behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, welcome to the National Hispana Leadership Institute
(NHLI) 2010 Executive Leadership Training Conference and Mujer Awards in Miami, Florida. This
year’s conference theme — “The Latina Mosaic: Strength in Diversity” — celebrates how Latinas
are strengthening the social fabric of this country and making major inroads in the leadership pipeline for a
growingly diverse America.
The conference will showcase educational and inspirational keynotes, cutting-edge leadership and professional
development workshops facilitated by top-level professionals and national leaders, and the most powerful
national network of professional Latinas. During the conference we will bring awareness and provide solutions
to critical issues that affect our community, foster relationships, and honor remarkable mujeres who have
broken and continue to break the glass ceiling.
NHLI alumnae and other Latinas are rising to leadership positions and changing the social fabric of this
country. Since 1993, NHLI has honored the unrelenting commitment of Latinas who are moving their
communities forward and making a significant difference in the lives of others. The Mujer Awards pays tribute
to extraordinary Latinas who work vigorously to ensure a better future for all Hispanics and to advance Latina
leadership. Renowned journalist and media powerhouse Maria Elena Salinas will receive the Chair’s Award.
Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) will receive the National
Mujer Award. Pioneer business leader Remedios Diaz-Oliver, President of All American Containers, will
receive the Regional Mujer Award. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the recipient of the first Legislative
Award. These Mujeres are examples of the remarkable talent and strength of Latinas across the country.
Your support of NHLI and commitment to our mission of developing Latinas as ethical leaders through
training, relationship building and community activism is what distinguishes NHLI as the premiere executive
leadership organization preparing Latinas for positions of national influence, public policy impact, and to
contribute to the advancement of the Hispanic community.
We thank the City of Miami for hosting NHLI, our Conference Planning Commitees for helping us to make
our first Miami conference a reality, and our sponsors for making it possible to bring you this event. We hope
you enjoy the conference and continue to support NHLI.
¡Bienvenidos!
Marieli Colon-Padilla
Board Chair
Cristina López
President
National hispana leadership institute • 2
T
About NHLI
he National Hispana Leadership Institute
(NHLI), a national 501(c)(3) organization
based in Washington, DC, was established
in 1987 to address the underrepresentation of Latinas
in the corporate, nonprofit and political arenas.
NHLI’s mission is to develop Hispanas as ethical
leaders through training, professional development,
relationship building and community activism.
NHLI seeks to transform the lives of Latinas and
their communities by:
• Enhancing and developing leadership abilities
among Latinas
• Ensuring that Latinas are in leadership positions
and have the access and power to influence public policy
• Providing visible role models and mentors for
Latinas
• Improving services to Hispanics across the country through its extensive alumnae network
NHLI’s highly effective executive leadership program
has been nationally recognized through awards by
the Center for Creative Leadership, the Independent
Sector, and the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute,
among others.
The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) is a
four-week intensive leadership training program that
spans nine months and is implemented in four cities.
The program targets mid-career professional Latinas
from the private, public and nonprofit sectors, who
have the benefit of attending training at Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
and the Center for Creative Leadership in addition to
sessions in Washington, D.C. and San Juan Bautista,
California. Utilizing a model that focuses on emphasizing and building upon personal strengths, the
intensive learning experience of ELP provides training in strategic management, public policy, and cultural issues. Additionally, each participant mentors
at least two other Latinas and completes a leadership
project in her respective community.
NHLI has been credited by alumnae with helping
them take career risks, changing how they view the
world, inspiring them to become advocates for their
communities, and founding new nonprofit organizations or launching small businesses. More than 500
women have graduated from the executive program
and have in turn mentored more than 5,000 Latinas
and impacted hundreds of thousands of Hispanics
nationwide through their community leadership
projects.
To help young Latinas stay in school and prepare
them to enter the workforce of the 21st century,
NHLI created the Latinas Learning to Lead (LLL)
Program, targeted to Latinas 17–22 years of age in
college. This program combines leadership training
with technical and practical experience in a one-week
comprehensive curriculum in Washington, DC.
Session topics include: resume writing and interviewing skills, financial literacy, effective communication
and presentation skills, public policy issues affecting
the Latino community, a Clifton StrengthsFinder
session at Gallup University and a technology component. Graduates of LLL are matched with a mentor
from NHLI’s Executive Leadership Program and also
agree to mentor at least two younger Latinas when
they return to their communities. They also commit
to volunteering in a community project.
Twenty-two Latina undergraduate college students
from diverse geographical areas and ethnic subgroups
within the Hispanic community are selected each
year to participate in the program. Approximately
80% of the participants come from low-income families. Over 200 Latinas from more than 150 colleges
and universities across the country have graduated
from the LLL program, and mentored more than 400
young Latinas.
Program evaluation data demonstrates that return on
investment is considerably high. Approximately 71%
of LLL participants indicate the program reinforced
their completion of higher education credentials. Not
only has the program made a difference for Latina
students as they wrestle between school and work,
but the experience is propelling many to seek graduate degrees. Nearly all (96%) participants, since the
program’s inception in 2001, report that they will be
enrolled or will have attained a graduate or professional degree by 2010.
Advancing Latina Leaders In Nonprofits (ALL
IN) is NHLI’s newest program for emerging professionals in the nonprofit sector. Participants begin the
first phase of their training with an eight-day intensive training in Washington DC that focuses on leadership styles and strengths, communication skills,
strategic planning and other nonprofit management
topics. Upon completion of this session, fellows earn
2010 Executive Leadership Training Conference & Mujer Awards • 3
a certificate from Georgetown University’s Center
for Public and Nonprofit Leadership. The training component continues with a series of webinars
especially designed to meet the needs of each class as
well as a one-day Nonprofit Institute at the Annual
NHLI Executive Leadership Training Conference.
As part of the mentoring component of the program,
each leader develops a mentoring coaching plan to
implement with her mentor, matched by NHLI if she
does not already have a mentor. Each fellow will also
complete a capstone/leadership project that addresses
a leadership and/or management challenge in her
employing organization. ALL IN seeks to cultivate,
promote and support emerging nonprofit leaders by
helping Latinas between the ages of 24–34 years
develop their leadership and management skills, find
their voice as effective community leaders and build
their external networks, and by providing access to
role models and mentors
Latina Empowerment Conferences are day-long
trainings that are open to the public and held in different cities across the country. The sessions focus on
career planning and professional development topics
to help Latinas progress in leadership and management positions, and offer networking and recruitment opportunities. More than 700 participants are
trained annually through the empowerment conferences.
Annual Executive Leadership Training Conference and Mujer Awards Gala brings together
more than 600 Latina professionals of different
sectors and from across the country for two days of
professional development and leadership training,
outstanding motivational speakers, and networking opportunities. Workshops and panel discussions
range from a variety of professional development topics to the most current subjects such as the economy,
health, finances, politics, business, leadership and
more. In addition, the conference features prominent
Latina authors and artists; health and wellness fairs;
career recruitment fairs and exhibit opportunities
for companies and organizations. The Mujer Awards
Gala pays tribute to Hispanic women who have distinguished themselves in service to the Latino community.
Webinars, facilitated by NHLI alumnae and other
experts focusing on leadership and professional development topics are offered to NHLI’s broader network
and have audiences of approximately 200–300 participants per webinar.
Alumnae support and promotion — NHLI undertakes a series of activities each year to highlight its
alumnae including: disseminating an e-newsletter
and e-messages profiling alumnae achievements and
community impact; utilizing its Speaker/Expert
Bureau to facilitate connecting alumnae with speaking and media opportunities in addition to pitching
alumnae stories and accomplishments to the media;
supporting alumnae reunions and networking events;
and maintaining an online alumnae database and
directory to facilitate alumnae communications and
networking.
Thank You to the Sponsors of the
2010 Executive Leadership Training Conference
& Mujer Awards
Thanks to our Media Partners
Univision
Miami Herald
Hispanic PR Wire
Diario Las Americas
LATINA Style Magazine
LatinaLista.net
PowerfulLatinas.com
CapitalWirePR
Hispanic MPR
LatinVision Media
Outreach Partners
Latinos in Higher Ed
Las Comadres Para Las Americas
Wise Latinas Linked
Partners
Grand Central Publishing
HACR
HolaMartin.com
Scholarship Supporters
Miami Dade College
City of Doral
Yum Brands
Table Sponsors
All American Containers
Prescient
2010 Board of Directors
Chairwoman of the Board
Vice Chair
Marieli Colon-Padilla
Antonia Jimenez
Fleishman Hillard
Amanda Caballero
Holmes
Maria Cardona
Dewey Square Group (DSG)
Holmestead
Communications
Luis Miranda
Mirram Group
Barbara DesMarteau
Silvia Aldana
Carmen Bauza
Dr. Audrey Alvarado
Mosaica
Deputy Assistant Secretary
U.S. Department of Labor
Pacific Gas & Electric
Corporation
Adriana ComellasMacretti
Dr. Catalina Garcia
Amelia Ransom
Letcher
Sonja Mazon
Rubalcava
Michelle Minguez
Moore
Treasurer
Emily Gantz Mckay
State Farm Insurance
Companies
Michaeline
Perez-Guzman
McDonalds Corporation
Mayda Prego
Chevron Products
Company
Secretary
Dallas Anesthesiology
Group P.A.
Dr. Margaret
Quiñones-Perez
Wal-Mart
State Farm Insurance
Companies
Nordstrom
Liliana Salas Grip
El Camino College
EARTH University
Foundation
Alvarado Consulting
Henry L. Solano
Ibarra Strategy Group
Mexican American Legal
Defense & Educational
Fund (MALDEF)
Peter Villegas
JP Morgan Chase
Staff
President
Event Coordinator
Volunteer
Cristina Lopez
Victoria Morillo
Priscilla Peñaherrera
Director of Finance and
Administration
Information Management and
Development Associate
Virginia Robles-Villalba
Gloria Del Pozo
Immediate Past Chair
Chair Emeritus
Ingrid Duran
Hon. Maria Elena
Toraño
D&P Creative Strategies
U.S. Commission on
Public Diplomacy
Cristina López
President
Program Manager
Evelyn Garcia-Morales
Communications and Online
Marketing Manager
Cheryl Aguilar
Jeimy Cabrejo
Graphic Designer
Program Associate
Yasmin Mazloomdoost
Interns
William Jovel
Lorena Luna
1601 North Kent Street, Suite 803
Arlington, VA 22209
Phone: 703/527-6007 Fax: 703/527-6009
E-mail: [email protected]
www.nhli.org
2010 Conference Committees
NHLI thanks the distinguished members of its annual conference honorary and
planning committees for their contribution, guidance and hard work to ensure a
successful conference.
Honorary Host Committee
Conference Co-Chairs
Hon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, US House of Representatives
Hon. Maria Elena Toraño
NHLI Co-Founder and Board Chair Emeritus
Hon. Tomás P. Regalado, Mayor of the City of Miami
Hon. Juan Carlos Bermudez, Mayor of Doral
Hon. Matti Herrera Bower, Mayor of Miami Beach
Helen Aguirre-Ferre, Diario Las Americas
Mirta “Mikki” Canton, Esq.,
AsiaAmericana International LLC
Lourdes Castillo de la Peña
Florida Commission on the Status of Women
Remedios Diaz Oliver, All American Containers
Guarione Diaz, Cuban American National Council
Anitere Flores, Florida House of Representatives
Dr. Pedro Jose Greer
Florida International University School of Medicine
Aida Levitan, Ph.D., The Levitan Group
Adriana Comellas-Macretti (NHLI ‘03)
State Farm Insurance Companies
Conference Planning Committee
Ana Acle-Menendez (ELP ‘05), Journalist
Lourdes Castillo (ELP ‘92)
Migun Health and Wellness
Dr. Ana Ciereszko (ELP ‘92), Miami Dade College
Olga Connor (ELP ‘94)
Miami Dade County Health Department
Isabel M. de Quesada
Office of the Mayor, City of Miami
Arlene DiBenigno, Grassroots Strategies
Dr. Belinda Gonzalez-Leon (ELP ‘05)
Education Management Corp
Lilliam Lopez
South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Maria C. Mari (ELP ‘02), Miami Dade College
Nohemi Lopez, Aetna
Ana Maria Monte Flores (ELP ‘92)
Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department
Dr. Eduardo Padron, Miami Dade College
Jorge Plasencia, República
Dr. Mark Rosenberg, Florida International University
Diane Sanchez, Telefónica USA
Maria Sastre, Maria Sastre & Associates
Yvonne Soler-McKinley, Manager, City of Doral
Annette Taddeo-Goldstein, LanguageSpeak
Alexandra Villoch, Beacon Council
Ana Martinez, United Way of Miami-Dade
Sylvia Orozco (ELP ‘10), Miami Dade College
Fatima Perez (ELP ‘06), AT&T
Mayda Prego, Esq. (ELP ‘06), Chevron
Maribel Quiala, LCSW (ELP ‘09)
SE Coordinator NLHN
Rosemary Ravinal (ELP ‘88)
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera (ELP ‘94)
Economic Development, City of Doral
Lissette Rodriguez (ELP ‘97)
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
Dr. Martha Young (ELP ‘90), Consultant
ELP = National Hispana Leadership Institute Executive Leadership Program
Schedule of Events
The registration desk will be open on Thursday, November 4, 2010 from 8 am to 5 pm, and on Friday, November 5,
2010 from 7:30 am to 9 pm. Please note that all meal events require a ticket for entry to those events. The meal tickets
and Gala table assignments are included in your registration packet.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
All sessions are held in
Jasmine/Hibiscus A & B
Nonprofit Management Institute (Registration required)
9:00 am – 10:20 am
(Session 1)
Ten Basic Principles for a Successful Nonprofit Organization
The Nonprofit Management Institute is tailored to nonprofit professionals seeking skills to
increase their effectiveness and impact as leaders in the workplace. Sessions include: Ten Basic
Principles for Successful Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Financial Management, Making
a Case for Support: Your Mission is Worthy of the Ask, and Negotiating Through Conflict and
Managing Up.
Presenter:
Dr. Gloria Rodriguez (ELP ‘88), Founder and Past President & CEO AVANCE Inc.,
Consultant
10:30 am – 11:50 am
(Session 2)
Nonprofit Financial Management
This session will focus on the elements of an accounting system and how they are used in
a nonprofit organization, the use of financial statements as a management tool, designing a
budget that accurately reflects full costs of your program, and the basic methods of internal
controls.
Presenter:
Carlos Molina, CFO, United Way of Miami Dade
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
(Session 3)
Lunch
Making a Case for Support: Your Mission is Worthy of the Ask!
Advance your organization by learning how to build your case statement, promote your
mission, and develop key relationships to secure resources to help accomplish your goals.
Presenter:
Elizabeth Eguía-Garcia (ELP ‘04), CEO, Guide to Grants Plus
3:00 pm– 4:30 pm
(Session 4)
Negotiating Through Conflict and Managing Up
Dynamic leaders know that conflict is a natural part of working in groups, and they learn and
practice effective strategies for managing conflict. Negotiation is key to reaching agreement in
a conflict situation, so is managing emotions and clear communication. Discover techniques to
accurately receive and rely information to successfully communicate with your colleagues and
managers the workplace, and tips for building conflict management skills.
Presenter:
Lissette Nieves (ELP ‘10), Executive Director, Year Up New York
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Jasmine/Hibiscus A&B
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
South Hall
ALL IN Debrief (Closed session for 2010 ALL IN fellows)
ALL IN Graduation (By invitation only)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Orchid C & D
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Central Hall
Pre-function
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
North Hall
NHLI Class Representatives Meeting (Class reps and alternates)
Registration
Community Marketplace & Health Fair
Purchase beautiful art, jewelry and other crafts from talented artists from across the country,
and visit with small businesses promoting their products and services. Learn about health
resources available to you and your family, participate in health screenings and get motivated
to make positive health behavior changes.
(Marketplace and Health Fair are open to the public.)
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Orchid A
Media room available for interviews and Internet access.
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Jasmine
General Session Sponsored by State Farm Insurance Companies
(Members of the press only)
Financial Town Hall with Julie Stav, financial expert and New York Times best-selling author.
No matter how much money you have, managing your assets and planning for the future is
critical. Financial guru Julie Stav will discuss tips for building wealth and investment strategies,
especial focus on investing in this down market.
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Flagler
General Session Youth Track: Creating Your Successful Future
Keynote Speaker:
Andrea Juarez (ELP ‘09), Trainer, Author and Speaker, HOPE Multimedia Productions
This session combines art, music, storytelling, visualization, wisdom and the power of epiphany
to reach and connect with youth. It is designed to deepen self awareness and arm young persons
with the wisdom and perspective needed to break free from past hurts, overcome obstacles and
be successful in life.
Y
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Central Hall
Kick-off Luncheon Co-sponsored by Southwest and UPS
Keynote Speaker:
Marisa Rivera-Albert, President, MPowerment Works
ELP
LLL
Y
Executive Leadership Program
Latinas Learning to Lead
Youth
ABBREVIATIONS & TOPIC SESSIONS
ExL/M Executive Leadership Management
PD
Professional Development
HW Health & Wellness
PF/B Personal Finance/Business
Thursday, November 4, 2010 (continued)
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Panel
Hibiscus A & B
Concurrent Sessions
Latinas on Corporate Boards and C-Suites: Why It Matters
While Latinas have made great strides in management positions in corporate America, they
are still tremendously underrepresented in Boards and C-Suites. While women in general hold
about 15% of Fortune 500 Board seats, only 1% of these seats are held by Latinas, and less
than 10% of Fortune 500 companies have Latinas on their Boards. Board appointments tend
to go to CEO/COO types, yet we have very few Latinas serving in these positions and most
of them are already on corporate Boards. This session provides an overview of the challenges,
opportunities and pipeline issues around getting more Latinas in top leadership positions in
corporate America. Hear from top Latina executives what it takes to get on a corporate Board
and/or make it to the C-Suite. This session is presented in partnership with HACR.
MODERATOR:
Robert Bard, President & CEO, LATINA Style Magazine
PANELISTS:
Monika Mantilla, President & CEO, Altura Capital
Maria Sastre, President & CEO, Maria Sastre & Associates (Invited)
Ana Valdez, Executive Director, HACR
ExL/M
Brickell South
Taking Personal Accountability: A Core Value of Leadership
Personal accountability is key to success in our personal and professional lives. It is easy
to point the finger at others, but often we fail to recognize that we are responsible for our
situation. When we start asking better questions of ourselves and stop blaming others amazing
things happen. Learn tangible, effective tools to create greater individual and organizational
accountability for achieving results.
PresenterS:
Linda Valdez Thompson (ELP ‘08), Executive VP of Administration and Diversity, Dallas
Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport
Cris Zertuche Wong, Director of Communications, Archon Group, LP
PD
Brickell North
How to Make Your Idea Stick
Getting our ideas across and making them “stick” is a must when selling our product and
services, asking for funds to finance our work, or getting others to mobilize into action. In this
interactive workshop you will learn the process of structuring an understandable, interesting,
believable and motivational message to become a successful communicate.
Presenter:
Conchy Bretos (ELP ‘89), CEO, MIA Consulting Group
PF/B
Orchid C & D
What You Need to Know When Starting a Business
Starting a business involves making key fundamental decisions and completing a series of legal
steps. Designed for individuals interested in starting a business, this workshop will focus on the
steps to setting up a business and the financial legal requirements.
Presenter:
Maria C. Mari, CPA, CMA (ELP ‘02), Professor, School of Business, Miami Dade College
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
H&W
Tuttle Center
Concurrent Sessions (continued)
Beyond the Search for Life Work Balance: Having the (guilt-free) Life
You Want
We have moved beyond “multi-tasking” to “multiplied-tasking.” We are expected to be all
things to all people. We often feel we don’t have enough time to do what we want, but we
are not clear about what that is — so we are pulled into what others want for us. Join us for a
unique journey where you will explore the life you really want, and learn how to let go of the
rest!
Presenter:
Nanci Luna Jimenez (ELP ‘06), President, Luna Jiménez Seminars & Associates
Y
Flagler
Connecting Community in Your Future
This workshop will inspire and challenge participants to incorporate community into their
work and personal lives. Participants will discover what they are best at, the absolute natural
talent they hold, and how to bring that back to their community.
Presenters:
Lucy Valenzuela (LLL ‘09), Program Staff Support and Bonner Leader, University of New
Mexico Service Corp
Byrant Gomez, Staff Member, New Mexico Civic Engagement Partnership, University of
New Mexico Service Corp
2:15 pm – 3:45 pm
South Hall
Projecting an Image “In Sync” With Your Leadership Brand
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions
Latinas Leading Globally
Panel
Hibiscus A & B
Interactive session with renowned fashion expert Martin Llorens, author of Descubre Tu
Estilo: Tu Guía Para Vestir Mejor, radio and TV host, who will demonstrate how to dress for
success and project a winning professional image.
Latinas are playing key roles in the global stage — from leading countries (Bachelet, Krichner,
Chinchilla) to leading multinational businesses and economic ventures to playing key roles in
the international relations arena — Latinas are breaking barriers and leading change. A panel
of Latina leaders discusses how Latinas are building bridges internationally, the challenges they
face, and the opportunities ahead for increasing Latina prominence in the world stage.
Moderator:
Maria Elena Toraño, NHLI Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus, Former Presidential
Appointee to the U.S. Commission on Public Diplomacy
Panelists:
Mirta “Mikki” Canton, President & CEO, AsiaAmericana International LLC
Jennifer Halberstein Enslein, Community Activist & Philanthropist, Board of Directors
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Diane Sanchez, Outgoing President & CEO, Telefónica USA
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
ExL/M
Brickell South
Leadership and Change: Decision-Making in a Changing
Work Environment
Learn to adjust your decision-making style in a changing work environment to provide
opportunities for innovative and creative solutions. This interactive and hands-on workshop
will provide real-world case studies to help you diagnose and assess the context of different work
situations and how to react to them.
Presenter:
Dr. Madeleine F. Wallace (ELP ‘09)
PD
Orchid C & D
Executive Presentations: Proven Professional Techniques that Work
Learn how to develop professional presentations with concrete techniques that will take you to
the next level. The session will offer tips on how to address stage fright, engage your audience
using humor, craft engaging openings and memorable closings, delivery techniques, and more.
