THE
IOI LIST OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL LATINOS IN 2017: OUR BEST YET!
NINA VACA
THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE; ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC LATINAS AND HER STORY.
www.latinoleaders.com July / August 2017 Vol. 18 No. 4
CEO INTERVIEWS:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALPFA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND STORIES WITH THE LEADERS MOVING THE NEEDLE TO ADVANCE THE LATINO WORKFORCE
L AT INO LE A DE R S
Contents July / August 2017
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
MEDIA
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
SPORTS
THE
IOI LIST OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL LATINOS IN 2017: OUR BEST YET!
22 - The complete list of the 101 Most Influential Latinos in 2017. You will be able to find leaders who has been blazing through the ranks. Strong leadership, passion, integrity and vision- the characteristics of our leaders.
2 • July / August 2017
CIVIL
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
MEDICINE/SCIENCE
FINANCE
L AT INO LE A DE R S
Contents July / August 2017
10- CEO Interviews- Latino Leaders, in partnership with ALPFA, has created this yearly feature to provide a closer look to top corporate CEO’s. This year, we are highlighting Joe Adams, CEO of RSM, Elisa Baral, Audit Project Manager from U.S. Bank, and Gabriela Franco Parcella, CEO of Mellon Capital. The three give us insight to leadership, diversity, and success. 16- Orgullos de ALPFA- A list of ALPFA’s top achievers and trailblazers. 20- USHCC- Each year, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts a convention that manages to gather Hispanic leaders across the country. This year the convention will take place in Dallas on October. Leaders will be able to network and attend workshops, discussions and training sessions. 54- Nina Vaca- This dynamic Latina shares her life, her past, her present, and her future. CEO of Pinnacle Group, Nina Vaca, talks from her humbling experience growing up in Quito, Ecuador to her journey up the corporate ranks. Whether in her home town of Dallas, TX, or in her native country of Ecuador, Nina is now uniting efforts with other leaders to impact the community. 58- STEM- STEM is one of the most needed industries. The lack of Latinos is evident and alarming. However, BNY Mellon is a company that advocates and promotes Latinos in STEM. Liz Agosto, is an Information Security Division talent at BNY Mellon. Emmanuel Delgado, is another talent from BNY Mellon. Both share what it’s like to work for BNY Mellon and to be part of the few up-and-comers of STEM. 4 • July / August 2017
62- Norman Ruano- This leading Latino is making major strides in education. As the Vice President of Workforce Development at St. Augustine College, he has worked to bring programs that are needed in the Latino community. He also works to provide current programs in Spanish. He has created an entire program where the mission is to see Latinos succeed. IN EVERY EDITION: 6- Editor’s Letter 8- Publisher’s Letter 64- Cellar
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
I
It is finally here! The most anticipated edition of the year where we get to reveal who has made the list of the 101 Most Influential Latinos of 2017. Much speculation has been made around this list, and after months of research, debate, and fact-checking, we are proud to present our list of the most influential Latinos across the U.S. This year we have divided the list into 8 major categories: Arts/Entertainment, Media, Civil, Sport, Corporate/Business, Politics/Government, Medicine/Science and Finance. This will make it easier to see who else has been included in the category or industry. In this edition, we have also partnered up with ALPFA to bring to life our CEO Interviews feature. Latino Leaders has sat down with three corporate executives to talk about life behind the CEO chair, diversity, and growth. You’ll also come across a listOrgullos de ALPFA. These champions are the bridge to many. They are the connections. These champions remain true to the qualities of an ALPFA leader and have given back to the community, day in, day out. Our cover leader is no less important. Nina Vaca has been a friend of Latino Leaders for quite some time. This year, she was featured in ALPFA/FORTUNE’s list of the Most Powerful Women. She has been part of our 101 Most Influential Latinos list repeatedly. She is a pretty big deal, if you ask me! In this interview, we got to sit down with her and chat about her beginnings, personally and professionally. She even gave us the scoop on her triathlon in Manta, Ecuador to raise funds for efforts that aid victims of the earthquake that struck Ecuador in 2016. Along the rest of the pages, you will be able to read on STEM go-getters from BNY Mellon and Norman Ruano, Vice President of Workforce Development at St. Augustine College. So much to explore. So much to discover. Enjoy!
May / June 2017 Vol. 18 No. 3
Sarai Vega Managing Editor
HEALTH EDITION
WHAT YOU MISSED IN OUR LAST EDITION…
TOP HOSPITALS FOR LATINOS L ATINO LEADERS
1. Our sit-down interview with the Prophet of Latino Health, Dr. David Hayes-Bautista 2. Find out who are the Top Latino Physicians of 2017. 3. New American Funding President, Patricia Arvielo, talks about reaching the American dream. 4. Need a hospital? We also discovered the Top Hospitals for Latinos. 5. Our list of the the Top Latinas in Corporate America.
THE MOST POWERFUL LATINAS IN CORPORATE AMERICA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALPFA AND FORTUNE MAGAZINE
BREAKTHROUGHS IN MEDICINE TOP LATINO PHYSICIANS
DR. DAVID HAYES-BAUTISTA www.latinoleaders.com
THE PROPHET OF LATINO HEALTH
May / June 2017 Vol. 18 No. 3
Latino Leaders: Health Edition: Now Online www.latinoleaders.com/May-June-2017
6 • July / August 2017
latinoleaders.com
JORGE & RAUL FERRAEZ / PRESIDENTS OF FERRAEZ USA
FROM THE DESK OF THE PUBLISHER
N
Nobody publishes a list like our 101 Most Influential Latinos. Every year, our team of researchers, writers, and fact-checkers do a fantastic job in compiling names and updates so we can select who are the leaders making the list. Many factors are under consideration for this: absolute influence is hard to measure. It requires evaluation under the category which that specific individual belongs to, how many people are impacted or affected by his or her decisions, and the actions made to advance Latinos in every aspect. This year, the 101 List does not include all the leaders, but all who are included are leaders. How to read it? Each profile explains by itself the relevance of the leader, by understanding his or her formation, origin, career path and contributions. We can start figuring out the relevance, influence and why this particular leader can make things happen, which is ultimately how history is written.
Publisher Jorge Ferraez
Director of Journalism Mariana Gutierrez Briones mariana@latinoleaders.com Event and PR Director Rae Kallianpur rae@latinoleaders.com Administrative Director Lawrence Teodoro Managing Editor Sarai Vega svega@latinoleaders.com Business Development Manager Cristina Gonzalez cristina@latinoleaders.com Washington, D.C. Sales Associate and Representative Deyanira Ferraez dferraez@latinoleaders.com Karla Espinoza kespinoza@latinoleaders.com Art Director Fernando Izquierdo ferdiseno@latinoleaders.com Editorial Art & Design Rodrigo Valderrama Carlos Cuevas Luis Enrique González Moisés Cervantes Oswaldo Bernal Guerrero
It is also important to understand that the list is not about merits. It is of influence, power, and relevance to the leader’s environment. It is also our pleasure to present Nina Vaca’s story as it has never been told. A two-hour interview in her hometown of Dallas, Texas was loaded with rich visions, heartbreaking experiences and ultra valuable life lessons. A total maverick, Nina has reached the authentic American Dream and she’s at her peak with big visions on how to give back to the Community. Our personal friend, Nina has supported many, many Latinos in their quest for advancement. Role model, as entrepreneur, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and advocate, her life is an inspiration for all of us.
President and CEO Raul Ferraez
Human Resources Manager Susana Sanchez Administration and Bookkeeping Claudia García Bejarano Executive Assistant to the Publishers Liliana Morales Social Media Manager and Graphic Designer Kenzie Tysl kenzie@latinoleaders.com For advertising inquiries, please call 214-206-4966 x 227.
Please enjoy this edition.