Presenters:
Dr. Sandra Rivera (ELP ‘01), Assistant Director, Office of Economics, U.S. International
Trade Commission
Laura Rodriguez, Industry Analyst, Office of Industries, U.S. International Trade
Commission
PF/B
Brickell Center
Latina Entrepreneurs
Have you thought of starting over, having a career makeover, turning a passion or a hobby into
a new career? Maybe starting a business is the answer. Latinas are starting businesses at six
times the national average and are the fastest group of small business owners in the country.
A panel of Latinas who have made significant career changes discuss how they “reinvented”
themselves as small business owners, the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, and what
it takes to create and grow a thriving business.
Moderator:
Gloria Contreras Edin (ELP ‘10), The Law Office of Gloria Contreras Edin
Panelists:
Gina Linn Espinoza (ELP ‘08), President, What Makes You Smile.com
Elsa Vega Perez (ELP ‘91) Executive Manager, SotaRico Productions, LLC
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
H&W
Tuttle North
Presenting the Case for a Latina Health Care Information Network
Sponsored by Pfizer, Inc.
Latinas are key decision-makers, caregivers and role models in our families — making vital
health care consumer decisions, and modeling healthy habits and lifestyles. Latinas need
accurate and timely health care information to help them make appropriate decisions —
whether it’s information that helps families benefit from the recently passed health care reform
legislation or disease prevention education that results in healthier families. Hispanics — as the
population with highest rate of uninsured — gained much with health care reform. However,
we lack information about the rights we have gained as consumers, and the resources available
to better our health and take care of our loved ones. This session will look at what health care
reform has meant for Hispanics and where the gaps still are, as well as the resources available to
help our families and communities manage health care needs and practice effective prevention
and the information gaps that still exist.
Panelists:
Melissa Bishop-Murphy, Senior Director of National Government Relations and
Multicultural Affairs, Pfizer, Inc.
Elena Alvarado (ELP ‘91), President, National Latina Health Network
Maribel Quiala, LCSW (ELP ‘09), Clinical Director, Children’s Home Society
Southeastern Division
Y
Flagler
How to Become the First Lady of Your Own Life: Lessons from
La Primera Dama Obama and the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor
A highly interactive workshop that informs, inspires, and equips college age/young professionals
to higher levels of personal and professional leadership excellence by examining characteristics
of famous, contemporary, multicultural role models, including First Lady Michelle Obama and
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and demonstrating a path to becoming “First Lady”
in your own life.
Presenter:
Marisel Herrera Anderson (ELP ‘05), Director, Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholarship,
Arizona State University
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Riverwalk
ELP
LLL
Y
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by DIAGEO and Goya
Youth
PD
Friday, November 5, 2010
7:30 am – 12:00 noon
Central Hall
Pre-function
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Riverwalk
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Brickell South
Registration
Morning Workout Run/Walk
Sponsored by Merck
Yoga
Learn basic techniques to incorporate into your fitness routine and lifestyle.
Presenter:
Laura Rodriguez, Author of the upcoming book Yoga for the Non-Athlete
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Central Hall
Bright Stars of Tomorrow Breakfast highlighting Latinas under 30
and their accomplishments Sponsored by McDonalds
OPENING Keynote:
Gina Rudan, President, Genuine Insights
RISING STARS
Gaby Pacheco, Immigration activist and student leader
Maria Isa Perez, Hip-Hop artist and social activist
CLOSING REMARKS:
Anitere Flores, Representative, District 114, Florida House of Representatives
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
North Hall
South Hall
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Hibiscus A&B
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Jasmine
Community Marketplace & Health Fair (Open to the public)
Career Fair (Open to the public)
Homeownership and Foreclosure Prevention Fair with Chase and
Fannie Mae (Open to the public)
Surviving the Housing Crisis and Turning It Into Opportunity
(Open to the public)
Presented by Chase and Fannie Mae
Homeownership is the primary vehicle for wealth accumulation in the Latino community, yet
Latinos have been among the hardest hit by the wave of housing foreclosures. It is estimated
that 1.3 million Latino families will lose their homes to foreclosure between 2009 and
2012, and the foreclosure crisis, which is eating away at savings, corroding credit scores, and
eroding financial security will result in the loss of as much as $98 billion in collective Latino
household wealth. At the same time, the down housing market offers opportunity to realize the
American dream of homeownership. Low interest rates coupled with an abundance of housing
stock in many communities make this a buyer’s market, yet underwriting guidelines for real
estate have tightened making it increasingly difficult to qualify for an affordable competitive
mortgage/loan product. This session will provide information and resources to help “buyers”
take advantage of the opportunities this down market offers and realize their dream of home
ownership or as a property investor. It will also help families who are struggling to keep up
their mortgage payments and retain their home learn about programs and resources to that
can help them.
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
Friday, November 5, 2010 (continued)
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Panel
Monroe
Concurrent Sessions
Latinas in the Media
Sponsored by Univision
Latinas are making strides in Latino and Spanish-language media — they are celebrated
anchors and hosts in front of the cameras and producing award-winning programs behind the
cameras, they are becoming recognized bloggers, and heading important publications — yet
their voice is still largely missing from mainstream media. A panel of Latina media figures
explores Latina accomplishments in the media and the challenges to bringing their voice to
mainstream media, as well as ways to change the status quo and the future of ethnic and
mainstream media and the role Latinas can play.
Moderator:
Maria Cardona, Principal at Dewey Square Group, CNN Political Commentator and NHLI
Board member
Panelists:
Aminda “Mindy” Marques, Managing Editor, The Miami Herald
Marisa Treviño, President of TreviñoTodaMedia, LLC; Publisher of LatinaLista.net and
columnist for USA Today
Helen Aguirre-Ferré, Editor, Diario Las Americas
ExL/M
Brickell North
Building a Workplace Environment that Attracts, Retains and
Maximizes Talent: Latinas Speak Out …. Is Corporate America
Listening?
NHLI and LCG Group have partnered to assist Latina executives, Fortune 500 companies,
business, government, institutions and nonprofit entities to learn more about Latinas as
Corporate Leaders. This session presents findings from a recent survey of NHLI and other
Latina leaders, including factors that contribute to job satisfaction, the influence of Latino
Employee Resource Groups on career success, and workplace barriers to career advancement.
Learn what companies can do to benefit from the rapid growing multicultural, highly educated
and high performing Latina professionals, benefits and workplace programs that are most
important to Latinas, and what Latinas can do to overcome challenges in the workplace.
Presenters:
Marlene Gonzalez, President, LCG Group
Cristina Benitez, President/Founder, Lazos Latinos
Yolanda Londoño, VP, Global Social Responsibility, Tupperware Brands Corporation
Michaeline Perez Guzman, Vice President of Operations, McDonald’s USA
PD
Brickell South
Brand Yourself: Personal Branding and Reputation Management
Sponsored by Nielsen
Learn how to create a compelling personal brand by using traditional PR and community
relations strategies, and manage your personal brand through social media.
Presenters:
Aida Levitan, Ph.D., President, The Levitan Group
Jorge Plasencia, President, República
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
PF/B
Tuttle North
Building Wealth and Planning for a Financially Secure Future
Sponsored by Prudential
The challenges brought about by the current economic crisis as well as the opportunities in the
new economy make it imperative for Latinas to have solid financial tools that will help them
make sound decisions and build wealth for their families. Whether you are in your 30s, 40s or
50s is never too early or too late for financial planning. Whether you are in your 30s paying
off school loans, buying your first house or starting a family; in your 40s and 50s dealing
with children’s college tuition, taking care of elderly parents, and thinking about your own
retirement; this session will provide a roadmap for making sound financial decisions, building
wealth and planning for a financially secure retirement.
H&W
Tuttle South
How Health & Wellness Programs Can Make a Difference to Your
Business’ Bottom Line
Employee well being is critical to organizations large and small. In the U.S., the average sick
day costs a business about $349 in lost productivity, and with the cost of health care continuing
to skyrocket, employee wellness is becoming increasingly important to organizations. It is not
only about the direct costs associated with employee medical care (prescription drugs, doctor’s
visits, hospital stays, and insurance premiums); employees with high physical wellbeing have
more energy, get more done and boost the engagement of their colleagues and customers. Learn
about how organizations are approaching wellness and containing health care costs through
incentives and motivational program.
Presenters: Lourdes Castillo (ELP ‘92), President, Migun Health & Wellness
Alison Kashuk, Human Resource Generalist/Special Events Coordinator, Henderson Mental
Health Center
Kirstie Settas-Jones, Director of Corporate Wellness, SEITLIN
Y
Flagler
The Power to Transform Ourselves: Leadership Lessons and
Best Practices That Bring Learning to Life
Personal rejuvenation and transformation are the focus of this session. Learn how to survive
and thrive in positions of leadership by reconnecting learning to life through the lenses of self
exploration and reflection. Explore best practices and personal lessons to increase your political
savvy to navigate difficult situations.
Presenter:
Dr. Gloria Bonilla Santiago (ELP ‘88), Board of Governors Distinguished Professor,
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Central Hall
Leadership Lunch
Sponsored by State Farm Insurance Companies
Special Recognition
Maria Elena Toraño, Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus, National Hispana
Leadership Institute
Raquel Cohen, M.D., Retired Professor and Mental Health Expert
ALUMNA OF THE YEAR
Carmen Lomellin (ELP ‘89), U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of
American States
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Monroe
Latina Authors
Latina authors discuss their work during a panel presentation and it is followed by a book
signing.
Moderator:
Ana Acle-Menendez (ELP ‘05), Journalist
AUTHORS:
Leila Cobo, Tell Me Something True
Marisel Herrera-Anderson (ELP ‘05), Puerto Rican Goldilocks: A Lyrical Journey
Through El Barrio
Rosalee Montoya-Read (ELP ‘99), Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla
Patricia San Pedro, Dish and Tell: Life, Love & Secrets
2:45 pm – 4:15 pm
Panel
Tuttle North
Concurrent Sessions
Latina Leadership in South Florida
Latinas represent a significant population in South Florida yet they remain underrepresented in
positions of leadership whether in the public or private sector. While the opportunity gap has
been closing over the past decade, there are still many challenges to Latinas achieving success
as professionals and public leaders. Learn from a panel of high-power Latina role models in
business, politics, and nonprofits about the challenges they have overcome as they escalate
leadership positions in the workplace and public life, and how they are breaking the “glass
ceiling” and changing the face of South Florida.
MODERATOR:
Isabel de Quesada, Executive Director Mayor’s International Council
Panel:
Roymi Membiela, Baptist Health South Florida
Raquel Regalado, Attorney and Elected Official/Miami Dade School Board
Lourdes Castillo De la Peña, Florida Commission on the Status of Women
ExL/M
Brickell North
Plug Into the Power of Social Media
With 21 million Latino internet users, online communications is no longer a trend of the
past. To succeed in the information age individuals and organizations must be fluent in the
possibilities made available through new media — blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and
other online resources — to help brand yourself/your organization, communicate effectively as
a leader, build support for your cause and more. Through this interactive session of successful
Latinas on social media, you will learn best practices to: jumpstart your nonprofit’s social
presence, create a social media ROI strategy, discover what social media tools work best for
you, use Twitter to garnish attention for your next campaign, conference or event, fundraise
through social media, and more.
PRESENTERS:
Marisa Treviño, President of TreviñoTodaMedia, LLC and Publisher of LatinaLista.net
Elianne Ramos, Vice-Chair, Latinos in Social Media
Aurelia Flores (ELP ‘10), Founder, PowerfulLatinas.com
ELP
LLL
Y
Youth
PD
2:45 pm – 4:15 pm
PD
Brickell Center
Making Conflict a Positive Asset
Conflict is inevitable, so learn how to manage it and turn it into a positive asset. This highenergy training will focus on the necessary skills you need for de-escalation of conflict, at work,
home, or in the community.
Presenter:
Elizabeth Suárez (ELP ‘04), Facilitator, Mediator, Trainer, Coach, Strategist,
ElizabethSuarez.com
PF/B
Tuttle North
Reinventing Yourself: Your Career, Your Life
Are you considering a career change? Do you want to turn a passion or hobby into a new
career? Are you nearing retirement but you feel you still have a lot to give and want to remain
active? Move beyond the fear, uncertainty and excuses to stop dreaming and begin living.
Learn how to identify strengths and skills that can help transition your career and life into one
of fulfillment.
Presenter:
Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera (ELP ‘94), Economic Development Coordinator, City of Doral
H&W
Tuttle South
Making the Most of Little Time and Great Expectations:
A Toolkit for the Latina Working Mom Sponsored by Scholastic
Working moms work hard to avoid being placed by their employers on the “mommy track”
and to demonstrate that they can be both good mothers and effective professionals. Learn from
professionals who juggle career demands with the joys of motherhood — how they maximize
quality time at home, meet the demands of high-power careers, and lead fulfilling personal
lives and contribute to their communities. The session will also present strategies to help you
enjoy quality time with your children while advancing their learning and development from
toddlers to high-schoolers, and maintain Spanish language skills and Latino culture.
Moderator:
Becky Barrera, Director of Hispanic Initiatives, Scholastic
Panelists:
Belinda Gonzalez-Leon, Vice President, Education Management Corporation
Lidia Soto-Harmon (ELP ‘00), President, CEO, Girls Scout of the Nation’s Capital
Windy Lopez, Senior Manager Community Affairs, Scholastic
Y
Flagler
Mentoring: Partnerships for Learning and Career Advancement
This workshop will empower participants to take an active role in seeking good mentors for
professional development and career advancement. Tips on mentoring will be shared and
participants will gain in-depth understanding of what mentoring is really about, and how to
integrate it into one’s life.
Presenter:
Marcella de la Torre (ELP ‘05), Manager, Performance Improvement, Health Partners
4:00 pm
North Hall
6:00 pm
South Hall
Community Marketplace and Exhibit Hall Close
Art Reception
Featured Artists:
Anyly Fraga-Pelaez and Yolanda Valdes
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Central Hall
Dinner and Mujer Awards Presentation
LEGISLATIVE AWARD:
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18)
NATIONAL MUJER AWARD:
Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO
REGIONAL MUJER AWARD:
Remedios Diaz-Oliver, President, All American Containers Inc.
CHAIR’S AWARD:
Maria Elena Salinas, Journalist and News Anchor, Univision
9:00 pm –
12:00 midnight
South Hall
Gala Dance
Saturday November 6, 2010
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Jasmine
Alumnae and Board of Directors Breakfast
11:00 am
VIP Shopping Excursion to Bloomingdale’s
Meet at Hyatt lobby to depart at 11 am for Aventura Mall via bus transportation provided by
Bloomingdale’s.
Enjoy a special fashion show and refreshments, preview designer jewelry, receive special gifts
and discounts as a guest of Bloomingdale’s.
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Orchid A & B
NHLI Board Meeting
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Floor Plan
RIVERFRONT HALL
NORTH HALL
CENTRAL HALL
SOUTH HALL
TERRACE LEVEL
AZALEA
A
ELEVATORS
TUTTLE
NORTH
REGENCY
BALLROOM
B
RESTROOMS
TUTTLE
CENTER
HIBISCUS A
JASMINE
TUTTLE
SOUTH
MONROE
A
B
HIBISCUS B
PHONES
C
FLAGLER
BRICKELL
NORTH
Y
PROMENADE LOWER
BRICKELL
CENTER
PREFUNCTION
PROMENADE UPPER
BRICKELL
SOUTH
ORCHID
A
RIVERWALK
ORCHID
B
ORCHID
C
ORCHID
D
GARDENIA
About the Mujer Awards
S
ince 1993, NHLI’s Annual Mujer Awards have recognized the lifetime achievements of Hispanic women
who have served their communities and acted with justice, love, and the deepest of pride in their
culture. The Mujer Awardees embodies the values and philosophy of NHLI as stated in the eligibility
criteria. There are three award levels — National, Regional and the Chair’s Award. In 2010 the NHLI Board
of Directors voted to establish the NHLI Legislative Award to recognize Latina policy makers for advancing
public policy important to the Latino community.
Purpose
To honor the outstanding commitment and contributions made by Hispanic women to their communities
and to bring national attention to the recipient’s work.
Eligibility Criteria
The nominee is a living symbol of NHLI’s philosophy creating positive global change and a pluralistic society
through personal integrity and ethical leadership and has demonstrated the following characteristics:
• Throughout her life, she has sustained a clear vision for the future of the Hispanic community and
her actions have consistently reflected that vision.
•Undaunted by difficulties, she has been proceeded with faith in herself and her beliefs.
• Through the years, she has evolved with the times and has maintained herself grounded in the
present social, economic and political environment.
•She is a collaborative leader who inspires and motivates others and gets the task accomplished. She
relishes life by basic principles and abides her values.
•She understands her personal power but shares it easily with those whose lives she has touched. She
values life and demonstrates joy, kindness, calmness and inner peace.
•She has empowered many over the years through her service.
•She has acted with justice, love and the deepest of pride in her culture.
2010 Chair’s Award
Maria Elena Salinas
Journalist and TV Anchor
Univision Network Anchor María Elena Salinas is the most recognized Hispanic
female journalist in the United States. Called by The New York Times, “the voice
of Hispanic America”, Salinas has informed millions of Hispanics in the United
States and 18 countries in Latin America for almost 3 decades. As co-anchor of the
highly rated Noticiero Univision and the primetime news magazine Aqui y Ahora
(Here and Now), Salinas has handled some of the most challenging assignments
in modern day journalism.
Salinas’ work has earned her several journalistic awards including three national
and one regional Emmys. She was also part of the Univision news team that received the Edward R. Murrow
Award for the network’s coverage of the Atlanta Olympic Park bombings. She has interviewed several U.S. presidents and has been face to face with dozens of Latin American heads of state, rebel leaders, and dictators. In
2007 Salinas made history co-hosting the first ever Democratic and Republican presidential candidate Forums
in Spanish on the Univision Network. For over two decades she has covered presidential elections and during
the 2008 US presidential campaign she interviewed several of the leading presidential contenders including
Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain and the current President, Barack Obama.
Her influence reaches beyond television. She is a radio analyst on Latino issues and is one of few Hispanic
syndicated columnists in the United States, where her column is published in over 55 newspapers in both
Spanish and English. In 2006, her memoir entitled I Am My Father’s Daughter: Living A Life Without Secrets
was published, receiving critical acclaim and making the best seller lists for Spanish-language books on several
occasions.
She is also the official spokesperson for “Ya es Hora” (It’s Time), a national citizenship and civic engagement
campaign, that received the coveted Peabody Award for helping motivate Hispanics to participate in the
American political dialogue. In 2000, Salinas launched a scholarship in her name to be awarded to a Hispanic
journalism student interested in pursuing a career in Spanish language media. She is one of the founding members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and sits on the board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
and the International Women’s Media Foundation.
Salinas began her journalistic career as a reporter for KMEX-34 television in Los Angeles in 1981. Her insightful reporting on the impact of daily news to increasingly growing Hispanic community of Southern California
quickly earned her the credibility that would lead to her assuming the anchor chair of Noticiero Univision in
1987.
Since then her brand of journalism has earned her dozens of awards and recognition from important groups
such as the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Association of Latino
Elected and Appointed Officials, The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the National Organization
for Women that honored her with the coveted Intrepid Award.
Salinas has been featured as one of the “Most Influential Hispanics” in the United States in several publications including Hispanic Magazine, People En Español and PODER, and was named one of the top 15 Most
Influential Hispanics among Latino voters in a poll conducted by Hispanic Voter Trends.
Salinas was born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, where she began her broadcasting career. She
resides in Coral Gables, Florida, with her two daughters, Julia Alexandra and Gabriela María.
2010 Legislative Award
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
18th District, Florida
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen proudly represents Florida’s 18th
Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She is the
first Hispanic woman elected to Congress and has strongly returned since; winning
62% of the vote in 2006.
After completing her public education in Miami and graduating from Miami-Dade
Community College, she followed her passion for education and earned a Bachelors
of Arts in Education from Florida International University.Understanding the
issues facing South Florida, she was elected in 1982 to the Florida State House of
Representatives, becoming the first Hispanic woman in that body. In 1986, she was elected to the Florida State
Senate.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen has been a strong leader in the United States Congress, fighting to advance
the needs of South Florida and ensuring that the nation continues to prosper. Addressing the needs of the
unique community in South Florida, she has worked to preserve ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen has voted consistently on helping homeowners not lose their homes during this
period of market uncertainty. She voted in favor of the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention
Act, which recently passed the House. This legislation provides mortgage refinancing assistance to keep families
from losing their homes, protects neighboring home values, and helps stabilize the housing market. She also
supported the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act. This bill establishes a national affordable housing
trust fund to build or preserve over a million homes over the next decade.
She has supported legislation to lower the income tax rate, eliminate the death tax and reduce the marriage
penalty tax. She cosponsored the 401Kids Family Savings Act to allow tax-free distributions from a Coverdell
education savings account for first-time homebuyer expenses and permit rollovers from Coverdell education
savings accounts to Roth individual retirement accounts. She also cosponsored the Financial Security Accounts
for Individuals with Disabilities Act to establish tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with
disabilities to pay certain expenses of such individuals, including education, medical care, and employment
training.
Working with the County, Port of Miami officials and the State of Florida, she has ensured that the cargo
facilities are equipped with security resources to keep this important piece of infrastructure safe, in turn
protecting the local community and the economy.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen introduced legislation to create Florida’s first Pre-Paid College Tuition Plan. This
plan has enabled students to attend college, equipping them with the resources to reach their highest ambitions.
Continuing her support for the education of future leaders, she recently voted in favor the Ensuring Continued
Access to Student Loans Act. This will give the Department of Education the authority to purchase student
loans from lenders, increase the unsubsidized Stafford loan limit, and provided an optional grace period so that
parents can defer certain loan payments until after their children graduate. She is a strong advocate of programs
that address the serious problem of violence against women. As a co-sponsor of H.R. 2876, which reauthorized
the Violence Against Women Act, she sent a strong message to the community that violence against women is
unacceptable, and ensured that programs to address this problem continued to be funded into the future.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is the Ranking Member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Serving
in this role, she has been a tireless advocate for the advancement of human rights across the globe, as well as
continuing to be a strong voice in opposition to Castro’s dictatorial regime in Cuba.