Jorge & Raul Ferraez
Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino (ISSN 1529-3998) is published seven times annually by Ferraez Publications of America Corp., 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA, July / August 2017. Subscription rates: In U.S. and possessions, one year $15.00. Checks payable to Ferraez Publications of America, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Latino Leaders, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA.© 2001 by Ferraez Publications of America Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino. The periodical’s name and logo, and the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of Ferraez Publications of America Corp.
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Latino Leaders The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA Phone: (214) 206-4966 / Fax: (214) 206-4970
CEO INTERVIEWS Design by: Carlos Cuevas
At Latino Leaders, we are proud to present the third installment of our CEO series in partnership with ALPFA. Our work with the ALPFA team has been paramount in order to continue to showcase not only Latinos in positions of influence but also those corporate captains who set examples by the way they view and practice diversity at the companies they lead. We make a point to feature leaders who not only value inclusion and the contributions of the Latino community but who back up their statements with action. ALPFA has been instrumental in helping us identify the CEO’s and Directors that are reshaping our corporate culture. As always these conversations are full of valuable insight and an element of corporate wisdom that can point our readers, no matter their profession or position, in the right direction. There is a lot to learn from a CEO perspective, and we hope these conversations inspire you to contribute to your business, workplace, family, and community beyond what is normally expected. This desire to always go a step further is one of the qualities that define our leaders. In our 2017 CEO feature, we share our conversations with Gabby Franco Parcella, CEO of Mellon Capital and an Orgullos de Alpfa 2017 inductee, Joe Adams, Managing Partner and CEO of RSM US and Elisa Baral, Vice President and Audit Services Project Manager, U.S. Bank. Their positions impact hundreds of clients and employees and play a critical role in ensuring that diversity is core to their workplace and that their businesses are representative of the communities they serve.
10 • July / August 2017
It is proven that diversity is good for the economy. It improves corporate performance, drives growth and enhances employee engagement. Through their partnership with ALPFA, the corporations led by our interviewees are not only reaching out to Latinos with employment opportunities, but also supporting initiatives to build executive competencies so their leaders are better prepared for the challenges ahead. The potential of future generations is maximized through the work of the corporate captains featured here today, and we are proud to present their stories. We are also very proud to have been selected as the inaugural platform of the newly-launched Orgullos de ALPFA initiative. Through this program, ALPFA will recognize those members who are leveraging stellar careers to push others up and forward, creating massive waves of opportunity. Our core mission is to inspire leadership and greatness in our readers – and the Orgullos de ALPFA Class of 2017 has without a doubt answered that call. We congratulate each and every one. Mariana Gutierrez Co-Editor
By Jonathan Fierro
JOE ADAMS
RSM EXPANDING WITH THE HELP OF A LATINO FORCE In a time where the word “authentic” has come to signify what is real, RSM US LLP has become to mean just that. In fact, since the great recession, where both big and small businesses struggled just to remain alive, the “middle market,” which is often big enough to have the necessary resources but small enough to be nimble, has shown to be creative and resilient to thrive. “We call it the real economy,” says Joe Adams the CEO and Managing Partner of RSM. A global company that specializes in accounting, RSM takes pride in knowing its clients well. The company, which has 9,000 employees in 90 cities across the country, is poised to expand; last year it acquired Padgett Stratemann & Co., the second largest accounting firm in San Antonio. Lately, the company, which places a high value in its workforce, has been targeting Latinos for recruitment. “Latinos and Latino-owned businesses represent a growing presence in our national and global economies, with Latinoowned businesses become more prevalent in the U.S. and more businesses from Mexico, Central and South America investing in the U.S., and vice versa,” Adams said. “Latinos will be critical to the future success of RSM and other companies across the country and around the world.”
As the CEO of RSM, Adams enjoys everything about his position. But the best thing about it is the people, they way the company has integrity, is respectful, it works by teamwork and demonstrates it every day. “I learn something new every day,” he said. “Companies today are facing a shortage of qualified employees from all backgrounds especially in leadership, skilled and professional positions,” Adams said. He adds that at RSM the focus is on recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent. To do that, the company is focusing on enhancing the experience of employees through feedback, transparency into their performance. Also, coaching into advancing their careers is key. In addition, RSM has Latino representation in its senior leadership team, Adams said. It has a strong portrayal in markets with a robust Latino presence and with the company’s International firms. “RSM’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) program includes the ¡HOLA! employee network group,” Adams said. “People want to work at a place where they can bring their whole selves to work and feel included and celebrated for who they are, and we believe RSM is that place.”
Looking to provide the best in global service
¡HOLA! ENG
Adams lives in Chicago, where he has been part of RSM’s leadership team since 2008. He was director of the Great Lakes region: he has worked with companies in auditing and advising clients in mergers, divestitures, acquisitions and organizational strategy.
Among RSM’s 11 employee networks is ¡HOLA! ENG, which provides support and direction via networking for the company’s Latino professionals. It accomplishes this through client and prospect engagement, leadership development and mentoring. “Diversity and inclusion are embraced by everyone at RSM, particularly by our senior leaders,” Adams said. “It starts at the top. But it takes all of our people to make it happen. Our people are driving engagement and inclusion of all employees.” RSM works with diverse organizations in its quest to achieve the best and most diverse culture and workplace. One of the key organizations is ALPFA, Adams said. As his legacy, Adams wants RSM to be known for its culture of diversity and inclusion, where folks feel valued regardless of their ethnic origin, sexual orientation or gender. This type of environment fosters innovation and creativity. “It’s one of the most important things we can do because when our employees bring their real selves to work, we get better results at RSM because our clients get the best we have to offer,” he said.
Joe Adams
CEO and Managing Partner RSM US LLP
CEO INTERVIEWS
By Joe Dyton
ELISA BARAL
U.S. BANK ON QUEST TO BRING MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE LATINO COMMUNITY Elisa Baral enjoys her work as an audit project manager with the Corporate Audit Services Department at U.S. Bank, but her duties only tell part of the story of why she likes coming to work every day. Yes, Baral enjoys tackling different audits and the unique challenges each one brings. However, she also gains work fulfillment in her other role at the bank: as vice president of the company’s Nosotros Latinos business resource group. Nosotros Latinos, which launched in 2016, plays a crucial role in raising awareness of U.S. Bank’s Latino-focused strategies inside and outside of the company. “The Latino strategy and approach at U.S. Bank is constantly evolving to match the needs of the market,” Baral said. “We are in the process of expanding our Latino customer experience outreach to build awareness of our services.” U.S. Bank’s recognition of how quickly Latino population is growing in the country is one reason it has launched a number of Latino-focused strategies. The Latino demographic is currently the largest minority group in the U.S. and still expanding and U.S. Bank wants to build a firm foundation of engagement and trust with Latinos across its footprint. “We want to engage with them to be part of the community and service all their needs,” Baral said. “That means being a trusted partner to help Latinos take charge of their future through financial education and advice, buying a car, starting a business or expanding an existing business.” U.S. Bank’s Latino outreach isn’t just about increasing its customer base. It wants to diversify its workforce, too. Baral works in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, where the amount of Latinos in high-end leadership positions has been historically low, although that is beginning to change. The turnaround can be attributed to organizations like the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA). Baral joined the organization’s Twin Cities chapter board in 2012 and helped with its re-launch. Meanwhile, U.S. Bank sponsored both the chapter and was a national sponsor of its annual convention in 2015. Like U.S. Bank, ALPFA is committed to developing and advancing Latino leaders. The company leans on organizations like ALPFA to help build a pipeline of Latino talent. “From my perspective as a Latino professional, corporations understand the need to be able to diversify their workforce to emulate the communities in which they operate,” Baral said. “U.S Bank recognizes the importance of attracting and retaining Latino talent in order to better serve the needs of the communities in which we operate so that we can better understand and serve our 12 • July / August 2017