2010 National Award
Janet Murguía
NCLR President and CEO
As someone who has experienced the promise of the American Dream firsthand, Janet Murguía has devoted her career in public service to opening the door
to that dream to millions of American families. Now, as a key figure among the
next generation of leaders in the Latino community, she continues this mission
as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of La Raza
(NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in
the United States. Since 2005, she has sought to strengthen NCLR’s work and
enhance its record of impact as a vital American institution. One of her first priorities was to harness the power of the nation’s nearly 50 million Hispanics and improve opportunities for Latino
families by fortifying the partnership between NCLR and its network of nearly 300 community-based affiliates
which annually serve millions of people in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
She has become a leading voice on issues affecting the Hispanic community that include education, health care,
immigration, civil rights, the economy, and the rise of hate rhetoric and hate crimes. In her role as NCLR’s
spokesperson, she has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, NBC’s
Today Show, CNN’s Larry King Live, PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, and
CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight. Murguía has placed special emphasis on turning Latino growth into empowerment
through the Latino vote. In the 2008 election, NCLR along with its partners helped to register nearly 200,000
new Hispanic voters. Other initiatives and partnerships helped more than 1.5 million eligible immigrants apply
for citizenship.
In addition, Murguía has focused on relationship ties for NCLR with sister civil rights and advocacy organizations. She has spearheaded efforts to build bridges between the African American and Latino communities in
conjunction with organizations such as the NAACP and the National Urban League. Murguía is currently a
board member of the Independent Sector, a coalition of leading nonprofits, foundations, and corporations; the
American Heart Association; and the Partnership for a Healthier America. She is also an executive committee
member of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and serves on the board of the Hispanic Association on
Corporate Responsibility and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.
Murguía has been recognized on numerous occasions for her work. She has been selected twice as one
of Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington” and featured in Newsweek magazine’s “Women and Leadership” issue. She has been chosen as one of the NonProfit Times’ “Power and Influence
Top 50” leaders, named to People en Español’s “100 Most Influential Hispanics,” and selected as one of Hispanic
Business magazine’s “100 Most Influential Hispanics,” Hispanic magazine’s “Powerful Latinos,” Latino Leaders
magazine’s “101 Top Leaders of the Hispanic Community,” and Poder magazine’s “The Poderosos 100.” In
2005, she received the KU Law Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus/na Award.
Murguía began her career in Washington, DC as legislative counsel to former Kansas Congressman Jim
Slattery. From 1994 to 2000, she worked at the White House, ultimately serving as deputy assistant to President
Clinton, providing strategic and legislative advice to the president on key issues. She served as deputy director
of legislative affairs, managing the legislative staff and acting as a senior White House liaison to Congress.
She then served as deputy campaign manager and director of constituency outreach for the Gore/Lieberman
presidential campaign. In 2001, Murguía joined the University of Kansas (KU) as executive vice chancellor for
university relations, overseeing KU’s internal and external relations with the public, including governmental
and public affairs.
Janet Murguía grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. She received three degrees from KU: a B.S. degree in journalism (1982), a B.A. degree in Spanish (1982), and a J.D. degree (1985) from the School of Law.
2010 Regional Award
Remedios Diaz-Oliver
President, All American Containers Inc.
Remedios Díaz-Oliver is the President of All American Containers, Inc., a leading supplier in the United States of glass, plastic and metal containers and caps
with operations in Miami, Tampa, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Atlanta and Dallas.
Its marketing network spans to 50 countries in Central and South America, the
Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It has become an
All American pastime to put liquid consumer products (everything from Beer, to
honey, to cleaning products) in safe, sturdy and attractive containers. All American
Containers Inc. supports this tradition by making plastic, glass and metal containers for the beverage, chemical,
cosmetic, food, liquor, perfume, and pharmaceutical industries.
All American Containers Inc. was founded by Remedios Diaz-Oliver in 1991. As President and Chief Executive
Officer, Mrs. Diaz-Oliver is entrusted with full administrative and financial responsibilities including financial
statements.
In 1961, Remedios Diaz-Oliver started her new life in the U.S. She worked hard and went to school at night.
Building a business was a tough challenge for a woman: “Until I proved myself, it was very difficult. Women
were not accepted in those years,” Diaz-Oliver says. She can recall times when callers would insist on speaking to the person in charge, not believing that it could be a woman, and certainly not accepting it at first. She
attributes her success to working harder than anyone else. “We tried to really establish ourselves as very reliable
providers, and that made a difference,” she says. Her concept was good service, good quality and competitive
prices.
All American supplies packaging products to very large companies. All American has sales offices in Europe,
Australia, Central and South America. Prior to All American Containers, Mrs. Diaz-Oliver was a Director and
Consultant of the New World School of Language in Miami, FL, president of the Association of Exporters,
Freight Forwarders and Manufacturers of Greater Miami, President of Emmer Importing & Exporting, Inc.,
Vice President & Member of the Board of Havana Business Academy and Havana Business College.
Mrs. Diaz-Oliver is a member of the Board of Directors of The Round Table, Cuban Liberty Council, U.S.
Cuba Democracy PAC, Hispanic Heritage (Washington, D.C.), United Way and Emeritus Director of U.S.
West Inc in Denver. She was also a member of The Board of Trustees of The Public Health Trust.
Mrs. Díaz-Oliver was appointed in 1988 as a member of the Advisory Board Trade Policy, Negotiations and
International Policy for the President of the United States and reappointed in 1992. Also in 1991, she represented the United States of America during the inauguration of President Luis Lacalle in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Mrs. Díaz-Oliver was selected as Outstanding Woman of the Year by the American Red Cross; Outstanding
Woman of the Year by the Miami City Ballet; Business Woman of the Year by the Latin Chamber of
Commerce; Entrepreneur of the Year by the Inter-American Businessmen’s Association; Business Woman of the
Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Established Business-Owner of the Year by the National
Association of Women Business Owners. Mrs. Díaz Oliver was the first woman to receive the “E” award (for
excellence in export) from the President of the United States and the only woman in Florida to be a member
of the Board of Directors of three Fortune 500 companies, simultaneously.
Past Mujer Award Recipients
2009
2005
National Award
Patricia Diaz Dennis
Presidential government appointee and
corporate executive
Regional Award
Emma Sepulveda, Ph.D.
Professor, University of Nevada and award
winning author
Chair’s Award
Rosie Perez
Actress, singer, choreographer and community
activist
2008
National
Dr. Angela Diaz
Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of
Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
and Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent
Health Center
National
Ltc. consuelo castillo
kickbusch (Ret.)
Author, Motivational Speaker & Entrepreneur
Regional
Eva pagan hill
Mental Health &
Human Services Specialist
2004
National
Rossana Rosado
Regional
Marylou Olivarez Mason
Director of the Commission of Spanish
Speaking Affairs, State of Michigan
1999
Mary Lou Tullos Garcia
Educator
Regional
1998
ADELFA BOTELLO CAJELLO
Attorney & Civil Rights Advocate
2003
Sara Martinez Tucker
President & CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Chair’s Award
Regional
Dr. Juliet v. Garcia
President, Galan Entertainment
President, University of Texas, Brownsville
2007
2002
National
National
President & General Counsel
Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund
Marjorie Agosin
Editor in Chief, El Diario La Prensa
NELY GALÁN
National
Antonia Hernandez
Poet, Writer & Human Rights Advocate
National
Regional
2000
Dra. Antonia Coello
Novello
Former Surgeon General of the United States
1997
Miriam Colón-Valle
Artistic Director/Founder
The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre
1996
Irma Flores González
Chair, NCLR Board of Directors
Dr. Gloria BonillaSantiago
Cristina Saralegui
Regional
Sonia Gutierrez
Juana Beatriz Gutiérrez
2001
1994
Professor, Rutgers University
Dr. Mary de ferreire
President, International and Multicultural
Psychological Services
Chair’s Award
Rosario Dawson
TV Personality
Regional
Lifetime Educator
National
1995
Co-founder, The Mothers of East L.A.
Dolores Huerta
Actor/Activist
Linda Chavez-Thompson
Co-founder, United Farm Workers of America
2006
Lena Archuleta
Regional
1993
Lifetime Educator
Dr. Antonia Pantoja
Executive Vice-President, AFL-CIO
National
Dr. Gloria G. Rodriguez
Founder, Aspira
Chairman Emeritus and Founder of
AVANCE, Inc.
Regional
Moraima Oyola pizarro
President, Forjando un Nuevo Comienzo
Chair’s Award
eva longoria
Actor, Producer and Activist
Alumna of the Year
About the Award
Since its inception in 1988 the NHLI Executive Leadership Program has graduated over 500 Latinas. Our
alumnae span the globe and impact thousands of lives through their professional and personal contributions
in their communities. This year NHLI instituted a new award category to recognize a graduate who embodies
the ideals of NHLI and has demonstrated great accomplishments. The Alumna of the Year award will highlight
exceptional leaders who have completed the Executive Leadership Program.
Ambassador Carmen Lomellin
1988 NHLI Alumna
Appointed on November 20, 2009 by President Obama, Ambassador Carmen
Lomellin was confirmed by the United States Senate, as Permanent U.S.
Representative to the Organization of American States. Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Lomellin served as Executive Secretary of the Inter-American
Commission of Women (CIM) for the Organization of American States (OAS)
appointed by Secretary General Cesar Gaviria, in May 1998. She served as CIM
Executive Secretary until March of 2009. In that position, she provided guidance
and direction to the OAS member states and Permanent Secretariat on hemispheric
policy advancing issues affecting women, particularly in the areas of human rights and gender equality. As
head of the CIM Permanent Secretariat, Ambassador Lomellin oversaw the activities of the Commission’s
delegates representing the 34 democracies of the Western Hemisphere and managed the daily operations of
the Permanent Secretariat. She most recently served as Director for Outreach within the OAS Department of
External Relations.
During the Clinton Administration, Ambassador Lomellin held the positions of White House Liaison for the
U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Director of that agency’s Office of International Affairs. She was
an Advisor on Hispanic Affairs to the White House Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach, as well as
Search Manager in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel during the 1996 presidential transition,
where she worked on sub-cabinet appointments in the area of international trade.
Ambassador Lomellin has experience in local government. In Chicago, Illinois, she worked for Mayor Richard
M. Daley as Director of the Private Industry Council of Chicago, and also implemented and managed one
of the nation’s most successful graffiti abatement programs. Ambassador Lomellin worked for the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund where she was the Director of Leadership Development, and
for Chicago United, a civic think tank, as Director of Economic Development. In addition, she has extensive
experience in the private sector, working for the Chicago-based Inland Steel Company in various sales and
marketing capacities.
Ambassador Lomellin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from St. Joseph’s Calumet
College and a Master’s in Business Administration in International Business from De Paul University, Chicago,
Illinois. Ambassador Lomellin has spent a major part of her professional career and personal life working on
women’s issues, particularly those in the United States Hispanic community.
Special Recognition Award
Maria Elena Toraño
Maria Elena Toraño, retired as President, Chief Executive Officer and sole owner
of META, Inc. in the year 2000. Founded in 1980, the company had revenues of
$25 million and 300 employees. META provided environmental, management
consulting and financial services to Federal, state and international clients. The
company was included in Hispanic Business 500 since 1990. In 1990 Ms. Toraño
founded METEC, an asset management company that managed a portfolio of
over $1 billion in non-performing assets for the Resolution Trust Corporation and
later, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Before founding META, Ms. Toraño had a long career in government and the
corporate world. She served in the administration of three Presidents — Carter, Bush, and Clinton — an experience that provided her a thorough understanding of, and a unique insight into, the political, socio-economic,
cultural, and business environments of this country and many other areas in the world, especially Latin America
and Southeast Asia In 1979 Ms. Toraño left the Carter Administration to be the founding President of the
National Association of Spanish Broadcasters (NASB). The organization represented the interests of Hispanic
radio and television broadcasters in the fifty states and Puerto Rico at the FCC and the US Congress. One of
NASB’s main accomplishments was to secure the appointment of Henry Rivera, a New Mexico attorney, as the
first Commissioner of Hispanic origin at the FCC.
In 1988 Ms. Toraño was appointed by President Bush to the U.S. Commission on Minority Business
Development whose mission was to research, study, and make recommendations to the President and to the
Small Business Administration on how to increase the success ratio of small minority businesses, and to assess
existing business practices such as financing, access to capital, and access to new markets. In 1993 she was
appointed by President Clinton to the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy where she served for ten
years. A presidential appointment which requires the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, the Commission,
now in its 52nd year, is responsible for assessing public diplomacy policies and programs for the Department of
State. In this capacity, she helped to promote a better understanding of U.S. policy around the world, the need
for a new diplomacy based on the information age, and the growing power of foreign publics resulting from
the growth of democratization and free markets.
From 1967 to 1976 Ms. Toraño served as Program Manager, Latin American Affairs for Eastern Airlines (EAL),
a position that she held from its inception. Created to increase EAL’s share of the U.S. Hispanic market, Eastern
became a favored airline in major East Coast cities and among passengers originating in Latin America.
In 1987 Ms. Toraño was the founding president of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, an organization
created to train Hispanic women for national leadership roles. First sponsored solely by the Coors Brewing
Company, NHLI has graduated over 500 women who now occupy congressional and state legislative seats,
have been appointed to high posts in government, corporate America and foundations, or own their businesses.
Included in the organization’s mission statement is the commitment to be a caring leader and assist those who
follow their footsteps.
Ms. Toraño maintains an involvement in U.S-Cuba policy issues, seeking a peaceful resolution to a conflict
which dates back to 1960. Ms. Toraño believes that the time has come to explore other alternatives that will ultimately result in securing a democratic system for the island by allowing market forces to influence this process.
Preparing for retirement, Ms. Toraño increased her involvement with the Council of Foreign Relations, is an
active member of St. Thomas University in South Florida and serves on the board of GAP, a community corporation which assists young women who are held in detention centers. She is a founding member of Frito Lay
Hispanic Advisory Board advising the corporation on how to become the product of choice, the employer of
choice and the partner of choice among Hispanics.
Special Recognition Award
Raquel Cohen, M.D.
Dr. Raquel Cohen is a graduate and former Associate Professor of Harvard
Medical School. Dr. Cohen is a native of Lima, Peru and graduated from San
Marcos University in Lima. She received her Master’s in Public Health and M.D.
from Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, with the first
class of women admitted to the Medical School.
She is a a Professor Emeritus in the Dept of Psychiatry, University of Miami
Medical School. A world-renown authority in the field of psychological and social
consequences from disasters and intervention methods, she has worked with victim
relief government and non-government agencies around the world. She participated in the early efforts to organize a committee for disasters of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
and eventually was the chair of the Psychiatric Disaster Committee. She also was awarded the APA/NIMH
Vestermark and the Simon Bolivar award of the APA. Her book, Mental Health Services in Disasters: A Manual
for Humanitarian Workers, was published by the Pan American Health Organization and has been used to train
disaster workers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dr. Cohen has served as a consultant and trainer both domestically and internationally on the management of
mental health needs of victims of disaster and terrorist events. She was a member of the team that developed
the curriculum to train professionals in the State of Florida to prepare them to deal with terrorism sequelae. She
developed a distance learning program based on her work for use in international training through the Internet.
She served as the Director of the Children’s Center at the Florida State Attorney General’s Office, with responsibility for assessment and management of cases of sexual abuse of children. She was the Senior Consultant for
the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Cuban Youth Camp Program during the Mariel Boatlift, responsible
for developing programs for unaccompanied minors who traveled to the United States from Cuba. As a child
psychiatrist she was the Associate Director of the Child/Youth Psychiatry for the University of Miami Medical
School.
Prior to moving to Miami in 1980, Dr. Cohen was the Superintendent of the Erich Lindemann Mental
Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also served as the Associate Director of the Laboratory of
Community Psychiatry for the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry and as the Psychiatric
Director at the Norfolk Mental Health Center. Specializing in cross-cultural mental health issues, she has
served as a Consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health, the Pan American Health Organization, the
Boston Public Schools and the American Psychiatric Association.
Rising Stars Awardees
In addition to honoring Latina leaders through the renowned Mujer Awards, NHLI celebrates Latinas under
30 for their accomplishment at the Bright Stars of Tomorrow Breakfast. These young leaders have achieved
significant professional accomplishments and serve as exceptional role models to other young Hispanic women.
Gaby
Pacheco
Gaby Pacheco is an advocate
for students’ rights, believing
in the power of human kindness and passionately fighting
for peace, love and justice.
Ms. Pacheco’s parents brought her to the U.S. from
Ecuador when she was 7 years old. Due to her
immigration status, she had no feasible means of
continuing her education after she graduated from
high school. Nevertheless, with great determination,
she not only attended Miami Dade College, but
also served as the student government president at
the Kendall Campus. She additionally served as the
president of the Florida Junior Community College
Student Government Association, meeting with State
Representatives, Senators and the Governor to discuss
key issues concerning students in the State of Florida. As a result of her work on immigration issues, Ms.
Pacheco is constantly invited to debate and give her
commentary in local and national media outlets. She
has participated in several panels discussing educational issues across the country.
This year Ms. Pacheco walked 1,500 miles from
Miami, FL to Washington, DC in the Trail of
DREAMs, an effort to change the hearts and minds
of people resisting a path to higher education and
the “American Dream” for undocumented students.
Along that journey, she met with community leaders
as well as White House officials and Senators to raise
awareness and support for immigration reform.
Ms. Pacheco earned an Associates in Arts degree in
Music Education, an Associates in Science degree in
Early Childhood Education, and a Bachelor’s degree
in Exceptional Education K-12 from Miami Dade
College. In 2011 she plans to start a Master’s in Public
Policy at Gallaudet University to fulfill her aspirations
to open music therapy centers for autistic people. Maria Isa
Perez
Maria Isa Perez is a Boricua
emcee born to Nuyorican parents and raised in America’s
heartland, Twin City of St.
Paul, Minnesota. Her pioneering Latin hip-hop fusion is as forceful for its lyricism as it is for its call to social activism.
Ms. Perez and her production company, SotaRico,
have created a new independent label promoting a hip
hop youth culture that is equally positive and transformative. SotaRico, named for her dual cultural heritage of Minnesota and Puerto Rico, works through a
superfluity of musical styles to advance social justice
and social change on behalf of those whose voices are
seldom heard.
While studying arts education at El Arco Iris Center
for the Arts, she quickly progressed from the role of
student to the role of singer, songwriter, emcee and
performer, producing several hits and casting in several theatrical events. Her music mirrors the universal
emotions of the human experience with a rich, colorful sound reminiscent of legendary vocal masters.
Her latest CD, Street Politics, incorporates her own
produced tracks and has reached the shores of Japan,
the United Kingdom and Costa Rica.
Using her talents to create social change, Ms. Perez
organizes various social events including walkathons,
fundraisers and more to raise public awareness and
money for juvenile diabetes. In 2002, she co-founded
the dance group, Raíces, whose mission is to conserve ancestral Puerto Rican heritage through folkloric music and dance. She currently collaborates with
Youth Thrive to organize “Day of Peace” motivational
workshops for incarcerated youth, and has partnered
with Peace Jam to host various Nobel Peace Prize
laureates. Ms. Perez has performed with a variety of
artists — however, her greatest joy comes from planting the seeds of political and social change through
her performances.
Keynote Speakers
Julie Stav
Julie Stav is America’s leading expert on financial issues concerning the Hispanic community, a New York Times best-selling author, and a multimedia powerhouse of consumer and financial information for and about Hispanics in the U.S. Ms. Stav inspires and
empowers millions of people every day through her extremely popular national radio
show, “Tu Dinero con Julie Stav”. Her books provide financial literacy and investment
related content that reaches over 11 million readers each month through a distribution
arrangement with Impremedia newspapers and websites.
Coined as the “Financial Pied Piper” for the community of over 45 million U.S. Hispanics, Ms. Stav is the
go-to expert on financial topics concerning this important demographic for such major publications as the Los
Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, La Opinión and The Wall Street Journal. Additionally, she has
hosted hundreds of financial segments as a member of Univision network’s news lineup.
Through these media properties, Ms. Stav empowers the U.S. Hispanic community with the tools they need
to realize their financial goals of establishing a banking identity, prudent credit management, opening and
growing a small business, saving for their children’s education, choosing a mutual fund, and acquiring the
“Crown Jewel” of the great American dream…owning their own home as well as saving and investing for a
secure retirement.
On October 30, 2008, Ms. Stav was the proud recipient of the National Council on Economic Education
(NCEE) 2008 Visionary award, an accolade “that honors champions of economic empowerment in all of its
many forms, from those who have raised awareness about the need for economic and financial literacy, to those
who, having succeeded in their chosen field by using sound economic decision-making, have turned that success into good public works”.
State Representative Anitere Flores
Representative Anitere Flores represents House District 114, which includes portions
of the City of Sweetwater, Southwest Miami-Dade County, and Florida International
University. Rep. Flores graduated with a BA in Political Science and International
Relations from Florida International University, and then received a J.D. from the
University of Florida College of Law. After law school, Rep. Flores was hired by the
Florida House of Representatives to work on the Education Council, and was later
hired by Governor Jeb Bush as his Education Policy Chief. Prior to being elected a
State Representative, she spent two years advocating for university students in her district as Director of State
Relations for Florida International University. She continues working for FIU to promote the university’s civic
and community partnerships.
Rep. Flores was elected to office in 2004 and was subsequently reelected in 2006 and 2008 with no opposition.
She was named Deputy Majority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives for the 2008-2010 term. As a
State Representative, she is currently the Chair of the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, and sits on the Full
Appropriations Council on Education and Economic Development, the Education Policy Council, the PreK-12
Policy Committee, and the Insurance, Business, & Financial Affairs Policy Committee. Rep. Flores is the first
Republican Hispanic woman to serve in the Florida House since 1986.
Rep. Flores also serves on various community boards. She is a member of the Board of Spectrum Programs, Inc.
(a drug and mental health service organization), All Children Together (an organization to help disabled chil-
dren), Fun 4 Kidz Sprint to Success Advisory Committee (an organization that provides academic support for at
risk students), and the Community Advisory Board of the Honors College at Florida International University.
Gina Amaro Rudan
Gina Amaro Rudan is the founder and President of Genuine Insights Inc. a contemporary leadership development personal asset management whose mission is to leverage
the genius within every individual. Gina recently left her corporate cocoon to blossom
as an entrepreneur and as a result of moving from vision to venture was also awarded
last year the 2009 March of Dimes Woman Living to the Fullest Award and recently
was selected as one of Poder Magazine’s top “20 Under 40” Hispanics within the United
States. Ms. Rudan has been a guest lecturer, trainer and keynote speaker for numerous
organizations including: Fannie Mae, Booz Allen Hamilton, Merck Co., BET Network,
the Interpublic Group, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, The National Hispana
Leadership Institute, the Stern School of Business at New York University, and for
the Endeavor Organization. As part of her commitment to spreading genius, she is also the curator of TEDx
MIA, an independent movement to spread genius in southern Florida affiliated with TED.com Before launching her own genius development practice, Ms. Rudan has held executive positions at Fortune 500 companies
including Avon Products Inc. and PR Newswire, where she was responsible for spearheading multicultural
and international marketing efforts. A native New Yorker, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English
Literature from Binghamton University and is a National Urban Fellow holding a Master’s degree in Public
Administration from Baruch College in New York City. Ms. Rudan is a member of Unity on the Bay in Miami
and her passions include international travel, scuba diving and mermaids.
Marisa Rivera Albert
Marisa Rivera-Albert is the President of Mpowerment Works, a consulting firm designed
to impact global change by empowering people and focusing on empowering the majority: “Women”. Mpowerment Works, LLC, provides unique domestic and international
seminars, keynote presentations, and innovative programs; all designed to empower
people to become agents of social change. Ms. Rivera-Albert has over 30 years of combined educational, consulting, international, and community development, leadership
development experience. Prior to starting Mpowerment Works, she was President of the
National Hispana Leadership Institute, the top leadership program for Latinas in the country. Ms. RiveraAlbert also worked in higher education as the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community
Relations at Black Hawk College in Illinois and at Western Illinois University managing the Hispanic Program
for Educational Advancement as well as the Learning to Lead Program for Hispanic students. Her work experience also includes several assignments overseas, including working for the U.S. Information Agency, the U.S.
Embassy in Panama and as a consultant in organizational development in Spain. She has been invited as a U.S.
State Department speaker to Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Curaçao as well as invited to speak on
Women Empowerment in Bolivia and Mexico.
Ms. Rivera-Albert is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has a BA in Communications from American
University and a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Western Illinois University. She is also a
graduate of the Harvard University JFK School of Government Executive Program, the Center for Creative
Leadership Institute, the Gallup Leadership Institute, the HACR Harvard Business Executive Program on
Corporate Governance, and the Mexican American Solidarity Foundation. She is the recipient of the Cesar
Chavez Community Service Award given by the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, and she was awarded as
one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century by Women’s eNews. She is also the recipient of the “Huesped Ilustre”
Medal from the city of Ayacucho, Peru, The Women Helping Women Award by the Hispanic Professional
Women’s Association, the Trailblazer Award by Latina Style Magazine, the Global Impact Leadership Award
from the Hispanic Women’s Corporation, the Superior Honor Award from the State Department, the
Administrative Excellence In Promoting Multiculturalism Award from Western Illinois University, and the
Illumination Award from the City Club of the Quad Cities.
Latina Authors
Leila Cobo
A Fulbright scholar from Cali, Colombia, Leila Cobo is a novelist, pianist, TV host and executive Editor for Latin Content and Programming for Billboard. Under her tenure, Billboard has
expanded its coverage of Latin music and for the first time in its more than 100-year history,
the magazine has a complete weekly section dedicated solely to Latin music. Ms. Cobo also
programs the yearly Billboard Latin Music Conference, the largest gathering of the Latin music industry in
the U.S., and hosts its renown exclusive “Q&A’s” with Latin music’s biggest stars, which have included Ricky
Martin, Marc Anthony and Enrique Iglesias. Under her leadership, Billboard also launched its Spanish language
website, Billboardenespanol.com.
Ms. Cobo is also host and executive producer of Estudio Billboard, the acclaimed TV show that airs weekly on
the V-Me and internationally on Fox Life, featuring in-depth interviews with artists like Juanes, Maná, Juan
Luis Guerra and Gloria Estefan among many others.
As an author Ms. Cobo’s first novel, Tell Me Something True, was published Oct. 1 to critical acclaim by Grand
Central Publishing and is now in its third printing. Tell Me Something True has also been published in Italian
and German. Ms. Cobo’s second novel, The Finding, will be published in 2011, also on Grand Central.
Ms. Cobo is considered one of the country’s leading experts in Latin music and is regularly interviewed and
consulted by news outlets around the world. She was named one of the most influential people in Latin music in
publications such as Gatopardo, Revista Fuchsia and Ocean Drive Magazine, which named her one of its “Power
Brokers” in 2008. In 2007, she was the recipient of the journalistic excellence award from Premios Orquidea,
which honors Colombians abroad.
Ms. Cobo holds dual Bachelor degrees in journalism (from Bogota’s Universidad Javeriana) and in piano performance (from Manhattan School of Music in New York). She concertized extensively before getting her master’s
degree in Communication Management from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of
Southern California.
Prior to Billboard, she wrote for the Los Angeles Times and was later the pop music critic at the Miami Herald.
She has written liner notes for Ricky Martin, Shakira, Julio Iglesias and Selena among others, and collaborates
closely with Grammy in the Schools and Teach for America, among other projects. Ms. Cobo is also one of the
authors of the Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music and a guest writer on the anthology “Quinceañera.” You
can visit her website at www.leilacobo.com, or become a fan at www.facebook.com/leilacobofans
Marisel Herrera-Anderson
Marisel Herrera-Anderson has spent the last 15 years educating, cultivating and motivating
youth, college students, and young professionals. An educator, author, and professional speaker
with a long term commitment to issues of access, equity, diversity and leadership she has
worked at the high school, community college and university levels. A first generation Latina
dedicated excellence and to taking it to the next level, she is committed to making sure others are lista to do
the same!
Her passionate belief in the power of education to transform lives has led her to extensive volunteerism and
motivational speaking on the local and national levels where she often shares her motivational messages to
standing room only audiences. Whether speaking to an individual student or 500 audience members, her message is fueled by the lessons she learned throughout her journey from the housing projects of New York City
to the halls of academia. Lessons that affirm the power of education, resiliency, culture, faith and community
to transform one’s life.
Ms. Herrera-Anderson is the author of Puerto Rican Goldilocks A Lyrical Journey Through El Barrio, a poignant
memoir which documents her early memories growing up in El Barrio of New York City through poetry and
prose. A review in the East Valley Tribune describes the book as “laying bare the ‘alma, the Latin soul” and a
recent feature story in Latino Perspectives magazine characterizes Puerto Rican Goldilocks as “a universal story
of resiliency…” that conveys “a strong belief in the power of education, familia and culture”. Puerto Rican
Goldilocks A Lyrical Journey Through El Barrio (released July 2010) is available for purchase at mariselspeaks.
com and on Amazon.com.
Ms. Herrera-Anderson has been honored with several awards for her expertise in multicultural program development and for her extensive servant-leadership at both the local and national levels.
In 2005, Ms. Herrera-Anderson was one of 22 Latinas across the United States selected for NHLI’s executive
leadership development program aimed at developing Latinas as ethical leaders. In 2009, she was the recipient
of the Phoenix Business Journal’s “TOP 40 Under 40 Award” for her leadership. Marisel currently serves as the
Director of the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program at Arizona State University.
An active community member she has served on various boards of nonprofits and other initiatives that focus
on the mentoring and development of young girls and specifically, Latinas. She has also served for the past
several years on the national planning committee of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, the largest
conference of Latinos in the country.
Ms. Herrera-Anderson earned at Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Marist College, a Master’s of Education
in Higher and Adult Education from Arizona State University, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in
Educational Leadership studies. She has received certificates from the prestigious Harvard University JFK
School of Government and the Center for Creative Leadership. Marisel shares her life with her husband
Thomas and their children.
Rosalee Montoya-Read
Rosalee Montoya-Read is a writer. Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla, a bilingual children’s book coauthored with Demetria Martínez, was published in 2010 by the University of New Mexico
Press. Her poetry and short stories, in English and Spanish, have appeared in journals such
as Lunarosity: Journal of Poetry and Fiction by Contemporary Authors, New Mexico Woman
Magazine, La Herencia: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future, Metamorfosis and PerKeQue 2010 (Instituto
Cervantes: Peking, China/Albuquerque, NM).
Ms. Montoya-Read is one of the founders and an editor of Metamorfosis, the first anthology of New Mexico
Women’s writing in Spanish published by the National Hispanic Cultural Center. She has been featured
in Mujeres Valerosas, a documentary book of contemporary women leaders published by the New Mexico
Hispanic Women’s Council (HWC) that is now part of the New Mexico State Record Center & Archives. She
is an alumna of NHLI’s Class of 1999.
She earned a Master’s degree from New Mexico State University in Higher Education Administration and
retired from the University of New Mexico, Cancer Research & Treatment Center in 2001. She has served
as a volunteer and board member for La Casa, a battered women’s shelter and an advocate for affordable and
accessible healthcare for minorities. Rosalee currently serves on HWC’s scholarship committee whose purpose
it is to provide scholarships for Latina women.
Among her hobbies are the study of history and genealogy. She has discovered that some of her ancestors were
part of the Oñate Expedition (Diego Montoya, 1598), the La Salle Expedition (Jacques Grolet, 1784) and were
members of the Maria Elena Gallegos, Anton Chico and Atrisco Land grant families in New Mexico. She
also hopes to one day trace her ancestry to any number of indigenous tribes of the Americas. Her inspiration
for recording and writing about her family is attributed to a quote by Thomas Cahill “…we have less and less
history and it seems to me if you don’t know where you came from…you don’t really know who you are…”
Ms. Montoya-Read was born in Vaughn, New Mexico and lives in Albuquerque with her husband David Read;
they have two children, Vincent Trujillo and Marisa Trujillo Jacques.
Patricia San Pedro
Author. Entrepreneur. Emmy winner. Patricia San Pedro knows no limits. If she dreams it, she
accomplishes it. Born in Havana, Cuba, Patricia grew up in South Florida and graduated from
the University of Miami. Ms. San Pedro made a name for herself in the broadcasting industry.
While at WTVJ NBC in Miami she earned three Emmy Awards.
She later expanded her wings internationally as the Corporate Communications Manager and key
spokesperson for American Airlines in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Ms. San Pedro then
moved to The Miami Herald & Nuevo Herald as VP of Event Marketing & Community Affairs. In
2001, she opened San Pedro Productions, a public relations, TV production and marketing company.
In May 2005, Ms. San Pedro published her first book, “Dish & Tell: Life, Love and Secrets” (Harper Collins),
co-authored with several friends known as the Miami Bombshells. The book gives a peek at the roller coaster
that is a woman’s life. The stories are funny, raw, even a bit outrageous. The Bombshells have been featured on
the NBC Today Show, The New York Times and other outlets. Camp Bombshell was created as an outgrowth
of the book: women-only weekend retreats. Bombshells: The Musical also premiered in 2009 and will soon tour
the country.
In 2008 Ms. San Pedro’s life came to a screeching halt when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. From the
moment of diagnosis, she saw her cancer as something brought to her life for a reason. She is passionate about
making a difference in people’s lives — that’s why she videotaped her entire healing journey: to help others
with what she was learning.
She uses her story to inspire others. Through speaking engagements Patricia encourages audiences to live a life
of peace and purpose to bring forth happiness, balance, harmony and fulfillment.
A new book and TV show are in the works. Visit her websites: www.MiamiBombshells.com, www.PositivelyPat.
com and www.SanPedroProductions.com.
Presenters
Elena Alvarado
Elena Alvarado is the Founder, President and CEO
of the National Latina Health Network, representing
over 2000 Latina leaders in the field of Public Health,
in five U.S. regions. Her professional experience began
as a Health Educator in Cancer education/outreach;
Associate Director for 24-hour countywide human
service agency; Executive Director of a county-wide
women’s crisis center. Ms. Alvarado has conducted
training on a variety of family health and leadership
initiatives targeted at Latino women empowerment.
She launched the first ever bilingual Spanish Language
CANCER and AIDS hotline services in the nation
for Southern California; and she developed education
prevention programs targeted at women and youths
in the areas of diabetes/obesity, cancer, cardiovascular,
substance abuse, sexual assault, and HIV/AIDS, drawing from her performing arts background in theater
and dance. Her appointments have included serving
as special advisor to CDC’s National Diabetes Latino
Expert Group, National AIDS Hotline, the California
Office of Criminal Justice, Sexual Assault Commission,
Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS; Los Angeles
United Way Kellogg Training Center and CA Hispanic
Women’s Health Association where she received a tribute
award as a founding member. She has been recognized by
Aetna’s national 2009 Latino Leaders Health Calendar
and Latino Leaders 2009 Magazine of the top 20 Leaders
in Health and Medicine making a difference; as well as
the 2007 WomenHeart recipient of the Wenger award
for her work in Heart Disease in the Latina Community.
She is a co-founding member and past president of
the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
and founder and CEO of the National Latina Health
Network based in Washington, D.C. She currently
serves as a jury member of the Pan American Health
Education Fund for the Fred Soper Award on Health
Literacy; the National Advisory Health Council of the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National
Latina Advisory Council of Girls Inc. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association.
Ms. Alvarado is a graduate of California State University
and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles
with degrees in Sociology, Public Health and Theatre
Arts. She is also a graduate of the National Center for
Creative Leadership Executive Program, and is a 1991
ELP graduate.
Ana Acle-Menendez
Ana Acle-Menendez is the owner of West Kendall
Today, a hyperlocal news website that is a partner
with The Miami Herald, and is a freelance editor for
The Miami Herald. She also serves on the University
of Florida Journalism Advisory Committee. Born and
raised in Miami, her Cuban parents immigrated to
Florida in the 1960s. Her parents’ difficulty in a new
country and longing to return to their homeland had
a profound influence on her, and is the reason why
she chose journalism as her profession. As a reporter
with The Miami Herald, Ms. Acle-Menendez worked
on two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams: the aftermath of
Hurricane Andrew (1992) and the Elian Gonzalez story
(2000). She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from
the University of Florida. She is a 2005 ELP graduate.
Ms. Acle-Menendez is married and has two small boys.
She is a volunteer at her son’s school, and mentors upand-coming Latina journalists.
Rebeca María “Becky”
Barrera
Rebeca Barrera is the Director of Hispanic Initiatives at
Scholastic, where she provides valuable insight regarding
Latinos while overseeing the community implementation of Leer da Poder, Scholastic’s innovative Latino
literacy model.
Ms. Barrera gained the attention of Scholastic when
she served as a bold advocate for Latino children on the
Board of Directors for the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest
early childhood organization in the world. Scholastic
invited her to serve as an advisor to their new magazine
“Early Childhood Today”. At the time Ms. Barrera
owned a dual language preschool and teacher training
company in San Antonio and her experience with this
population proved invaluable when Scholastic decided
to develop the first balanced bilingual preschool curriculum. The Early Childhood Workshop – El Taller was
adopted by public schools in Texas, California, Florida,
and hundreds of private preschool programs. The success landed Barrera a seat on Scholastic’s corporate
Board of Directors, becoming one of only 22 Latinas to
serve on a coveted Fortune 100 board.
Her deep involvement in Latino community development and her excellent credentials as a curriculum
designer serve the company well as new strategies are
developed to serve the needs of this growing Latino
population.
Cristina Benitez
Noting the importance of “giving something back”
with a special focus on the Latino community, Cristina
Benitez says she is happy to serve as a Gateway
Foundation member and Club 1000 donor. “I learned
many things from my parents, among them the importance of respect for all human beings and the value
of making a contribution to society,” she recalls. Ms.
Benitez is a Puerto Rican-American whose father had
a distinguished career as a naval officer, and because of
that and her own interest in traveling, she has lived all
over the world. Today, she is proud to call Chicago her
home, where 14.2% of the population is Latino. Cristina
is the president and founder of Lazos Latinos, a Hispanic
marketing firm which helps companies advertise and
market their products and services to the Latino community both locally and nationally.
Gloria Bonilla-Santiago,
Ph.D.
Gloria Bonilla-Santiago is Board of Governors
Distinguished Service Professor, Graduate Department
of Public Policy and Administration at Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey. She also directs the
Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership
and Chairs the Board of the LEAP Academy, the
University’s Charter School. Throughout her academic
career, she has established a track record coordinating
large scale programs and private-public ventures that
bring together external and internal stakeholders from
a range of organizations, including government, business, nonprofits and philanthropic sectors at the local,
national and international levels. As a leading scholar,
researcher, speaker, and international cross-cultural
training consultant, Dr. Santiago brings over 25 years
of experience in program development, diversity and
equity issues, fundraising, strategic planning, and leadership training. She writes and speaks widely on the
areas of community development, diversity and equity,
public policy, education, migration, diversity management and, organizational leadership. Dr. Santiago has
been successful in translating her research and empirical work into real policy strategies that have resulted
in the enactment of important legislation impacting
on women and the education of urban children. Dr.
Santiago is the author of numerous articles and two
books: Breaking Ground and Barriers: Hispanic Women
Developing Effective Leadership and Organizing Puerto
Rican Migrant Farmworkers: the Experience of Puerto
Ricans in New Jersey. She is an alumna of NHLI’s first
Executive Leadership Class (1988) and a recipient of
NHLI’s Mujer Award in 2007.
Conchy Trelles Bretos
Conchy Trelles Bretos is the CEO of MIA Consulting
Group, Inc. a for-profit corporation that creates public
housing and affordable assisted living facilities. The first
project, Helen Sawyer Plaza, became a national model
and received five national awards. As part of her work,
Ms. Bretos has drafted and successfully advocated for
several bills creating Medicaid funding for services in
seven states.
Ms. Bretos has served as Florida Secretary for Aging
& Adult Services and AARP State Legislative
Representative for Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands. Ms. Bretos was also project director for the
World Health Organization Regional Teacher Center
for Southeast Asia and CEO of The College of Law in
Sydney, Australia. She founded two micro-enterprise
foundations, and has served as Chair of Florida Women’s
Commission and the Hispanic Affairs Commission. In
2009 she became an Ashoka Fellow, an award given
to social entrepreneurs. She is the winner of the first
$100,000 Purpose Prize Award for her innovative work
in bringing assisted living services to public housing.
Ms. Bretos is a graduate of Oberlin College and received
a MBA from the University of New South Wales in
Sydney, Australia. She is a graduate of the NHLI class
of 1989.
Mirta “Mikki” Canton
Mikki Canton is known as one of the Best Lawyers in
America and among the Florida Legal Elite. Ms. Canton
began her legal career at Holland & Knight where her
intelligence and drive propelled her into an early leadership role. Entrusted as the principal lobbyist for the City
of Miami, she was instrumental in shaping the city’s
progressive strategic plan as the “heart and soul” of its
successful lobbyist efforts. Mikki also represented the
City of Coral Gables and Miami Dade County.
After nearly 20 years with Holland & Knight, Ms.
Canton joined Gunster Yoakley & Stewart. With keen
interest in Chinese international investment and emerging Latin America economies, she made the leap from
law to her company, AsiaAmericana International, to
focus on establishing Miami as the gateway for China/
Latin America investment. Today, she is a founding chair
of the China and Asia Committees at the World Trade
Center of Miami and of the Florida Bar International
Law China Committee. Recently, Mikki also founded
CIVILITY USA as a vehicle for restoring mutual respect
in our public discourse.
A testament to her nonpartisan appeal, Ms. Canton
was appointed to consecutive terms with the Florida
Commission on Ethics by Republican Governor Bob
Martinez, and his Democratic successor, the late Lawton
Chiles. She was honored with the prestigious American
Jewish Committee’s Learned Hand Award for her high
moral principles. She is a gubernatorial appointee to the
Miami Dade College Board of Trustees and a selectee to
the Board of Trustees of The Collins Center for Public
Policy. Ms. Canton is also a past member of the Harvard
University John F. Kennedy School of Government’s
Women’s Leadership Board and of the International
Board of the University of Chicago Harris School of
Public Policy Studies.
She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Barry
University and earned a Master’s degree in Psychology,
with honors, from Florida International University. She
is also an honors graduate of St. Thomas University
School of Law.
Maria Cardona
Maria Cardona is a seasoned Democratic strategist,
public affairs and communications professional with
more than 18 years experience in the political, government, public relations, campaign, community and
coalition building arenas. She currently is a Principal at
the Dewey Square Group (DSG) — a premier national
public affairs firm — where she heads the firm’s Public
Affairs Practice, combining public policy, communications, coalition building, constituency outreach, government relations, traditional and new media. She is also
a frequent political commentator on CNN, MSNBC,
Fox, Univision, Telemundo, and CNN en Español
appearing as a public policy expert and providing political analysis on all manner of national issues.
Ms. Cardona joined DSG as a principal in 2005, helping
DSG’s corporate, non-profit and trade association clients
develop strategic partnerships at the national, state and
local level, especially within the Latino community.
Named as one of the top 100 most influential Latinos by
Hispanic Business Magazine, she leverages her expansive
depth and breadth in the Latino community to ensure
DSG clients are well represented and that they understand the myriad of opportunities that exist for exposure
among this growing and increasingly influential market.
Ms. Cardona also founded DSG’s Latino Strategies
Practice, “Latinovations,” which guides clients on “best
practices” on building support for their positions, products and brands within the Hispanic community.
A former Senior Vice President for the New Democrat
Network (NDN) and Director of NDN’s Hispanic
Strategy Institute, Ms. Cardona led NDN’s $6 million
initiative to communicate effectively with Hispanics
across the country. Prior to coming on board with the
NDN, Ms. Cardona served as Communications Director
for the Democratic National Committee, where she
helped coordinate the national Democratic message for
the party officials, elected leaders, candidates and state
democratic party committees. From 1998 to 2001, Ms.