current and prospective customers.” The company has reached out to other Latino-focused organizations like the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and made them aware of specific openings it’s recruiting for in an effort to attract and retain top Hispanic talent. It has also added depth to its talent pool by enhancing its summer internship with a focus on minorities. The Nosotros Latinos members also refer Elisa Baral employees to the Audit Project Manager company. U.S. Bank “They offer the best first-person evidence of our welcoming environment on bringing your whole self to work,” Baral said. The ALPFA members at U.S bank have helped enrich the company’s corporate culture in a big way, according to Baral. Several of the Nosotros Latinos board members also belong to ALPFA and they bring unique perspectives and leadership experiences to U.S. Bank, which in turn has helped the business resource group become a success. ALPFA members have also served as advisors to the bank on issues like marketing and customer experience and are active volunteers with a number of Hispanic community groups within the bank’s footprint. Between her work in the Corporate Audit Services Department, sitting on the Nosotros Latinos board and working with ALPFA, Baral keeps busy. It’s worth it to her though, as she’s not just building a career for herself, she’s helping others, too. “Since joining U.S. Bank, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to many areas of the business, which has allowed me to better understand the industry,” she said. “My goal is to continue to learn about the different business lines in the organization and use that understanding to create bridges within the company. Thanks to Nosotros Latinos, I have also gained insight into our diversity and inclusion approach and have created meaningful relationships throughout the bank and the community.”
By Judi Jordan
INVESTED Chairman, President, and CEO of Mellon Capital and 2017 Orgullo de ALPFA, Gabriela “Gabby” Franco Parcella, reveals her strategy for accelerating the American Dream from within.
It’s a timely corporate success story. After two decades of extraordinary diligence, Parcella, daughter of Mexican immigrants, leads Mellon Capital, an investment management firm headquartered in San Francisco. Open and accessible, Parcella focuses on building assets with transparency and diversity, improving corporate America, and inspiring millions of Latinas to dream big by example.
Building blocks. Born in El Paso, Gabby studied accounting at the University of Texas at Austin and took home an MPA. It was then on to Stanford, where she earned a JD. Gabby felt drawn to tax law and joined San Francisco law firm Orrick as a tax attorney. In 1997, she interviewed at Mellon Capital. Right away, there were signs that Mellon Capital was a place for a smart, team-playing woman to progress; of the six people she interviewed with, three were women. Gabby liked what she saw. At that time, senior women were notably sparse at law firms, particularly in tax. Gabby quickly assessed the environment at Mellon Capital and saw herself fitting in. Mellon Capital embraced diverse talent. Gabby secretly harbored what she then perceived as a lofty goal: “I assumed that being General Counsel was the most I could wish for. When
MELLON CAPITAL CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GABBY PARCELLA
I started in the legal department of the company nearly 20 years ago, I never thought I’d be CEO.” So, how did this happen? “I have always volunteered to do more than what is expected of me, which has been a crucial ingredient to gaining skills that I wouldn’t have been able to develop in other circumstances.” In 2007, Gabby’s expectations of becoming General Counsel got a major bump. She moved from junior lawyer to General Counsel, and then decided to move out of legal and joined the business side of the organization. Promoted to COO in 2007, she held the post for four years and observed how a top CEO navigates rough waters. “A perfect example is when I was the COO reporting to then-CEO Charlie Jacklin – I would volunteer to write the first draft of his business review presentations, which he would then modify. When I watched him giving these presentations, I could see what he included, what he changed, and how he fielded questions. I learned so much during this process. With opportunities like that, I had a chance to gain experience that has proved invaluable in my current role.” Parcella’s personal initiative, quick reflexes, and strategic instincts were key elements to her success, as was her mentor, CEO Charlie Jacklin, a former Stanford Graduate School of Business professor. “Having Charlie as a mentor certainly helped me expand my horizons.” Mentoring impacted her career enormously; it left an indelible leadership impression. Her performance under pressure was no doubt a factor in her ascent. Together with Jacklin, the two execs steered the firm successfully through the challenging global financial crisis. When Jacklin retired in 2012, he recommended Gabby as his successor.