Cardona was the Director of Communications for the
Department of Justice’s Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS), acting as the Clinton Administration’s
top spokesperson on the complex issues surrounding
immigration. Before working at the INS, she spent five
years at the Department of Commerce, first as Deputy
Press Secretary to Secretary Ronald H. Brown, and
later as Press Secretary to Secretaries William Daley,
and Mickey Kantor. During her time at the Commerce
Department, she acted as lead communications strategist for the passage of NAFTA in 1993. In 1997, she was
awarded the Department of Commerce’s Silver Medal
Award for Meritorious Federal Service.
Ms. Cardona graduated from Duke University and
serves on the Board of Directors of Hoops Sagrado, a
non-profit organization that provides learning and leadership opportunities to D.C. youth through a basketball
exchange program in the highlands of Guatemala.
She also serves on the boards of New America Media,
Citizenship Counts, PODER PAC, and the National
Hispana Leadership Institute. Ms. Cardona is a native of
Bogotá, Colombia and lives in Washington D.C.
Lourdes Castillo
Lourdes Castillo is a native of Los Angeles, CA,
where she earned an undergraduate degree in Electrical
Engineering from Cal State Northridge and a Master
of Science degree in Engineering from University
of California, Berkeley, both degrees focusing on
Telecommunications. She has put her education together
with her desire to travel and work abroad to build several
Cellular Networks around the globe and was successful
in helping to build the largest digital cellular network at
the time, in Brazil, receiving Outstanding Engineer of
the Year award for three consecutive years.
Ms. Castillo has always had a strong interest in helping her community. She’s participated in a variety of
programs focused on encouraging young students to
pursuit higher education, she has served as a mentor
and has held several offices as a member of the Society
of Hispanic Professional Engineers. In recent years, Ms.
Castillo has shifted her focus to the role of technology
in maintaining good health and has pursued the launch
and sustainment of a business serving self-directed
health maintenance with the integration of principles
from oriental medicine with western technology. She
has helped many suffering from chronic back problems,
stress, sleep disorders, depression and pain. Ms. Castillo
attributes her courage and motivation to NHLI, she is
an alumna of the class of 1992.
Lourdes Castillo de la Peña
Commissioner Lourdes Castillo de la Peña was appointed
to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women in
2008 by Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Ms. Castillo de la Peña founded the boutique public relations firm LMC Communications in 1994 as the first of
its kind in South Florida with a unique specialization in
the Latin American market. She has represented a highly
sought-after client roster including Paramount Pictures,
Bausch & Lomb, People en Español among others. She
is also owner and publisher of Nuestros Hijos, Latin
America’s premier parenting magazine.
In 1998, she, alongside a group of doctors, established the St. John Bosco Church Health Clinic in
Little Havana. When her father was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness among the Hispanic community. Her significant
contributions in this area were recognized by Governor
Jeb Bush, who appointed her to the State of Florida
Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Board in September 2001.
In 2005, she was honored with the Mercy Ambassador
Award for all her efforts.
She founded the Miami Children’s Hospital XOXO
(Hugs and Kisses). She has served on several other
Boards, such as The National Alzheimer’s Association,
The Republican National Senatorial Committee, and
on the advisory board for Miami Children’s Hospital,
Fisher Island Philanthropic Fund, Miami City Ballet. In
2010 she was honored by the Junior League of Miami
at their annual “Women Who Make a Difference” luncheon. She graduated from St. Thomas University and
the Universidad de Maria Cristina in El Escorial, Spain.
Gloria Contreras Edin
Gloria Contreras Edin is a successful attorney and business owner who works with individuals, businesses,
non-profits and foundations. She has a strong impetus
for justice and integrity in the law. Until recently,
she was the Executive Director of Centro Legal, Inc.
a nonprofit law firm that provided legal services to
immigrants and refugees. Today, Ms. Contreras Edin
is well-known in the community as La Abogada de La
Picosa, a popular bilingual radio station in Minnesota.
Every week she airs a live radio show where she provides
free legal advice and counseling on a variety of issues
affecting Minnesota’s immigrant community. The exposure that she has received this past year has helped her
create a dynamic business and brand for herself. She
enjoys staying connected and actively participates in
numerous community activities including volunteering
for the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, Centro
Campesino de Minnesota and the Center for Asian
Pacific Islanders. She has spent her career working
immigrant families and her work as a lawyer has been
recognized locally and nationally. She is 2010 graduate
of the NHLI Executive Leadership Program.
Marcella de la Torre
Marcella de la Torre was born and raised in Barcelona,
Spain. She earned her B.A. in International Relations
and French in 1992 and a Master of Arts degree in
Nonprofit Management at Hamline University in 2007
in the U.S. She has earned a reputation as a highlyrespected educator and presenter. She has managed the
Inilingua School, and as an Adjunct Faculty Member at
Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas,
she has taught intermediate Spanish Language, culture,
and business classes. With 17 years of multi-cultural
training experience and eight years in the health care
industry, Ms. de la Torre has held several leadership positions in the medical arena. She is currently
Manager GME Performance Improvement at H3alth
Partners. Marcella has served on a number of Hamline
University Taskforces and Committees and as a Board of
Directors of The St. Paul Foundation, the Roseville Area
Schools Foundation, among others. Deeply committed
to advancing multi-cultural understanding, Ms. de la
Torre speaks four languages and has delivered numerous
presentations on the competitive advantages of diversity
and on performance improvement and quality management programs. She is an 2005 ELP graduate.
Elizabeth “Eli” Eguia-Garcia
Elizabeth “Eli” Eguia-Garcia is the Founder & CEO of
“Guide to Grants Plus”, a company designed to provide
grants and resource development consulting services for
non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
Ms. Eguia-Garcia received her MA in Communication
Studies from St. Mary’s University, and her BA in
English/History from Our Lady of the Lake University.
She is the founding Chair of the Board of Directors of
Voz de Mujer, a nonprofit organization which empowers
and educates women. Ms. Eguia-Garcia is a graduate
of numerous distinguished programs including NHLI’s
Executive Leadership Program, and the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities Internship
Program, among others.
Presently, Ms. Eguia-Garcia serves in several leadership
capacities including as the Development Director and
Associate Producer for the documentary film, [504]
Rising: The Rebuilding, Renewal and Rebirth of a Great
American City. She is a national public speaker on special topics such as Latina entrepreneurship, and provides
training on how to write grants and implement effective
fundraising strategies. With over 12 years of experience
working with the nonprofit sector and educational institutions in resource development, her portfolio includes
securing funds from a diverse group of funding sources
including local, county, state, and federal agencies as
well as foundations. She is a strategic multimillion dollar
fundraiser.
Gina Linn Espinoza
Gina Linn Espinoza, aka Doctora Love is dedicated to
growing and nurturing talent as a personal success and
life coach. Given her diverse corporate management
experience and energetic, positive thinking approach,
She believes that the spirit of mankind, our diverse lives
and shared history propel each of us forward creating
a boundless untapped potential. Ms. Espinoza loves
the arts and works pro bono with artists of all walks to
help them develop business sense balanced with their
extraordinary talents; believing that art does make all
difference. In her spare time she is also a folk artist
and craftswoman depicting her philosophy into her
art and sprit by reclaiming and finding… beauty in
everything! Ms. Espinoza also serves as Vice President
of Thirteen Senses, a non-for-profit that she co-founded
with author, Victor Villaseñor, and is a board member
of CASA 0101 that created by Josefina Lopez, author of
Real Women Have Curves. She is an active participant
with Las Comadres Para las Américas, and appointed
1st Ambassador for Wise Latinas Linked. Ms. Espinoza
has had the pleasure of working Alpha Pi Sigma Inc.,
San Diego State University; San Diego MANA “Words
for Life”; The USO – San Diego; the USS Constellation
where she was a farewell tour speaker before ship
was retired, the Foundation for Women, United Way,
Children’s Miracle Network and many more. Ms.
Espinoza was is a 2008 graduate of NHLI.
Helen Aguirre Ferré
Helen Aguirre Ferré is the Opinion Page Editor of Diario
Las Americas, an independent Spanish-language newspaper founded in 1953 in Miami by her father, Horacio
Aguirre. In television, she hosts Washington Watch in
Washington, D.C. and moderates the monthly public
affairs program Issues for the South Florida PBS station.
She is a political analyst for the Telemundo channel in
Miami and a frequent guest on the weekly Spanishlanguage program Actualidad for TV Martí, which airs
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Chair of
Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees, in 2007, she
became the first community college trustee appointed
to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities
and Colleges. She was appointed to the Florida Energy
Commission by Governor Jeb Bush, to the Florida
Governor’s Mansion Commission by Governor Lawton
Chiles, and to the Beacon Council, among others. She
has been recognized by Barry University as Outstanding
Alumni of the Year 2000, Who’s Who Among Hispanic
Americans, Hispanic Media 100, the American Cancer
Society, Goodwill Industries, the Cuban Rotary Club
and the Cuban Women’s Club. She has served as a
member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the
Inter-American Dialogue, the National Association of
Hispanic Journalists, on the board of the Nicaraguan
American Foundation, and is a Dame of the Knights
of Malta. Ms. Ferré holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science from Barry University and a Master of Arts in
Inter-American Studies from the University of Miami.
Aurelia Flores
Aurelia Flores is founder of PowerfulLatinas.com, a
company all about “Latinas Re-Imagining Culture
Together.” The company does that, in part, by sharing
Latina wisdom, strength and courage through their stories. A former single teen mother and domestic violence
survivor, Ms. Flores went on to graduate from Stanford
Law School and was a Fulbright Fellow. She is a practicing intellectual property attorney. She shares her story
and that of other women in a multiple of venues — both
online and off. A seasoned national speaker and trainer
on leadership topics, Ms. Flores has been featured on
TV, radio and in print, including the recently published
book, Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and
Latina Women. To learn more about Ms. Flores, sign up
to her website mailing list and follow her on Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn.
Bryant Gomez
Bryant Gomez has been a community volunteer since
2004. He has served as a member of the Forum Vista
Cadre, University of New Mexico Service Corp, and
also volunteered with Albuquerque Public Schools working on community organizing and youth development
initiatives. Those experiences provided him the opportunity to serve on the National Youth Leadership Council
in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Recently, Mr. Gomez had
the opportunity to participate in an internship at Walt
Disney Corporation building skills in community and
corporate collaborations.
Aminda “Mindy”
Marques Gonzalez
Aminda “Mindy” Marques Gonzalez, Managing Editor
of The Miami Herald, is a first generation CubanAmerican. One of four children, her family relocated to
South Florida in the late 1960s. She began her journalism career in 1986 as a summer intern at The Herald.
As a reporter, Ms. Gonzales covered everything from
the Hialeah Santeria case that made its way to the U.S.
Supreme Court to the migrant workers in South Dade.
As an editor, she helped run local government coverage and daily breaking news before being promoted to
Deputy Metro Editor. In 2002, Ms. Gonzales left The
Miami Herald to become the Miami Bureau Chief for
People Magazine, handling enterprise, breaking news
and celebrity coverage in the southeastern United States,
the Caribbean and Latin American. Ms. Gonzales
returned to the Miami Herald in May 2007 to work on
the launch of Miami.com, an entertainment website.
During the past three years at The Herald, she was also
the Features Editor as well as the Senior Editor for News
overseeing the daily news operation. A graduate of the
University of Florida, Ms. Gonzales, her husband Fidel,
and their two children live in Davie, Florida.
Marlene Gonzalez
Marlene González is the author of Succeed in Corporate
America©: The Best Advice, Perspective and Insights to
Succeed in the Corporate World and director of dynamic
tele-seminar programs. She is the president and founder
of Life Coaching Group LLC where she has gained
national and international prominence as a life coach by
guiding hundreds of clients to finding wealth, success
and happiness.
Ms. González has a Master’s of Science, an Executive
MBA-PAG Advance Management degree in Business
and Globalization, graduated from IESA Business
School in Venezuela, and also holds a graduate diploma on Managerial Issues in the Global Enterprise
from Thunderbird University, the Graduate School of
International Management in Phoenix. She is pursuing a
doctorate degree on Natural Health and Nutrition from
Clayton College in Alabama. She has held many executive corporate positions, including Worldwide Training,
Learning and Development Sr Director at McDonald’s
Corporation, and worked in the U.S., Europe and
Latin America. Ms. González is a Professional Certified
Coach of the International Coach Federation. She
belongs to the president’s council group at the National
Council of La Raza. She also belongs to Coach Training
Alliance based in Boulder, Colorado. She has been certified as a Wellness Coach, a Diversity and Inclusion
Practitioner and has obtained an Insights Discovery
Licensed Practitioner to conduct personal effectiveness
assessments from Insights, Inc. based in Scotland, UK.
She belongs to Cambridge Who’s Who among executives and professionals, Hispanic Business Women’s
Alliance, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,
Chicago Latino Network and The International Life
Coach Network. She has received many awards and
recognitions such as The President’s Award for Fortune
500 companies, Team Awards, Manager of the Year,
and was named one of the Top 100 Executives in Latin
America by Money Magazine. Her company’s website
www.lifecoachinggroup.org.
Belinda M. Gonzalez-Leon
Belinda M. Gonzalez-Leon works for Education
Management Corporation as Vice President for
Registrar Operations. Before joining the company in
1997, she worked for Nova Southeastern University,
Jones College, and Florida National College in both
Administrative and Faculty positions. Dr. Leon has a
Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership; a
Masters in Business Administration; and a Bachelor’s in
Psychology. Her dissertation was a program evaluation
of the Latinas Learning to Lead Summer Youth Institute
in Washington, D.C. Also, Dr. Leon completed a certificate program at Harvard University.
In 2008, Dr. Leon was named one of the Successful
Hispanic Women of the Year by the Latin Chamber of
Commerce. She was a presenter at the “Encuentro de
Chicas Latinas de las Girl Scouts” in Washington, DC in
2006, as well as presenting a session on Hispanic College
Students at the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers Annual Conference.
A graduate of the NHLI’s Class of 2005, she remains
active with the organization both nationally and locally.
Belinda has served on the NHLI Florida Admissions
Committee for several years as well as the class representative for the 2005 class. Through the Latinas Learning
to Lead program, Belinda mentors numerous Hispanic
young women. In addition, through the Women of
Tomorrow program at Doral Ronald Reagan High
school, she has helped teenagers investigate careers and
apply for colleges. Belinda also organized the Career
Day Conference between Women of Tomorrow and
Miami International University of Art and Design
as her NHLI class project. With her NHLI Miami
graduates, she as assisted with the Hispanic Women’s
Day Conference sponsored by Nordstrom and Miami
Dade College. Dr. Leon is the co-chair of the Latino/a
Caucus of the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers. She is also a member of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher
Education, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and the
Miami Chapter of Las Comadres.
As a child of immigrants growing up in New York,
Belinda uses her life experience to help young Hispanics
today succeed in school and career without having to
endure the struggles and challenges she faced. She finds
that by serving as a cheerleader, role model, and support
system — she can provide the much needed attention
that many of today’s Hispanic young adults so desperately need.
Jennifer Halberstein Enslein
Born in Lima, Peru and moved to Miami, Florida
in 1974. Jennifer Halberstein Enslein was Senior
Vice President of former Capital Bank’s International
Division, in charge of its Trade Finance Department.
In 1990, during her tenure at Capital Bank, she was
named CAMACOL’s (Camara de Comercio Latina Latin American Chamber of Commerce) Outstanding
Woman Banker of the Year. During her tenure at
Capital Bank, she collaborated in several publications
related and concerning the U.S.–Latin trade relation.
After 15 years in banking, Ms. Halberstein Enslein
retired and started her own trade finance consulting
company, Trade Consulting International, Inc. while
going back to school to get a Master’s in Education.
Since then she has taught middle school and high school
math at Jacobson Sinai Academy’s Middle School and at
Hillel Community Day School ’s High School.
In 2004, she retired to dedicate her time as a volunteer
and political activist as well as an advocate for nonprofit organizations. For 14 years, she was a member of
the Board of the Jewish Community Services of South
Florida (JCS) where she served as Vice Chair of Board
and Campaign Chair, as well as the Chair of its Public
Policy Committee. In 2008 she was presented with the
President’s Award from Miami-Dade County’s Alliance
for Aging, Inc. for her outstanding leadership in advocating for the needs of elders and was presented with the
Key to Miami-Dade County. In 2009, she was selected
as a finalist for United Way’s Dorothy Shula Award for
Outstanding Volunteerism. Ms. Halberstein Enslein is a
member of the Board of the American Jewish Committee
and a member of its Latin American Task Force. She is
active in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), Greater Miami Jewish Federation, American
Friends of Hebrew University, Michael-Ann Russell
Jewish Community Center and Skylake Synagogue. Ms.
Halberstein Enslein attended Stern College in New York
and received a BSBA in Finance from the University of
Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She has an International
Business Certification from the Stichting Nijenrode
Institute of Business, The Netherlands and a Master’s of
Art in Teaching from Barry University, Miami, Florida.
She is registered as an “Expert Witness” in Letters of
Credit in Miami-Dade County. She currently works
with her husband Spencer, as Executive Vice-President,
at TCII Property Management Inc. a property management company founded by her husband and continues
working as a part-time middle school math teacher at
Jacobson Sinai Academy.
Andrea Juarez
Andrea Juarez is a survivor of childhood torture, the
foster care system and the aftermath of it all. Her experiences in life allow her to see the world through the eyes
of the hopeless and oppressed. She has taken the wisdom gained from her life experiences and created Hope
Speaking & Publications, LLC. As the founder and
CEO, her mission is to inspire and empower people with
the beliefs, thoughts, wisdom and perspective needed to
break free from past hurts, overcome obstacles and be
successful in life with books, workshops and motivational speaking. Ms. Juarez earned a Bachelor’s degree
in Psychology from Western Michigan University where
she also completed her Master’s degree in Behavior
Analysis. She has a solid record of grassroots community
leadership and executive leadership. She is also an NHLI
2009 graduate. Most recently, she has connected with a
national literary agent and looks forward to the publication of her first book: Unlock the Prison of Your Mind.
Nanci Luna Jiménez
Nanci Luna Jiménez is recognized regionally, nationally,
and internationally for her highly effective and insightful training, inclusive facilitation, and dynamic speaking with groups of diverse ages, industries, and cultural
backgrounds. Following her passion, she founded Luna
Jiménez Seminars & Associates to design and deliver
unique programs that encourage individuals in their
process of personal transformation, releasing individual
initiative to create a more just and equitable workplace
and world. From members of U.S. Congress, chiefs of
Amazonian indigenous tribes and nonprofit executive
directors to early childhood educators, and students of
every level, Ms. Luna Jiménez has touched the lives of
tens of thousands by offering them tools and frameworks that transform their lives.
With a commitment to unleashing women’s voices
on a global scale, for four years she chaired the Board
of Directors for World Pulse, an organization dedicated to empowering women’s voices. She attended
the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against
Racism Non-Governmental Forum in Durban, South
Africa; and served as an international observer for the
1995 Haitian presidential elections. Ms. Luna Jiménez
received her BA cum laude from Yale University; she
was a Ford Foundation Fellow and a Ph.D. candidate
at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has
studied Bomba dancing and drumming in her father’s
homeland of Puerto Rico, and is writing her first book
Everyone is Good (Even You!): A Transformational Guide
to Social Justice.
Aida Levitan, Ph.D.
Aida Levitan, Ph.D. is the President of The Levitan
Group, Inc., a firm that provides marketing consulting services to national and international companies
and organizations. Levitan is a nationally recognized
marketing and Hispanic advertising and public relations
leader. She is also the president of a 501(c)(3) organization, ArtesMiami, Inc., dedicated to supporting and
promoting Hispanic artists and cultural organizations.
Because of her leadership in the industry, she has been
quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,
CNN and many others.
Dr. Levitan served as the vice chairperson/chief communications officer of Bromley Communications, which she
helped transform into the number one Hispanic advertising agency in the U.S. She was also president of the
National Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies.
In 1986 she co-founded Sanchez & Levitan and sold the
agency to Publicis Groupe from 2001 to 2003. Under
her leadership as Co-Chairman/CEO, Publicis Sanchez
& Levitan became one of the top ten U.S. Hispanic
advertising agencies with $92 million in billings. Dr.
Levitan has a Ph.D. an in Spanish Literature from
Emory University and a B.A. from the University of
Miami. She has been recognized as the Latin Chamber
of Commerce Hispanic Women of the Year, U.S. Dept.
of Commerce MedWeek Legend in Communication,
Women in Communications Entrepreneurship Award
among many others.
Martín Llorens Torres
Fashion. Beauty. Healthy Lifestyle. Martín Llorens
knows how to make the right choices in all of these
areas — choices that boost self-esteem, build confidence
and lead to success in every area of life. He is a renowned
fashion and beauty expert with more than 15 years of
experience in empowering the Hispanic community
with the tools they need to dress for success, improve
their self-esteem and project their best image for any
occasion — be it social or professional.
Mr. Llorens Torres is the official fashion and image advisor on Univision’s top rated national morning program,
Despierta América. He is the author of Discover Your
Style: Your Guide to Dressing Better (Random House
Mondadori, 2009). Dedicated to the Latina woman, he
reveals the secrets of projecting an elegant, stylish and
confident image to feel beautiful from the inside out. In
2010, the book received three honors at the 12th Annual
International Latino Book Awards, including the Triple
Crown Award (reserved for titles that received 100% of
the judges’ first-place ballots) for the Best Health Book
in the Spanish or Bilingual category. In September 2010
Mr. Llorens Torres joined Utilísima, as the host of Hola
Martín: Estilo de Vida, that seen in over 16 countries,
the show focuses on personal improvement in four main
areas: image, home, body and cooking. Audiences also
know Martín through his radio show, Hola Martín,
which aired for more than a year on the Univision Radio
network. In 2008, Mr. Llorens Torres launched www.
holamartin.com, where he shares articles on beauty,
fashion, travel, exercise, nutrition and personal improvement. The site’s popular interactive forum, www.holamartinenvivo.com, provides a place for users to share
their opinions and ideas about lifestyle choices, fashion
and other topics.
Born in Spain, Mr. Llorens Torres came to the United
States after finishing his graduate degree in Advertising
and Public Relations at the Universidad Complutense
de Madrid. Throughout his career, his main objective
in life has always been to create positive relations among
people and motivate them to achieve their goals. From
a small town in the Mediterranean, in the province of
Alicante, he traveled to another continent to fulfill his
dream of helping people discover their inner beauty and
learn to project their best image to accomplish all of
their goals in life.