2012 was a big year for Gabby. After CEO, she was also named Chairman. Gabriela Franco Parcella CEO of Mellon Capital
Her agenda honed in on Mellon Capital’s global outreach to new clients in Latin America and fortifying the company’s key players in the U.K., Hong Kong, and India. It still holds. “At Mellon Capital we always have our eye on better. I’m focused on expanding our firm’s global presence, helping our clients navigate a turbulent and unpredictable investment environment, and growing our overall business and capabilities.” Still, navigating an ever-evolving
CEO INTERVIEWS
ABOUT Mellon Capital has provided investors with distinct insights into complex capital markets since 1983. Based in San Francisco, our unique approach to fundamentals-based systematic investing drives our capabilities, which include multiasset, active, smart beta, and indexing strategies.
financial landscape requires innovative thinking. “One challenge that I think is top of mind for every CEO is the impact geopolitical uncertainty will have on markets around the world. Navigating an increasingly turbulent global investment landscape and regulatory environment is a constant challenge and a critical priority for us.” As of June 2017, Mellon Capital has $352.5 billion in total assets under management with 335 clients and 1,761 accounts. Thanks to Gabby’s broad background and vision, she can speak to all areas of tactical focus. “As Chairman, President, and CEO of Mellon Capital, I provide strategic leadership to all areas of the firm.” Known for pioneering index funds and multi-asset strategies, the firm is dedicated to uncovering deeper insights into complex capital markets, a greater understanding of its clients’ challenges, and developing strategies to help them reach their long-term goals. A game-changing, battle-tested CEO. Her humility and willingness to help, observe, and learn, fit the low key, teamfocused company culture. “I started my career in financial services more than 20 years ago and have worked across the legal, operations, risk, and regulatory sides of the business. I didn’t take a traditional path, moving from the financial services regulatory side to CEO. As my career progressed, there was a continual and steady expansion of my responsibilities. From the beginning, I was committed to learning every aspect of the company. That depth of understanding positioned me to make a positive impact on Mellon Capital and opened up avenues for my advancement.” That advancement extends to her community; Gabby is proud of her heritage. “My whole family is still in Mexico 14 • July / August 2017
with the exception of my parents and siblings. I’m trying to help with the Latin American community—especially women.” Being separated from her extended family has possibly intensified her bonds at home. “My family is incredibly important to me, and my most important role is being a wife and mother to two wonderful sons.” The obvious and considerable perks accorded the Chairman, President, and CEO of an esteemed investment firm like Mellon Capital could separate Gabby from junior staffers, but she’s determined to use her influence to affect real change. “I’m proud to be a Latina who has gained seniority in the industry, but we need more diversity. If we want to change the dynamic, it’s up to us to broaden the invite list. When you invite more diversity into the room, you’re no longer the only minority in the room, and you’re also giving someone else the opportunity to observe, learn and gain confidence.” Fortunately for the next generations of financial whizkids, Gabby is no typical C-Suite achiever. She’s committed to an agenda for diversity advancement, and the authority to see it through. “At Mellon Capital, diversity is part of our DNA, and I’d like that DNA to continue to flourish long after I’m gone. It’s not something we have to think about as a corporate initiative because it’s something we live.” ALPFA has been a constant presence in her career. “I’m a life member of ALPFA and it’s an honor to be part of such an accomplished group of Latino business leaders. ALPFA has connected me to so many inspiring people in the industry. I’m humbled to join the inaugural class of Orgullo de ALPFA and look forward to welcoming future leaders.”