Yolanda Londoño
Yolanda Londoño is Vice President of Global Social
Responsibility for Tupperware Brands Corporation.
She directs and develops local and global philanthropic
initiatives, cause-related marketing and global giving
strategies with emphasis on programs that educate
and empower women and girls. Tupperware Brands
has a presence in more than 100 countries and over
2.5 million sales force members. Ms. Londoño joined
Tupperware Brands after six years with JPMorgan Chase
Bank in Houston, Texas where she was Vice President
of Public Affairs. Her primary areas of accountability
included identifying, funding and implementing strategic grant-making partnerships, sponsorships and volunteerism opportunities, government and community
relations and new business development.
Before joining Chase Bank, she was Executive Director
of Tourism for the Greater Houston Convention &
Visitors Bureau where she managed efforts to promote
Houston to domestic and global audiences. Previously,
Ms. Londoño served as President and CEO of the
Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the leading advocate for the economic and civic interests of the
Hispanic business community in the Greater Houston
region. Prior work experience includes four years in
Zimbabwe, Africa, where she worked with the U.S.
Agency for International Development and three years
in London, England with Logica Ltd., an international software consulting firm. Her professional career
encompasses leadership roles in community and eco-
nomic development, strategic marketing initiatives, civic
engagement and non-profit organization management.
She serves on numerous local nonprofit boards and was
most recently appointed to the Governor’s Commission
on Volunteerism and Community Service by Florida
Governor Charlie Christ.
Ms. Londoño was born in Bogota, Colombia. She and
her husband Juan have two sons and currently reside in
Orlando, Florida.
Windy Lopez
Windy Lopez is Senior Manager of Community Affairs
at Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company. In this role, she manages
the project development and implementation of national
literacy initiatives that help empower families and communities to improve children’s literacy development.
Ms. Lopez has successfully helped launch and expand
initiatives including Lee y serás (Read and You Will Be),
Read and Rise™ and Words Travel. She enjoys working
closely with local and national non profit organizations,
schools and libraries, providing technical assistance on
program implementation and community building to
help address literacy and education issues.
Before joining Scholastic in 2005, Ms. Lopez was a
teacher at the Bronx Lighthouse Academies Charter
School in New York. While teaching there, she was
instrumental in training the teaching staff on Responsive
Classroom™, a teaching methodology that emphasizes
social, emotional, and academic growth in order to
ensure optimal student learning. She also taught at
Hoboken Charter School in New Jersey and taught
English in Madrid, Spain. Prior to teaching, Ms. Lopez
worked in public relations for several years, focusing
on cause-related and education campaigns for clients
including IKEA, H&M and McDonalds. She holds
degrees in Elementary Education and Communications
from Rutgers University.
Monika Mantilla
Monika Mantilla is responsible for the overall strategic
direction and leadership of Altura Capital Group that
entails client relationship, marketing, product development, human capital development and financial
management. Altura services include: manager of manager and investment advisory services, data and market
intelligence services delivered through Altura’s groundbreaking Emerging and Diverse Manager Information
Platform, and consulting and advisory in the area of
Diversity in the Management of Investments, a practice
for which Altura developed a nationally recognized proprietary intellectual framework called DMI™. Altura is a
women- and minority-owned firm.
Ms. Mantilla’s rich professional background includes
senior responsibilities as a principal in an investment
management consulting firm (that advised over 100
institutional and private clients, including pension
plans, corporations, unions, endowments, foundations,
universities, families and individuals), partner in a private equity fund, financial and strategic advisor, senior
corporate manager and international corporate lawyer.
Ms. Mantilla is a frequent speaker at industry and academic forums on issues related to diversity in the financial and asset management industry. She and Altura
have published many studies and white papers in the
field. She has addressed the US House of Representatives
Financial Services Committee on the trends, issues and
challenges facing Hispanics in financial services. She
has also been an active advocate for stronger trade and
investment throughout the Americas and between the
United States, Latin America and Spain.
Altura and Ms. Mantilla have received several honors and awards including Hispanic Magazine’s 2003
Excellence in Financial Services Award, the New YorkWestchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2006
Business Woman of the Year award, and 2007 Special
Recognition Emerging Manager Opal Summit Award.
In 2009, she was recognized as one of the Most
Influential Leaders in Hispanic U.S.A. by Latino Leaders
Magazine. Ms. Mantilla is an Advisory Board Member
of the Center for Leadership Development at Baruch
College’s Zicklin Schoool of Business, City University of
New York; Board Member of the New America Alliance,
where she chairs the Capital and Advocacy Committee;
Co-Chair of the ICIC brokerage mechanism task force
to enhance the flow of capital to inner cities around the
country; Board Member of the United for Colombia
Foundation and Member of the Apoyo Fund Committee
of the Westchester Community Foundation. She is also
a Boardroom Bound Charter Friend.
Ms. Mantilla holds an MBA from Columbia Business
School, New York and a Law degree from the Universidad
del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
Maria C. Mari,
CPA, CMA, CFrA
Maria C. Mari, CPA, CMA, CFrA, is a professor at
Miami-Dade College School of Business. She is a graduate of Florida International University with a Masters of
Science in Taxation from the University of Florida and
graduate work in Economics at New York University.
Ms. Mari has earned her license as a Certified Public
Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and
Certified Fraud Accountant. She instructs in the disciplines of accounting, economics, leadership, and statistics. The College awarded Ms. Mari with two Endowed
Teaching Chairs for her excellence in the classroom and
her commitment to students. As a practicing certified
public accountant, specializing in forensic accounting,
she maintains a private accounting practice composed
of small businesses, not for profits, and foreign entities.
She is active in her profession through participation
in the Florida Institute of CPAs as well as Teachers of
Accounting at Two Year Colleges. She currently sits on
the Board of Directors of the Better Way of Miami, and
is President of the Board of Directors of Miami Dade
College Hispanic Council. In 2001, Ms. Mari participated in the National Hispana Leadership Institute. She
was recently recognized by Latina Style Magazine as
2010 Miami Entrepreneur of the Year.
Roymi V. Membiela
Roymi V. Membiela is assistant vice president of marketing and public relations with Baptist Health South
Florida, where she directs the marketing and outreach to South Florida’s Hispanic communities, Baptist
Outpatient Services in Miami Dade and Broward
counties, Physicians Referral Services, the marketing
outreach for the new West Kendall Baptist Hospital,
and the organization’s online marketing strategy. She
produces and hosts four weekly radio programs dedicated to the promotion of healthcare prevention and
early detection. Ms. Membiela founded and edits Baptist
Salud, a quarterly Spanish language health and wellness
lifestyle magazine with a total circulation of 155,000.
Prior to joining Baptist Health, she was the senior vice
president of KS where she served as the MDX-MiamiDade Expressway Authority’s public communications
consultant. Subsequently, she was appointed by the
Board of Miami-Dade County Commissioners to serve
on the MDX Board of Directors. For 17 years, Ms.
Membiela was a senior executive of Knight Ridder’s The
Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. She helped in the
conceptualization of one of the nation’s leading Spanish
language publications – El Nuevo Herald.
Ms. Membiela is a recipient of the South Florida
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2006 Women of
Leadership Award, and the Miami-Dade County 2003
In the Company of Women Award. She received recognition from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
as a Corporate Hispanic Business Advocate and by
VISTA Magazine’s 1997 VISTA Achievement Award
for Hispanic Women. In 2003, she was nominated and
inducted as a member of “Leadership Florida – Class
XXII”. and Miami-Dade County proclaimed October
3, 2003 as ‘Roymi V. Membiela Day’. Her work was
recognized by the Public Relations Society of America’s
coveted 2007 Bronze Anvil Award. Additionally she was
recognized by the Florida Hospital Association’s Mark of
Excellence Awards in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Ms. Membiela serves on the Board of Directors of
the Health Foundation of South Florida; Community
Habilitation Center; UNIDAD Miami Beach; WFOR
Neighbors-4-Neighbors; Immaculata-LaSalle Alumni
Association; Leadership Florida; and serves as Chair
of the Miami-Dade County Hispanic Affairs Advisory
Board. She is the past Chair of the City of Miami
Beach’s Community Relations Board, and past Vice
Chair of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. She
serves on the Advisory Board of the South Florida
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and she is active with
the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; TEAMFL –
Transportation & Expressway Authority Membership of
Florida; the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators,
and the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market
Development.
She earned a Master of Science in Leadership from
Nova Southeastern University in 2009, and a Bachelor
of Professional Studies–Marketing degree from Barry
University in 1986 and 1995 was inducted in the
school’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Ms. Membiela holds an
active State of Florida Real Estate Sales License, and is
accredited as a Certified County Court Mediator by the
State of Florida Supreme Court. Ms. Membiela was born
in Cuba with a Spanish-Lebanese ancestry.
Carlos Molina
Carlos Molina joined United Way of Miami-Dade in
1990, having served previously as a financial executive in the public and for-profit sectors. In his current
role as chief financial officer, Mr. Molina oversees the
financial and accounting operations of the organization
and provides strategic financial guidance to the Board
to insure the long-term sustainability and operational
efficiency of the organization. He also manages the
organization’s investment portfolios and supervises fiscal
agent operations provided to local not-for-profit organizations. During his tenure, organizational revenues have
grown from $20 million to $60 million. In addition,
Mr. Molina oversees the management of United Way of
Miami-Dade campus real estate, tenant/landlord relationships, information technology and human resources.
Mr. Molina earned a bachelor of science degree in economics from Colorado State University and a master
of science degree in finance from Florida International
University. He is currently a member of the United Way
Worldwide Financial Issues Committee and founding member of the South Florida Non-profit Financial
Executives. Mr. Molina is married with two sons, one
currently a senior at the University of Florida.
Lisette Nieves
Lisette Nieves comes to Year Up New York with great
experience in community and youth development,
making her a wonderful asset to its establishment and
growth in New York City. Prior to Year Up, she was a
consultant to nonprofit organizations in strategic planning, program development and management and an
instructor in Graduate Studies of Public Administration
at Brooklyn College. She is the former Chief of the Staff
for the NYC Department of Youth and Community
Development (DYCD). Prior to DYCD, Ms. Nieves
was the Director for Special Projects at the After-school
Corporation where she designed forums for superintendents and principals, as well as piloted youth mentor-
ing programs in the local high schools. She has also
worked at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone,
where she served as Director of Grants Management.
Ms. Nieves also served as a Senior Program Officer
for the Corporation for National Service, overseeing
AmeriCorps programs in the Northeast. Her previous
board experience includes being a national board member for Jumpstart, a Trustee of her alma mater Brooklyn
College and the Board Chair of the East Harlem
Block Schools. She is also a Truman Scholar from
1990, Rhodes Scholar from 1992 and a graduate of the
Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs at Princeton.
Michaeline Perez Guzman
Michaeline Perez Guzman is Vice President of
Operations for McDonald’s USA, LLC. She started
her McDonald’s career in 1980 as a crew person in
Southern Florida. After graduating from High School,
she became a shift manager while going to college in
South Florida. She decided to continue her career at
McDonald’s as she moved up the ranks in Operations.
In 1988, she was given the opportunity to move into
the Human Resources Department. Her HR career
spanned over 11 years where she held various positions
in Latin America, South Florida, Oak Brook and St.
Louis. In 1996, she took the leap to move into the Latin
America Zone. She continued her career in HR and
held the position of HR Director for Central America
and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. In her role as
HR Director she was part of several new country openings such as El Salvador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador
and the Dominican Republic. She established the HR
Dept. for the Division and lead teams in more than 19
countries. In 1999, she returned to operations where
she also held several positions in Venezuela, Colombia
and Panama. Most recently, Ms. Perez Guzman served
as the Vice President of Corporate Restaurants in the
Central America Region, prior to which time she served
as the Market Manager for Panama. Previously, she
served as the Director of Operations for Colombia and
worked in Operations in Venezuela. Additionally, she
served as a Pioneer member of the Board of Directors
for the Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters in
Panama and Costa Rica where she helped establish the
charity, create campaigns to build awareness and raise
funds for children’s hospitals.
Jorge A. Plasencia
Jorge A. Plasencia is República’s Chairman and CEO.
Prior to co-founding República, Jorge was an executive at Univision Radio, one of the largest radio
broadcasters in the United States. At Univision, he
served in various capacities including Corporate Vice
President and Operating Manager of Univision Radio
Networks, and Vice President of Marketing, Corporate
Communications and Public Affairs.
Previously, Mr. Plasencia was Vice President of Estefan
Enterprises, Inc., a global entertainment, media and
hospitality company. At Estefan Enterprises, he was
responsible for corporate business development, marketing, publicity, and corporate strategy for the company’s numerous divisions. Jorge directed the company’s
important artist management operation that handled
the day-to-day management and business affairs of
numerous international artists, including Gloria Estefan
and Shakira. Mr. Plasencia also served as the first
Director of Hispanic Marketing for the Florida Marlins
Baseball Club. Due to his efforts, the Marlins were
awarded the prestigious and coveted Hispanic Marketer
of the Year Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of
Commerce in 1997.
Psychology and Music and was named to Who’s Who
among Students in American Universities. She earned a
Masters Degree in Social Work at Barry University. She
was recognized by Florida International University for
outstanding service and support towards reducing health
disparities in substance abuse and HIV/AIDS among
Latinos, Mujeres Dinámicas American Cancer Society
for her tireless work with women who have cancer and
assisting Latinas in reviewing their options, treatments,
advocating for them and getting them services. She was
featured in El Nuevo Herald 06 for her work with the
Latino Community. She is a 2009 ELP Alumna.
Mr. Plasencia currently serves as Vice Chair of the
National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Chairman
of CNC, and serves on the advisory board of the
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI). In
South Florida, he is co-founder and chairman of Amigos
For Kids, and serves on the boards of the Miami Dade
College Foundation, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts, and is a trustee of the United Way. In
2004, he was nominated by President George W. Bush,
and confirmed by the United States Senate, to serve
on the Advisory Board of the Broadcasting Board of
Governors’ OCB.
Elianne is Principal and CEO of Speak Hispanic
Communications and the Vice-Chair of Communications and PR for Latinos in Social Media (LATISM).
A Hispanic Communications Specialist with over 15
years of experience in Creative Direction, Copywriting,
Public Speaking, Public Relations and TV Commercial
Production, Ms. Ramos has developed broadcast, multimedia and social media campaigns for clients such as
Procter & Gamble, Panasonic, SlimFast, Chivas Regal,
HSBC Bank and AARP, among other top brands.
Formerly, she was the VP, Creative Director and founder
of i3 Creative Group, managing TV commercial production teams working concurrently in the United States,
Mexico, Uruguay and Argentina. Ms. Ramos has taken
her industry insights to leading creative workshops,
podcasts, webinars and lectures on marketing and social
media both in the United States and in collaboration
with international universities such as The University
of Management, Finance and Technology (EAFIT
University), the University of Medellín, the Arts Institute
of Colombia (Ideartes) and other universities in South
America. In addition to workshops, podcasts, multimedia, TV commercials, radio spots, her writing has
appeared in the 2007 English edition of Chicken Soup for
the Network Marketing Soul, and other publications. As
the Hispanic Business columnist for the Examiner.com
newspaper, she covers the issues that affect the Latino
Business community in the Washington/Baltimore Tristate area. She is a member of the Maryland Writer’s
Association, the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists, and serves as a Latino Outreach Board
member at The Walters Museum.
Mr. Plasencia graduated with honors from Barry
University and completed the Advanced Management
Education Program at Northwestern University’s
Kellogg School of Management. He has received numerous awards and honors that include the UNICEF
For the Love of Children Award, Big Brothers Big
Sisters Miracle Maker Award, the Florida Association
of Women Lawyers Child Advocate Award, Hispanic
Heritage Council Young Leader Award, the InterAmerican Business Association Business Leader Award,
the Chivas Regal Hispanic Leader Award, the United
States/Spain Chamber of Commerce Leader Award,
and the Public Relations Society of America Royal Palm
Award. In 2009, he was inducted into Miami Dade
College’s Alumni Hall of Fame.
Maribel Quiala
Maribel Quiala, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has
become a sought-after spokesperson with her thoughtprovoking commentary on critical contemporary health
issues that challenge Latino and immigrant families. She
is a diligent spokesperson in the fight to eliminate racial
and ethnic health disparities. She stresses advancing
culturally appropriate health care services is critical for
families that are bridging two worlds. Featured on television, radio and in print, Ms. Quiala is an expert in children’s mental health/psychiatric disorders, Latina health
issues, and current healthcare practices including adolescent addictions, attention deficit disorder, gang behavior,
and chemically dependent and dysfunctional families.
She graduated from Seton Hall University with a BA in
Elianne Ramos
Ms. Ramos has a BA degree in Communications, Film
and Video with a concentration in Advertising and
Public Relations from the City College of New York and
earned a certification as Teacher of English as a second
Language from Regents College in London, United
Kingdom. She has native fluency in Spanish, verbal and
written fluency in English and is proficient in Italian.
Raquel Regalado
Raquel Regalado has been a long time advocate for
improving education in South Florida. Ms. Regalado
has been a community activist who believes that involvement and transparency in our educational system is a
necessary first step to providing our children with a quality education. She graduated from Coral Gables Senior
High AP/IB program and attended Florida International
University where she graduated with a degree in Liberal
Studies with honors. Ms. Regalado is a proud mother
of two children and treasures her time with them. She
comes from a close family that is dedicated to public service. She is an attorney with Malloy & Malloy PA. And
while Ms. Regalado works diligently to protect her clients’ intellectual property right she has remained active
in the community and has a strong reputation in Miami
for advocating for its residents. In addition, Raquel has a
daily radio show dedicated to informing listeners about
local politics and her community. As a lifelong resident
of district 6, Ms. Regalado is committed to representing
our children on the Miami-Dade County School Board.
Dr. Sandra A. Rivera
Dr. Sandra A. Rivera serves as Assistant Director of U.S.
International Trade Commission’s Office of Economics,
where she implements strategic, fiscal and long range
planning and hiring and other trade research projects
focused on advising Congress and the Office of the
United States Trade Representative on the impact
of potential trade agreements. Some of her recent
work includes Understanding the Impact of NAFTA on
U.S. Latino Employment. Dr. Rivera earned her Ph.D.
in International Economics from the University of
Kentucky, an MA from the University of New Mexico,
and BA from William Smith College.
She is very active in mentoring and volunteer activities,
including the Hispanic College Fund, Hispanic Youth
Symposium, NHLI Latinas Learning to Lead and more.
In the last couple of years she has trained over 1500
Latino and African American youth on public speaking. She has served on several local boards including
Geneva Toastmasters (NY) and the International Career
Advancement Program; she is also an executive board
member of Stop the Silence, an organization dedicated to
stopping child sex abuse. She has been an invited speaker
on international economics and leadership issues to dozens of conferences, colleges and universities, nationally
and internationally. She is a 2001 NHLI graduate.
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
Laura Venecia Rodriguez is an international trade
analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission
(USITC), a federal agency, in Washington, DC. For
over 17 years she has been writing fact-finding reports,
studies, and speeches on international trade and industry issues concerning the textile, apparel, and footwear
sector. In her part-time speaking and writing business,
Awaken the Wisdom Within, Ms. Rodriguez speaks
on spiritual and personal development topics. Her
inspirational speeches have been well-received and com-
mended as “moving” and “thought-provoking.” Her
book, Yoga for the Non-Athlete is expected to be released
in 2010. Ms. Rodriguez has an M.B.A. in International
Business from George Washington University, an M.A.
in International/Cross-Cultural Communications from
American University, and a B.A. degree in Political
Science and French from Wellesley College.
Dr. Gloria Rodriguez
A former school teacher, Dr. Gloria Rodriguez founded
AVANCE-San Antonio, Inc. in 1973 as an effective solution to the education and social problems facing Latinos
in America. AVANCE has been recognized as a national
model program in numerous national publications. For
over three decades, Dr. Rodriguez has been recognized
as a renowned educator, national leader and expert
and has passionately served as an advocate for Latino
children and families. By Presidential appointment, she
served on the White House Commission on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans. She has also served
as a consultant to the television shows, Sesame Street, Mr.
Rogers, and Dragon Tails, and was on the International
Board of the Christian Children’s Fund. Dr. Rodriguez
has received several prestigious awards including the
Notable Hispanic American Women, the Temple Award
for Creative Altruism, the Distinguished Service to
Education Award from the National Association of
Hispanic Employees, and the Hispanic Heritage Award
in Education at the Kennedy Center among many others. Dr. Rodriguez graduated from University of Texas at
Austin where she received her Ph.D. in Early Childhood
Education and Curriculum and Instruction. She is a
1988 NHLI graduate.
Diane Sanchez
Diane Sanchez’s career in telecommunications spans over
23 years serving Latin America and the United States.
She is the outgoing President and CEO of Telefónica.
Ms. Sanchez served as President of Terremark Latin
America, where she was instrumental in leading a consortium of carriers in the initiative of deploying the NAP
of the Americas in Miami. Her extensive career in telecommunications also includes a 17-year stint in AT&T
and Lucent Technologies, where Ms. Sanchez served in
several key leadership positions with responsibility for
the Engineering and Operations of the U.S. Network in
Atlanta, Denver, Miami and San Francisco as well as key
Sales positions in Latin America.
In 1993, she served as Vice President, South America,
Central America and Caribbean at Lucent Technologies
in Coral Gables, Florida responsible for sales and operations of the wireless, switched and transmission product
lines. She later served as Regional Director in Alestra,
AT&T’s joint venture in Mexico, where in Guadalajara,
Mexico she was responsible for the start up of the operations of one of three regions in Mexico, the Pacific-Bajio
region, to include sales activities for enterprise and consumer services.
Ms. Sanchez currently serves on the Board of Directors
for the Mexico/U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Board of
Directors for the InternetCoast; Board of Directors for
the Beacon Council; and Board of Directors for Florida
International University School of Business. Ms. Sanchez
is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a
B.S. degree in International Business.