1 0 TH A N N U A L
CORPORATE
&BOARDS EDITION
The Boards Feature
Corporate Captains
Recognizing the top Latino Board Members in the Country
Top Latinos in a C-Suite position at a Fortune 1000 Company
Latinos in Real Estate
Million Dollar Club
Very first list of top Latino Agents
In partnership with USHCC
Fo r I n fo r m a t i o n o n Ad S p a c e a n d C o m m e rc i a l O p p o r t u n i t i e s , p l e a s e c o n ta c t
Jorge Ferraez jferraez@latinoleaders.com 214-206-4966 ext.224
Mariana G. Briones mariana@latinoleaders.com 646-641-5068
Karla Espinoza kespinoza@latinoleaders.com 202-361-8437 P R E S E N T E D BY
september/october 2017
coming soon
Orgullos de
ALPFA
Luis E. González
Design by:
ALPFA’s purpose is connecting Latino leaders for impact, similar to the name of this outstanding magazine, Latino Leaders Magazine. These ALPFA champions, these “Orgullos de ALPFA,” have been connecting individuals and organizations with and through ALPFA for years, and in some cases, for decades. These loyal leaders, a baker’s dozen, selflessly and consistently give back to help change lives; sometimes one person at a time, and other times in large groups for greater impact. They help our members by getting them internships, jobs, or giving them advice, serving as mentors, coaches, and friends. They exemplify the core of what ALPFA aspires to be every day. They are the epitome of an effective and proud ALPFA leader, and we’re very orgullosos of them and we’re thrilled to recognize them today. 16 • July / August 2017
GABRIELA FRANCO PARCELLA CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT, AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MELLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION Gabriela Franco Parcella is the chairman, president, and chief executive officer at Mellon Capital. She provides strategic leadership to the executive team and across all areas of the firm. Gabriela has been a key contributor to Mellon Capital’s growth in multi-asset and beta strategies, international expansion, and the extension of its institutional strategies through strategic sub-advised relationships. Gabriela chairs the Mellon Capital Board of Directors, Executive Planning Group, and Senior Management Group, and is a member of the BNY Mellon Senior Leadership Team. She is the founder of the San Francisco region Women’s Initiative Network (WIN). She serves on the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors, chairs the Board of Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco, and formerly served on the Board of San Francisco Meals on Wheels. She is also a life member of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America).
“I’m a life member of ALPFA and it’s an honor to be part of such an accomplished group of Latino business leaders. ALPFA has connected me to so many inspiring people in the industry.”
LYNNETTE PEREZ-SANTOS, MBA LEAD BUSINESS ANALYST, INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS Lynnette works for Independence Blue Cross, in the corporate office in Philadelphia, PA as Lead Business Analyst. Lynnette also holds a role with the ARG at IBC as Board Member to Latino con Propositos and a member of the Women of Independence. In previous roles, Lynnette has served as Chair of Latino ERG for ING served as an ambassador for ING, ARAMARK and currently for Independence Blue Cross. An ALPFA member since 2007 and served on the Philadelphia Chapter as Membership Director, VP and President and currently on the Corporate Advisory Board. She is also part of the amazing team on the Women of ALPFA Strategic Development Team as Director of Corporate Development.
“ALPFA experience is motivating and inspirational with amazing leaders that continue to pave the way to achievements and success.”
ORGULLOS DE ALPFA
PEDRO (PETE) RODRIGUEZ MANAGING DIRECTOR AND GLOBAL HEAD OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FOR ASSET SERVICING, BNY MELLON Pete Rodriguez is a BNY Mellon Managing Director and Global Head of Strategic Initiatives for Asset Servicing where he is responsible for identifying and executing on transformational activities in support of the business strategy. Prior to this, Pete held the roles of Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Asset Servicing. Pete is a member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team and Diversity & Inclusion Council. Pete sits on the Senior Leadership Council of ALPFA NYC and on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Florida. Pete has been recognized as a 2015 Council of Urban Professionals Catalyst for Change, 2016 ALPFA Executive of the Year and 2017 Empower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executives.
“ALPFA has encouraged me to stop talking about empowering Latino leaders and actually doing something about it. Over the last seven years, I have doubled-down on raising up Latino leaders and mentoring future leaders.”