Lidia Soto-Harmon
Lidia Soto-Harmon, President and CEO of the Girl
Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, which serves over
90,000 members, has expertise in outreach to diverse
communities. In her role at the Girl Scouts, she oversees membership services, adult volunteer development,
public relations, girl programs and council integration.
She has brought many innovative programs to the
Girl Scouts; she developed an annual conference that
reaches young Latinas with the message of leadership
— Encuentro de Chicas Latinas de las Girl Scouts. She
also has helped to develop a leadership conference for
high school girls in the District of Columbia through a
partnership with Howard University called “Your Turn
to Lead”.
Prior to joining Girl Scouts, Ms. Soto-Harmon served
as Senior Vice President for Community Development
for First Book, a national organization dedicated to getting new books to children from low-income families.
Ms. Soto-Harmon served as the Deputy Director of the
President’s Interagency Council on Women, at the U.S.
Department of State, where she represented the United
States at various United Nation’s conferences. Ms. SotoHarmon traveled to Peru, Thailand and Switzerland as
a State Department official to attend United Nations
preparatory meetings. She is a Board Member for the
Tahirih Justice Center, a national organization that
helps immigrant and refugee women seek protection
from international human rights abuses. She earned her
B.A. from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey
and her Master’s degree in Public Administration from
George Mason University. Ms. Soto-Harmon is an
NHLI graduate of the Class of 2000.
Marisa Treviño
Marisa Treviño is a Dallas-based freelance journalist and
the publisher/founder of the blog LatinaLista.net where
she takes the news of the day that impacts the Latino
community and adds her perspective — with the goal of
creating dialogue across communities and borders. She
is also president of TodaMedia. Focusing her writings on
Latino and social justice issues pertaining to education,
immigration, women and families, she is a contributing
columnist with Hispanic Link News service, as well as
an occasional commentator at the Dallas public radio
station, KERA. Her columns have appeared in USA
Today, MATT.org and syndicated across the country in
both English and Spanish. Aside from her blog writings
and opinion columns, Ms. Treviño is an accomplished
playwright.
Elizabeth Suárez
Elizabeth Suárez is a conflict resolution, inclusiveness
and cultural competency strategist. She is on the Faculty
at the University of Denver (University College and The
Women’s College) in the Alternative Dispute Resolution
and Leadership Studies department. A Puerto Rican
native, she has over 20 years experience in corporate
America and small business arenas and she is highly
regarded by her long list of clients including nonprofit
and for-profit organizations and government institutions.
Ms. Suárez earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from
Cornell University and an MBA from The Wharton
School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. In 2007
she completed 40 hours of hands-on mediation training from the Colorado Council of Mediators and the
Colorado Bar Association.
Ms. Suárez associates with organizations that allow her
to give back to the community— a cause she has always
been passionate about. For years she has mentored
Hispanic youth in the Denver metro area via her association with local area high schools, Junior Achievement,
and The Hermanitas program. She currently serves on
the board of Girls Inc. Metro Denver, and The Women’s
College Leadership Council. Latina Style Magazine
recognized her as one of the nation’s Top Latinas in
the “Business-Entrepreneur” category, in 2007 she
received the Be Bold Award from the Colorado’s Women
Foundation and in 2006 the Women of Achievement
Award from the Women in Communication Association.
She is a 2004 NHLI graduate.
Ana Valdez
Ana Valdez brings over 15 years corporate and management experience with two of the nation’s renowned
companies: Sprint and General Electric. The Kansas
City-native has been active in community-based activities, ranging from the Greater Kansas City Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Leadership Institute
(a board-of-directors certificate program at the University
of Missouri-KC), and The Hispanic Development Fund,
to the LULAC National Educations Service Center
(LNESC), MANA de Kansas City, and the SkillBuilder
Fund. Ana was instrumental in the creation of the
Kansas City chapter of the National Society of Hispanic
MBAs and served as the founding President. Ms. Valdez
has been recognized as one of Kansas City’s “25 Up-andComing Latinos” by Dos Mundos newspaper, one of
Ingram’s Magazine “40-under-Forty” recognition that
is awarded to top community and professional leaders
in Kansas City, and Project Equality’s “Up and Coming
Award” which is presented to young community leaders
influencing change in the areas of equality and diversity.
She holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree
in Organizational Development from Avila University
and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing
& Finance from Rockhurst University.
Linda Valdez Thompson
Linda Valdez Thompson is the Executive Vice President
of Administration and Diversity at DFW International
Airport. She is one of the highest ranking Latinas in the
aviation industry worldwide. In her role, she has responsibility for Human Resources, Procurement and Materials
Management, Risk Management, Business Diversity
and Development, and Internal Communication and
Diversity. Latinas represent 46% of the senior management positions in her division. She is also personally
responsible for the promotion of over 70% of all women
into senior management at DFW since she joined the
Airport in 2001. Under her leadership, Ms. Valdez
Thompson has successfully implemented an awardwinning supplier diversity program. Last year alone, the
Airport awarded $83 million to minority and womenowned businesses. She serves as the executive sponsor of DFW’s Women’s Initiative Network, Hispanic
Outreach by Leaders in Action, and the Airport’s
Diversity Leadership Council. Ms. Valdez Thompson
has also developed and led mentoring programs for the
development and retention of women at DFW.
With more than 20 years of managerial and executive
experience from several Fortune 500 companies, Ms.
Valdez Thompson has received numerous recognitions
for her commitment and proven track record in diversity
and inclusion efforts. She’s been honored by the Dallas
Business Journal as a Corporate Executive of the Year.
She is a 2008 graduate of NHLI and was featured in
Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the top Latinas of
influence of 2009.
Dr. Madeleine F. Wallace
Dr. Madeleine F. Wallace has a solid portfolio of success
in directing large-scale projects and providing technical assistance and training to upper management and
staff. She is a recognized expert in the fields of organizational development, performance management, program evaluation, and social marketing. She has extensive
experience leading organizations, overseeing projects,
and managing resources to meet strategic goals in the
private and public sectors. She has worked extensively
in the private and public sectors and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Wallace earned her Ph.D. in Sociology with
a concentration in Demography from the University of
Tennessee. She worked with organizations in developing
strategic plans, identifying performance indicators, creating systems to measure program outcomes, improving
service delivery, and reporting results to funding agencies. Throughout her career, Dr. Wallace has focused on
developing health programs for at-risk populations and
minorities. She is currently developing new approaches
and strategies for adapting science-based health information into practical education messages that meet the
cultural needs of the diverse Latino community. She has
given numerous presentations and trainings on social
marketing research methodologies and her conceptual
framework for adapting and tailoring evidence-based
interventions to real-world practice settings. She was
also a consultant for companies in the chemical industry
to assess workers’ safety perceptions and attitudes and
evaluate efforts to communicate risks to the general
public. She is a 2009 NHLI graduate.
Lucy Valenzuela
Lucy Valenzuela has worked in the underrepresented
communities of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where
she has implemented culturally-relevant thematic units
to children between 5 and 15 years old. Also actively
involved in creating a connection between community
members and youth, she encourages kids to connect
their academic education with community service as
this will enhance both. Additionally, her own personal
history and collective history as a Latina makes her service relevant to the Latina/o population she serves. Ms.
Valenzuela participated in NHLI’s Latinas Learning to
Lead Program in 2009.
Cris Zertuche Wong, APR
Cris Zertuche Wong serves as the Director of
Communications for Archon Group, a global investment management firm that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Company. In her role, she
oversees internal communications, brand management
and media relations for Archon. She oversees the global
development and implementation of comprehensive
communication strategies that support Archon’s business
goals and people initiatives. Prior to joining Archon, Ms.
Zertuche Wong served as the Assistant Vice President
of Internal Communications and Workforce Diversity
programs at DFW International Airport. She established
a comprehensive internal communications program, as
well as led and implemented communication strategies
to support DFW’s strategic plan and diversity and inclusion programs. Earlier in her career, she managed international media and investor relations for Altos Hornos
de Mexico (AHMSA), Mexico’s largest steel company.
Ms. Zertuche Wong has acquired close to 20 years of
communication experience, including media relations,
employee communications, crisis response, marketing,
executive messaging and issues management. She is an
Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional and a
graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a
B.S. in Communication Science. Ms. Zertuche Wong
has served as a board member of the Texas Diversity
Council, and is a member of the DFW Hispanic 100,
a network of top Latina leaders; Hispanic Women’s
Network of Texas; and National Hispanic Journalists
Association.
2010 Poster Art Contest Winners
For the second year, the National Hispana Leadership Institute selected Hispana artist to present and promote
their art at the Executive Leadership Training Conference and Mujer Awards in Miami, Florida on November
4-5, 2010. The winning works of both artists’ reflects the conference theme, “The Latina Mosaic: Strength in
Diversity.” In today’s society, diversity plays a more prominent role than ever. In government, art, business, and
entertainment, the effects of globalization are evident; the importance of Latinas to this world cannot be underestimated. This year’s winners, Anyly Fraga-Peleaz from Miami, Florida, and Yolanda Valdés-Rementería from
Portland, Oregon, use their art to represent not only the beauty of the Hispanic woman, but the importance of
that woman to diversity and the strength of community.
“Cultura Divina” (Divine Culture)
Anyly Fraga-Peleaz, 1st Place
Anyly Fraga-Peleaz was born to a family of artists in Havana. As a deaf person, one of her biggest obstacles was
that there were no interpreters in Cuba to help her with her studies. Anyly depended on notes of other students
to excel in her studies at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas San Alejandro. After her graduation in 1995, she came
to the United States and was admitted to the New World School of Art at the University of Florida. With the
help of interpreters, she graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s in fine arts with honors.
Her first-place entry for NHLI’s 2010 Conference, “Divine Culture” is a reflection of the strength, friendship,
beauty and diversity of the Latino/Hispanic culture. The beautiful woman is a representation of the inner self
that can only be embraced by self-acceptance. Ms. Fraga-Peleaz calls Latinas “living flowers” and her message
is one of peace, life, joy, kindness, calmness and in essence, love.
Ms. Fraga-Peleaz’s art is a reflection of her love of nature and its mysteries. Her artwork aspires to manifest the
magical qualities of different environments by enhancing the “moods” of nature. Characters and settings are
combined to create effects that are at the same time inspiring, fascinating, exciting and significant. Her artistic
passion is in the telling of stories of the natural world. The brilliance of Mother Nature’s sacred colors bring
out the whispers of darkness into the light of all living things.
Ms. Fraga-Peleaz compares her artwork to a pool of water where a stone is dropped, waves and ripples move out
and burst into ever widening circles. These circles are her goals for the future that never end as her art moves,
serenades and is born into a “new life.”
“Fountains of Inspiration”
Yolanda Valdés-Rementería, 2nd Place
Yolanda Valdés-Rementería was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. She earned her Bachelor of Arts
at Portland State University in Oregon and holds degrees from several other institutions. Several permanent
collections of her work are in Oregon, as well as Mexico and Arizona. Much of her artwork resides in private
and corporate collections.
Ms. Valdés-Rementería enjoys painting in a variety of mediums because, after years of exploration, she found
that each medium offers a unique enrichment of the senses much like the different textures and qualities found
in nature. She also loves nature, and many of the ideas for her paintings derive from the landscapes of the plein
aire tradition. Along with her love of nature, Ms. Valdés-Rementería loves portrait work because diversity and
people fascinate her.
Culture and individuality often influence her art work, especially her belief that our personal preferences in
cuisine, daily attire, décor, and dream create our individuality. She paints still life compositions because the
object world creates a relationship between our values and morals and something concrete.
Imagination and fantasy play an important role in Ms. Valdés’ artwork. Her current work responds “to abstract
ideas that allow her to explore thematic visions which result in the creation of more symbolic images. These
compositions address the spirit of theidea, capturing more than just its material delineation.”
2
2010 Year in Review
010 proved to be another dynamic year for
NHLI with newly added mission driven
programs such as Advancing Latina Leaders in
Nonprofits (ALL IN) and Online Webinars. In total
NHLI directly trained nearly 2,500 Latina’s across
the country through its instrumental partnerships
and popular programs. It is through innovative
programs, connecting and promoting Latina leaders,
and encouraging mentoring that NHLI continues
to lead the way in developing Hispanas as ethical
leaders.
NHLI’s signature training for 23 years, the Executive
Leadership Program (ELP), graduated 20 impressive Latina leaders from 12 states. After a week of
self-reflection and working on communication skills
in San Juan Bautista, California, the women completed prestigious week-long trainings at the Kennedy
School at Harvard University and the Center for
Creative Leadership.
ELP wrapped up in September with a week in
Washington, DC focusing on public policy. The
fellows participated in the Congressional Hispanic
Caucus Institute’s Public Policy Conference and Gala
as well as a briefing at the Department of State with
Ambassador Carmen Lomellin and other leaders.
They advocated with members of Congress for the
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Bill, which allocates funding to local communities to
fund research-based programs preventing teen pregnancy. They attended a briefing at the White House
with senior administration officials covering a wide
array of issues including healthcare, immigration and
education; and NHLI’s Latina Leaders Breakfast,
honoring Secretary Hilda Solis, Treasurer Rosie Rios,
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Women’s
Bureau Director Sara Manzano Diaz, NHLI alum
and Board member Barbara DesMarteu and other
Latinas in public service.
ELP Class of 2010 during California Week.
Classroom activities during California Week.
Leadership training at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.
Latinas Learning to Lead 2010 Fellows
LLL Fellows during the Financial Literacy training.
NHLI partnered with AARP to present two important financial sessions during the DC session. NHLI
fellows joined other experts on two panels to discuss “Latinas, Jobs and the Economy” and “Wealth
Building and the Wealth Gap for Women of Color.”
The sessions were open to the public.
Now in its tenth year, the Latinas Learning to Lead
Program welcomed 22 outstanding Latinas from
13 states and 21 universities for an eight-day leadership training in Washington, DC. The young
women gained skills in cross-cultural communication, financial literacy, public speaking and more.
Through a simulation game provided by State Farm
Insurance Companies, they lived “A Day in The Life
of a Congressional Member” and later learned more
about important policy issues facing the Latino community by visiting the White House for a private
briefing. They also participated in activities that
are “non-traditional” for females, like playing tackle
football; and changing a car’s oil and tires through
the “Ready, Safe, Drive!” program sponsored by Ford
Motor Company.
Former New York Secretary of State Lorraine CortésVásquez, Executive Vice President for Multicultural
Markets and Engagement at AARP and NHLI alumna, gave the keynote speech at graduation, where it
was also announced that through fundraising activities, such as the “Night of Inspirational Latinas” held
in various cities across the country, the 2010 ELP
class raised a record-breaking $22,000 with more
than $25,000 outstanding from other fundraising
efforts.
Like our other graduates, these women have received
wide praise and recognition for their achievements.
One of those recognitions went to Aurelia Flores who
was selected as one of the 2010 MillerCoors Lideres.
Congratulations to Aurelia!
The young women were connected with mentors
from the ELP program. We are excited to see the
progress these rising leaders are making with their
mentoring and projects on their campus and in their
community!
The first graduating group of fellows of the Advancing Latina Leaders in Nonprofits (ALL IN) program
ALL IN participants during a training presented by Nanci Luna Jimenez.
Strategic networking was informal and effective.
In 2010 NHLI launched, with support of the
American Express Foundation, the Advancing Latina
Leaders in Nonprofits (ALL IN) Program, bringing
together 22 young professionals (24 to 34 years old)
working in the nonprofit sector The women attended
an eight-day intensive training in Washington, DC
which included a three-day institute from the Center
for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown
University, for which participants earned a certificate
in Nonprofit Management. The women participated
in trainings on a range of topics including transformational communication, strategic planning, program evaluation, fundraising, and their personal
top five strengths by the Gallup Strengths Finder
assessment. They also attended a series of panels with
seasoned nonprofit leaders, fundraising professionals,
and corporate partners. Perhaps the most important
action they took that week was to create lasting relationships with other Latinas in the nonprofit sector.
and completed the program with a nonprofit institute
and graduation in Miami on November 3. Similar to
the ELP and LLL programs, participants are required
to mentor two Latinas and implement leadership
projects that address a leadership and/or management
challenge their organizations
ALL IN fellows participated in webinar trainings on
mentoring, strategic networking, and negotiation,
Networking among participants is a key component of the Latina
Empowerment Conferences.
We hosted five regional Latina Empowerment
Conferences this year, training participants across
the nation in the demands of leadership, personal
branding, wealth building, and more. We had over
700 participants attend these full-day trainings in
Charlotte, NC; Fort Worth, TX; New York City, NY;
Denver, CO; and Portland, OR. Participants gained
important professional skills, and networked with
leaders from surrounding communities.
In the last quarter of 2009, NHLI launched its webinar series and the popularity of these free one-hour
online seminars has continued to grow. The 2010
webinar series covered a wide array of leadership and
professional development topics from time manage-
Participants at the Denver, Colorado LEC.
ment to how to get that big promotion and open your
own business. Facilitated by NHLI’s very own pool
of alumnae leaders — including Aurelia Flores (ELP
‘10), Elizabeth Eguia-Garcia (ELP ‘04), and Victoria
Aguilar (ELP ‘04), among others — this year’s series
trained over 500 leaders from the public and private
sectors.
Our online store www.nhli.org/store went live in
October selling exclusive NHLI merchandise including pins, T-shirts, cards, mugs, and the brand new
NHLI brooch. The pin is in the shape of a tree
symbolizing the NHLI family firmly rooted and
with the branches and leaves representing the NHLI
classes and graduates. Now all our hermanas and
friends can recognize each other and show solidarity
through this beautiful symbol. The pin was designed
collaboratively by Idalia Fernandez (ELP ‘07) and
NHLI staff, and was manufactured by Evelyn Brooks
Designs. The store is a great way to get fun products
and help NHLI simultaneously — proceeds support
our mission of developing Latina leaders.
NHLI continued to expand and enhance its online
web presence through various outlets in 2010.
We extended our reach and message through our
Facebook page and Twitter.com/NHLI and NHLI
was featured by Hispanic PR Blog as an example of a
Latino nonprofit using Facebook and Twitter successfully. We also closed off the year with a new and fresh
look to our website. Check it out at www.nhli.org
NHLI’s Alumnae were featured in media across the
nation including features in Poder magazine, Latino
Leaders magazine, LATINA Style magazine, and
Hispanic Business magazine, to name a few publications. We brought new media friends to our family including Latinalista.net, PowerfulLatinas.com,
Hispanic PR Wire, Capital Wire PR, Univision, The
Miami Herald, and many other allies that helped us
spread the word about NHLI and its leaders throughout the year.
NHLI welcomed some new faces to our staff and
Board including: Michelle Minguez Moore (ELP
‘09), Vice President, Business Development and
Client Services, Ibarra Strategy Group; Mayda Prego
(ELP ‘06), Senior Counsel for Chevron Corporation;
Luis Miranda, Founding Partner at the MirRam
Group, LLC; and Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez
(ELP ‘96) Lead Counselor at El Camino College.
There is no doubt that this year’s successes and
energy will carry over to the next year. NHLI greatly
appreciates the continued support of its sponsors,
alumnae and friends and we look forward to an even
more exciting 2011.
Executive Leadership Program Graduates
We have been honored to work with the brightest Latinas in the country, NHLI alumnae.
We celebrate their strengths, their leadership, and their dedication in making America stronger.
1988
1990
1992
Grace Sesma
Lora Jean Villarreal
1996
1998
1994
Olivia V. Meza
Class Representative
Dr. Fern Espino
Aliana Apodaca
Rufina A. Hernández
Sandra Alcaparras
Dr. Audrey Alvarado
Rose Alvarado
Maria Del Rosario Anaya
Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago
Dolores Briones
Aida Maria Galarza
Dr. Catalina Garcia
Gloria Iruegas-Mackay
Rita Jaramillo
Nancy León
Evelia Martinez
Dianne Nino
Valerina Quintana
Rosemary Ravinal
Dr. Gloria Rodriguez
Janine Solano
Yolanda Tarango
Diana Cristina Torres
Julia Arbini-Carbonell
Cristina Castilla-Caballero
Graciela C. Catasús
Magdalena Cervantes
Elaine Coronado
Ysabel Duron
Eva Gavallán
Dr. Mariá Guajardo Lucero
Concepción Lara
Marti Jasper
Leticia Maldonado
Dr. Joyce Martinez
Melinda Melendez
Rosa Salamanca
Sara Salvide
S.J. Sanchez
Sandra Sanchez
Esmeralda Santiago
Luz Sarmina-Gutierrez
Linda O. Tafolla
Dr. Martha Young
Lilly Aguilar
Lila Aguirre
Joceline Berrios
Judy Canales
Dr. Ana Ciereszko
Yolanda Collazos-Kizer
Margarita De Leon
Rosa DeAnda
Betzaida Ferrer
Ana Maria Jaramillo
Marguerite Lara-Salazar
Dr. Sandra Madrid
Irene Martinez
Linda Mazon-Gutierrez
Ana Maria Monte-Flores
Dr. Martha MonteroSieburth
Eizabeth Montoya
Aida Romano
Hon. Elma Salinas Ender
Digna Sanchez
Dr. Olga Terrazas
Antoinette Torres
Lourdes Vargas
Sandra Vargas
Maria Vasquez
1989
Pauline Nuñez
Yolanda Alvarado
Patricia A. Carpio
Rosie Castro
Margarita Colmenares
Ivette Del Rio
Rosa Elsbree
Alicia Fernandez-Mott
Nely Galán
Anita G. Gómez-Bennett
Concepcion Lara
Carmen Lomellin
Olga (Cookie) Mapula
Rosa Montaño
Theresa Nieves
Ella Ochoa
Hon. Deborah Ortega
Janice Marie Payan
Mercedes B. Paz
Dr. Janice Petrovich
Hermelinda Pompa
Lula Rodriguez
Miriam Singer
Conchy Trelles Bretos
Maria Vizcarrondo-Desoto
1991
Amanda CaballeroHolmes
1993
Elena Alvarado
Frances Apodaca Gandara
Honorable Shirley Baca
Norma Barquet
Alina Becker
Annie Betancourt
Virginia Caceres
Patricia Chavez
Adela Flores-Gallegos
Marlene Garcia
Josie Graziadio
Honorable Leticia Hinojosa
Mary Lou Jaramillo
Rosa Lee
Dr. Ruth E. Lugo
Aurora Mojica
Peggy Montaño
Victoria Perea
Irene RedondoChurchward
Rita Rodriguez
Rosario Roman
Eileen Torres
Elsa Vega-Pérez
Maria Luisa Veloz
Lydia Villarreal
Erlinda C. Torres
Maureen Acosta
Dr. Mirian Acosta-Sing
Mary Almendarez
Luz Alvarez Martinez
Susana Barciela
Rebeca Barrera
Rita Barreras
Lupe Castañeda, LMSW
Oris Cedeño
Marta Cerda
Lucrecia Farfan-Ramirez
Sandra Ferniza
Josefina Garza
Susana Gomez
Dr. Clotilde Molina
Luz Molina Malaret
Rosaida Morales Rosario
Irma Muñoz
Lourdes Nieto-Garrido
Maria Riveroll
Yolanda Rodriguez Ingle
Georgia Alvarez
Norma J. Ambriz
Olivia Armijo Killough
Raquel Bravo
Dr. Gladys L. Carro
Olga Connor
Teresa Cronin
Barbara DesMarteau
Kim Flores
Rebecca Garcia
Margarita LaBoy-Torres
Gilda Marin
Maria Emilia Martin
Alicia Paramo-Dionne
Juliana Perez
Carmen Palomera
Rockwell
Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera
Rosa Maria Valenzuela
Frances Varela
1995
Melissa Lopez
Maria Lemus
Victoria T. Aguilar
Ana Maria Argilagos
Helen Cedillo
Theresa De La Haya
Dr. Angela Diaz
Nellie Gorbea Diaz
Mary Ann Huerta Jenkins
Kathleen Jimenez
Patricia Loera
Maria Lyda
Margareth R. Maldonado
Marie Mendoza
Florence Navarro
Eugenia Ortega
Eva Pereira
Maria R. Puig
Dr. Margaret Rose
Quiñones
Amanda Rivera
Alicia Sanchez
Dolores Terrazas
Melissa Vasquez
Maria Micael Alvarez
Dr. Angelina Maria De
La Torre
Teresa Fernandez
Arminda Figueroa
Amanda Flores-Witte
Pearl Garza Fracchia
Martha L. Gonzalez
Rosalina GonzalezCardenas
Veronica Lara
Susana Lopez-Krulevitch
Nury Marquez
Loretta P. Martinez
Lorena Martinez-Ochoa
Carmen G. Mendez
Beatriz Olvera Stotzer
Teresa Peña Osman
Mary Sylvia Sotelo Kidd
Venus Velazquez
1997
1999
Nora Garza
Francis Blanco
Laura Calderón
Helen Cavazos
Sylvia Cavazos
Cynthia Chavez
Margaret Aragón de
Chavez
Geneva Duarte
Juanita Garcia
Maria Machado
Mary Jo Marion
Ana Mederos
Suzanne Torres CruzSewell
Rosa Maria MelendezJackson
Elba Montalvo
Minerva Rivera Martinez
Dr. Jeanette RodriguezHolguin
Sylvia Salas
Catalina Valencia
Sol B. Vázquez Otero
Virginia Yrun
Elaine Torres
Dr. Jo Ann Piña
Lisa Baca-Sigala
Celeste Cardenas Leas
Lisa Celeste Castilleja
Debra Flores
Maricela Garcia
Yolanda Gracia
Sadie M. Rodriguez
Hawkins
Bibi Lobo
Dr. Milagros Mateu
Sonja Mazon Rubalcava
Gloria Muñoz
Margarita Otero Alvarez
Lisette Rodriguez
Ana Margarita Vazquez
Sandra Alvarado
Heather Coleman
Laura Corry
Francisca Cota
Dr. Francine DeFerriere
Kemp
Alma De Jesus
Elena Del Valle
Esther Garcia
Gloria G. Holmes
Loyda Martinez
Rebecca Martinez O’Mara
Rosalee Montoya-Read
Maricela Narvaez-Foster
Julia M. Ojeda
Julie Reyes
Rachel Rios
Dr. Martha Rodriguez
Gladys Romero
Cristina Torres
Dr. Ruth Enid Zambra
2000
Lidia Soto-Harmon
2002
Maria C. Mari
2004
2006
2008
2010
Celia Nuñez
Natasha L. Bannan
Maria A. Valentin
Susana Pauline Anaya
Maria Luisa ClementeLegazpi
Serena Cruz
Dalia Diaz-Olivarez
Madeline Figueroa
Olga Garcia
Dr. Nora de Hoyos
Comstock
Antonia Jimenez
Rebeca Lee-Pethel
Yvonne Martinez Vega
Maria Mercedes Olivieri
Raquel Ortiz
Dr. Bertha Perez
Nereida Perez
Dr. Maria de Lourdes
Pizana
Deborah Marie Romero
Diana Romero Campbell
Dr. Gloria Trujillo-Sanchez
Linda Villegas Bremer
Maria Alfaro-Lopez
Dolores Arce-Kaptain
Maria Anna Castro
Guadalupe Contreras
Maria T. Diaz-Urbino
Ingrid Duran
Norma Garcia
Mercedes D. Hernandez
Annette Martinez
Cecilia McKay
Patricia Mendoza
Giovanna Negretti
Mary Lou Olivarez-Mason
Daisy Ortiz-Cirihal
Sonia Plata
Milagros Rivas
Sandra Salazar-Thompson
Carmen Iris Sierra
Josie S. Talamantez
Tina Marie Bradley
Maria Lou Calanche
Janina Calderon Ferguson
Helen Dorado-Alessi
Elizabeth Eguia-Garcia
Marina Espinoza
Rosemary Flores
Leni Gonzalez
Cynthia Hernandez
Cassano
Elizabeth Hernandez
McNamee
Millie Herrera
Johanna B. Maes
Evelyn Montalvo
Monica Palacio
Maria del Socorro
Pesqueira
Maria Teresa Petersen
Susan Sanchez
Amy Serrano
Ana Maria Soto
Elizabeth Suarez
Connie Valiente
Ena M. Alcaraz
Marieli E. Colon-Padilla
Diana Nicole Derige
Evangelina Galvan-Holt
Laura Lopez Cano
Carmen Flores
Dr. Lorena Gonzales
Nanci Luna Jimenez
Virginia Arauza Madueño
Sylvia A. Martinez
Maria Elena Meraz-Padilla
Sandra Erunez Otero
Fátima Perez
Sandra Perez
Denise Yvonne Perez
Catherine M. Pino
Mayda Prego
Naomi K. Rodriguez
Aida Sabo
Erlinda Sanchez Gonzales
Maria Antonieta Trejo
Marissa Anchia
Irma Bantista
Arisa Batista Cunningham
Miryam Bujanda
Sol Carbonell
Laura Drain
Gina Linn Espinoza
Judy Majors
Josiane Martinez
Marisol Morales
Alina Moran
Lisa Jane Pino
Pearl Quinones
Nancy Reyes-Ochoa
Elvia Rios
Cynthia Rocha
Meli Roybal
Silvia Salazar
Maria Ventura
Monica Villalta
Cristina Zellers
2007
2009
Helen Arteaga,
Michelle Azel Belaire,
Marcela Bailey
Ana Maria Camargo
Vanessa Cardenas
Gloria Contreras Edin
Edna Figueroa
Sol Flores
Aurelia Flores
Leticia Lara
Rosalia Miller
Laura Nieto
Lisette Nieves
Sylvia Orozco
Jodi Valenciano Perry
Deborah Quiñones
Ana Rosa Rizo
Rosa Maria Robles
Julie Rodriguez
Rebecca Saldaña
Gina Weber
Rosemary YbarraHernandez
Virginia Gonzales
Michelle Minguez
Moore
2003
2001
2005
Cecelia M. Espenoza
Linda Rivera
Ida Colón
Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez
Hon. Marisa Demeo
Eliza Guzman-Vela
Flavia Hernandez
Leticia H. Lopez
Bertha Martinez
Stephanie Maya
Jazmin Miranda-Smith
Elizabeth Ortiz
Sandra Pizarro
Dr. Sandra Rivera
Maribel Araujo Rodriguez
Nadine Louise Romero
Maria Rubio
Mary Lou Tullos
Magda Yrizarry
Alice Alvarez
Janine Chapa
Adriana Comellas-Macretti
Perla Gheiler
Gerlinda Gallegos
Somerville
Erika Ray Hizel
Maria Luisa Lauf
Johanna Leyba
Yolanda Martinez
Patricia Mayer-Ochoa
Hilda Ramirez
Maria A. Reyes
Marie Elena Reyes
Marlyn Reyes
Ramona R. Reyes
Silvia Patricia Rios Husain
Lillian Rodriguez Lopez
Catherine Torres
Annabelle Arteaga
Toti Cadavid
Janina Calderon Ferguson
Alejandra Ceja
Monica Garcia
Eva Maria Gomez
Betsy Silva Hernandez
Marisel Herrera
Juanita Irizarry
Amelia De Jesus
Angeles Juarez
Dr. Belinda Margarita Leon
Leticia Abigail Mendez
Ana Acle-Menendez
Maria Elia Gomez-Murphy
Nicole Quiroga
Maria Elena Rodriguez
Shelli Denise Romero
Yvonne Oliver Sanchez
Erica Jacquez Santos
Eva Serrano
Elena M. Tijerina
Marcella De La Torre
Cynthia Alvillar
Angela D. Anderson
Veronica Bronkema
Carmen Cantor
Maria-Ines Castro
Cielo Castro
Janet Collazo
Idalia Fernandez
Delia Garcia
Brenda V. Lopez
Janie Montoya Ledet
Patricia Josette Mejia
Marisol Miller
Suzanne Moreno
Ann-Gel Sirrae Palermo
Maria Ramos-Chertok
Carmen Ramos-Watson
Dr. Migdalia V. RiveraGoba
Linda Valdez Thompson
Michelle A. Vaca-Senecal
Veronica Villafañe
Gloria Williams
Cristina Abreu
Deborah Aguiar-Velez
Guadalupe Torres Alcala,
cpcu
Teresa Alonso
Sindy Marisol Benavides
Gale Castillo
Elvira Corey
Dr. Gloria Coronado
Anabella Escobar
Laura Esquivel
Sandra Gasca-Gonzalez
Belen Gonzalez
Inez Gonzalez
Andrea Juarez
Lillian A. Plata, Esq.
Maribel Quiala
Lauren Rivera Whitlock
Sandra J. Rodriguez
Lourdes SamperaTsukada
Rafaela Schwan
Dr. Madeleine Wallace
Laura Nieto
Graduates
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Crystal Alba
Stephanie Castro
Jocelyn Cortez
Aurora Dominguez
Raquel Fernandez
Lisa Marie Gomez
Mabel Mariela Gudiel
Brenda Hernandez
Perla Lucero
Veronica Magaña
Natalia Ornelas
Anilda Peña
Ruth Ramos
Maritza Rodriguez
Yaneris Rosa
Pamela Rovello
Juanita Salas
Norma Trejo
Vanessa Villacorta
Maricela Villalpando
Melanie Acuña
Katiria Adorno
Vanessa Alvarado
Leticia Caudillo
Paula DeAnda
Alondra Espejel
Alma Espinosa
Ashley Falcón
Marivel Gomez
Janett Hermosillo
Milka Marcelo
Koreeña Montoya
Angélica Padrón
Janey Pearl
Elisa Perez
Gabriela Rico
Tisha Rivera
Georgina Rubal
Carolina Saenz
Jessica Sanchez
Karemi Alvarez
Priscilla Beas
Gabriela Bermudez
Christine Cruz Boone
Dominic Duran
Vanessa Ferniza
Alina Hernandez
Tamara Lam-Plattes
Ana Bertha Leon
Jennifer Lopez
Patricia Madrigal
Keila Molina
Laura Peralta
Christina Pacheco
Krystal Reyes
Graciela Rodriguez-Santos
Maria Romero
Ester “Marie” Salazar
Marisol Trevino
Jessica Vasquez
Stephanie Wasserman Soler
Claudia Aguilar
Rosina Anaya
Jennifer Avila
Jacqueline Azpeitia
Yadira Benavides
Fanny Chavez
Elisa Dimas
Maria-Fernanda Espinoza
Crystal Farre
Evelyn Garcia
Carmen Genao
Irma Mejia
Lupe Peña
Paloma Perez
Esperanza Pintor
Jenifer Rascon
Rina Rojo
Elisa Rubalcava
Katrina Ruiz
Monica Nicole Saenz
Monica Ulloa
Yaravi Vargas
Orietta Verdugo
Ivet Aldaba
Guenny Barriga
Brenda Bautista
Miyenu De Montis
Mirtha Lizette Estrada
Roselis Frias
Teresa Grado
Mariana Kihuen
Lynna Martinez
Melissa Montoya-Torres
Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval
Ana Perez
Gisel Ramos
Aisha Rivera
Carolim Rivera-Rosario
Alejandra Rodriguez
Leticia Rodriguez
Selina Rodriguez
Daisy Talavera
Lynn Thomasson
Rocio Villalobos
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Mayra J. Angel
Martha Barragán
Eva Bonilla
Julie Caceres
Elisa Cervantes
Karla Cordero
Mercedes Garcia
Bridgette Gomez
Raquel Gudiel
Rebecca Dorly Juarez
Idalia Lechuga-Tena
Kristi Lozano
Eva C. Madrigal
Natali Navarro Cazarez
Asaia Palacios
Andrea Lise Rivera
Stephanie Perez
Melissa San Miguel
Daisy Sanchez
Antonella Scarano
Paola Tinta
Laura Torres
Angela Trevino
Jessica Yoos
Gabriela Armijo
Jael Bravo
Claudia Caycho
Radiris Diaz
Claudia Estrada
Ruth Fuerte
Erica Gallego
Anna Garrigan
Isaura Carla Maria Guerrero
Farahnaz Hassanshahi
Pamela Herrera
Rosibel Mancillas Lopez
Christine Martinez
Naida Montes
Melissa Portugues
Yesenia Ruiz
Maria Salinas
Laura Sarinana
Stephanie Tamargo
MariaLinda Torres Medina
Paola Urrea
Karolina Villargrana
Pamela Alvarado
Rosa Alvarez-Velez
Erika Anchondo
Maria Banuelos
Karina Bermeo
Mayra Contreras
Nolvia Delgado
Leticia Dominguez
Kisbel Fernandez
Jessica Flores
Karen Flores
Andrea Giraudo
Laura Gonzalez
Sayra Gordillo
Alicia Marquez
Juana Matias
Rosela Roman
Alexis Ruiz
Odalys Solares
Jacqueline Tolentino
Natalia Trinidad
Victoria Watson-Nava
Elaine Aguasvivas
Ana Barrios
Karina Castro
Christal Dimas
Jessica Fernandez
Stephanie Gonzalez
Edith Gonzalez Duarte
Aurora Guzman
Valeria Lopez Salazar
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Liana Montecinos
Aida Nieto
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Cristina Rayas
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Lucy Valenzuela
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Miriam Armijo
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Columba Contreras
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Karla Gomez
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Lorena Tule
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Thanks to Our
Madrinas
Maria Elena Toraño
Dr. Catalina Garcia
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Olivia Meza
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Gina Linn Espinoza
Ana Flores
Virginia Gonzales
Rosalia Miller
Ana Maria Soto
Sandra Rivera
Cristina Zellers
and be connected to NHLI with
additional benefits such as
conference discounts or
complimentary registration, online
trainings and much more!! When
you join NHLI’s Circle of Friends you
help develop effective Latina leaders;
create a dynamic national network of
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nurture mentors and role models for
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Show Your
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The heart of UPS
UPS thrives on diversity. Each community
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Embracing our collective differences, UPS
supports minority-focused organizations
that promote the cultures, ideas and well
being of those they represent. What’s
more, UPS people like Vicky De Los Santos
take part in the effort to empower their
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It’s the right thing to do, and it’s a
commitment that’s as much a part of
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Diversity: at the heart of UPS.
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UPS is proud to support NHLI and the 2010 Executive
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© 2010 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS and the UPS brandmark are trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cheers
The Coca-Cola Company
salutes the
National Hispana Leadership
Institute’s Leadership Conference
and Mujer Awards
No artificial flavors, no added preservatives. Since 1886.
©2010 The Coca-Cola Company. “Coca-Cola,” “open happiness” and the Contour Bottle are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.
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Commitment.
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Chase is a proud sponsor of the NHLI National Conference.
We share a commitment to serving our customers, to responsible
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Talk to Chase about how you can partner with us and
grow your business… or join us and grow your career.
Partner with Chase, and be confident that one of the nation’s
leading financial lenders will be here for you today and
tomorrow – stop by and see us at the conference, or
call Oscar Chow at 956-821-9626.
Join Chase, and work with us in building the best financial
services company in the world. If you are interested in becoming
part of one of the nation’s financial lenders – visit us online at
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Current positions available include: Loan Officers, Closers,
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The difference between living…
and living better
is having health and energy
to live life to the fullest.
AARP is an organization that gives you a new outlook on life if you are 50 and over. We help you stay healthy
and active with information and valuable advice about nutrition and fitness. Our endorsed providers offer you
access to health insurance and prescription coverage at affordable costs. Join AARP and discover a world of
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Join us today!
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or visit our website at aarp.org/espanol and join the organization
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well-being to help you live better.
Creemos
en las palabras
“Bienvenido a McDonald’s ”.
®
z- Pflugerville,
Sandry Nuñe
TX
Creemos
que es nuestro trabajo hacer que la gente se sienta
contenta de estar aquí.
Y lo que aplica para nuestros clientes aplica para
nuestros empleados.
Por eso nos esforzamos
en crear trabajos que satisfagan en todos los niveles.
Es por eso también que los créditos obtenidos en
nuestros programas
de entrenamiento, en los restaurantes y a nivel corporativo,
pueden aplicarse
hacia un título universitario de 2 y 4 años.
Creemos que cuando decimos “Bienvenido a McDonald’s”,
es realmente así como la gente debe sentirse.
Ya sea que hayan entrado a comprar un Happy Meal®
o a servir uno.
mcdonalds.com/careers
© 2010 McDonald’s. La corporación McDonald’s y sus concesionarios independientes son empleadores que ofrecen igualdad de oportunidades comprometidos con una población laboral diversa y abarcadora.
In Hollywood
you are as
important as
the movie stars.
Nielsen knows that Latinos
account for 25% of movie
ticket sales, which is very
important to the commercial
success fo any movie. *
As the world’s largest research
company, we rely on people to
voluntarily participate in our studies.
Your participation:
tells us what you watch
on TV, how you use your
online and cell phone,
and where and how you
buy your groceries
help businesses offer the
products and services
you want
If you’re asked to participate in a
Nielsen study, please say yes.
You matter.
Nielsen listens to you because your prefernces are important.
www.nielsen.com
* Information is based on Nielsen estimates. To learn more about its methodologies, visit en-us.nielsen.com/mesurment.
¡Felicitaciones!
National Hispana
on your 2010
Executive Leadership
Training Conference
and Mujer Awards!
from all of your friends at
Where Diversity Means Business
www.minoritybusiness.wdwpublicaffairs.com
The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries and affiliated
companies are equal opportunity employers.
We draw creativity from diversity. ©Disney 2010
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Post a Job Today!
860.632.7676
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LEADERS SUPPORTING LEADERS
NHLI is a nationally recognized leader in transforming
the lives of Latinas and their communities.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center
of New York
supports NHLI and salutes the 2010 Mujer honorees.
mountsinai.org • 800.MD.SINAI
EXECUTIVE
LEADERSHIP
TRAINING
LATINAS
LEARNING
TO LEAD
Our mission:
To develop Hispanas as
ethical leaders
through training,
professional development,
relationship building
and community activism
www.nhli.org
ADVANCING
LATINAS LEADERS
IN NONPROFITS
LATINA
EMPOWERMENT
CONFERENCES
WEBINARS
Mastering balance is
the key to happiness.
You want to live the American dream, but you don’t
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need to succeed and to lead a balanced life. What are
you waiting for?
EMPRENDE EL VUELO hoy mismo.
Visita: AFLAC.COM/BILINGUALRECRUITING
© 2010 Aflac Incorporated.
Aflac agents are independent agents and are not employees of Aflac.
M1683ESP
02/10
Not just healthcare.
At Merck, we work hard to keep the world well. How? By providing people
all around the globe with innovative prescription medicines, vaccines,
and consumer care and animal health products. We also provide leading
healthcare solutions that make a difference. And we do it by listening to
patients, physicians and our other partners — and anticipating their needs.
We believe our responsibility includes making sure that our products reach
people who need them, regardless of where they live or their ability to
pay. So we’ve created many far-reaching programs and partnerships to
accomplish this. You can learn more about them at merck.com.
The recent merger between Merck and Schering-Plough expands and
strengthens our capabilities to help make the world a healthier place.
Our goals are clear and our commitment is fierce. We are dedicated to
solving problems and pursuing new answers.
For information about getting Merck medicines and vaccines for free or at a discount, visit merckhelps.com or call 1-800-50-MERCK.
Copyright © 2010 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21050590(31)-09/10-COR
See you in Los Angeles
in November, 2011
INCLUSION
RELIABILITY
commitment
DIVERSITY
RECOVERY
COMMUNITIES
pa tnership
reliability
liquidity
relationships
partnership STABILITY
RESOURCES
INCLUSION
resources
DIVERSITY
partnership
relationships
reliability
support
STABILITY
SUPPORT
COMMITMENT
DIVERSITY
SUPPORT
RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP
DIVERSITY
INCLUSION
RELIABILITY
support
PARTNERSHIP
commitment
RELIABILITY
INCLUSION
partnership
liquidity
q
DIVERSITY
liquidity
AFFORDABILITY
commitment
COMMUNITIES
serving
partnership
sustainability
© 2010, Fannie Mae. Registered trademark.
There’s strength in partnership.
In the spirit of partnership, Fannie Mae is proud to be a sponsor
of NHLI’s 2010 Executive Leadership Training and Mujer Awards
Conference. We salute your commitment to making a difference in the
lives of Hispanic women in the community.

Conference at a Glance - National Hispana Leadership Institute

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