YVONNE GARCIA SVP, GLOBAL HEAD OF CLIENT SOLUTIONS AND PMO, STATE STREET, ALPFA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN Yvonne Garcia is an SVP and Global Head of Client Solutions and PMO at State Street Corporation. She also serves as the Chairwoman for the largest Latino Professional Organization in the country, ALPFA and as the Chair of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for Boston. She is the co-founding Chair of Milagros para Niños at Children’s Hospital in Boston, which has raised more than $8.2 million in funds for Hispanic children who can’t afford medical care. Yvonne was selected as the Top 5 Latina Executive in the Country by Latina Style Magazine for 2012 and just this year, Yvonne was featured in Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in the United States.
“As a member of ALPFA for 15 years, having served as a chapter president for many years, and now as Chair of the Board of Directors, ALPFA is an integral part of my career and personal story. Having obtained countless opportunities through ALPFA, I feel it is incumbent upon me to give back by serving ALPFA and ensuring others in the ALPFAFamilia benefit similarly. To that end, what I affectionately call my “other job” is focused on working daily and directly with ALPFA leadership -- at the Board, chapter, and staff level -- to create even greater content, programs, events, and opportunities, as well as keeping our big picture strategy fresh and innovative. As a Latina and working mother, I am also particularly proud of my work with our Women of ALPFA initiative, now in its 15th year of empowering Latinas.”
JOHN RAMIREZ DEAN OF OPERATIONS, SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX John Ramirez is a retired US Army Command Sergeant Major with over 27 years of military service and is currently the Dean of Operations for University of Phoenix’ School of Advanced Studies. John earned his MBA from Arizona State University and a MS/AJS with a concentration in Global and Homeland Security from University of Phoenix. John is a member of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Corporate Advisory Board of the Phoenix Chapter of ALPFA. He is also the recipient of ALPFA’s 2016 Veteran of the Year award.
“I view my work in ALPFA as part of the collective catalyst that helps develop our Nation’s future Latino leaders” 18 • July / August 2017
JOE MELLA CHIEF OF STAFF, FINANCE AND RISK DIVISIONS, GOLDMAN SACHS He has responsibility for the CFO function as well as general divisional administration. Joe also has oversight of the division’s global human resource functions and general management for the division’s project office that supports its business continuity planning, office space initiatives, vendor management programs, information security and compliance issues, among other areas. In addition to his professional career, Joe is on the Corporate Advisory Board for ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) where he is a past chairman and also is a Lifetime member. He is the national chairman of the Advisory Board to HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities), as well as on the Executive Advisory Board for the Accounting & Taxation department of St. John’s University. Joe is also Board member to the USHCC (United States Chamber of Commerce).
“I have been part of and working with ALPFA for almost 20 years; but I wouldn’t really call it work – it’s now part of who I am”.
ALAIN MONROY COMMERCIAL BANKER, JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. Born in Cuba and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Alain earned his undergraduate degree from UNLV and currently pursuing his MBA at ASU. Alain joined JPMorgan Chase in 2016 as part of the Military Officer Executive Development Program in Phoenix, AZ before joining the Commercial Bank. Prior to JPMC, Alain served as an Army Captain stationed in various locations including Fort Bragg, NC, Schofield Barracks, HI and a combat deployment to Afghanistan. Alain serves as the President of ALPFA Phoenix and was recognized as one of Phoenix’s 40 Under 40 in 2016 and ALPFA Veteran of the Year in 2017.
“Becoming the ALPFA Phoenix Chapter President after transitioning from active duty military provided an opportunity to continue serving my community and my country.”
JOSUEL PLASENCIA CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER, PROJECT 99 22 years old, featured in NBC, ABC, PBS, C-SPAN and the Wall St. Journal, Josuel is a first-generation graduate of the Babson College Class of 2017. At Babson he co-founded Project 99, a startup helping companies engage their millennials through workforce development programs and events. Project 99’s current clients include SAP, Humano and MICDS. They have executed leadership programs for millennials in the United States, Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Josuel sits as a board member of the ALPFA National Board of Directors since 2016, where he leads all student focused strategic initiatives at the board level. Josuel has worked with Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, Accenture Consulting, the KPMG United Nations Desk, EY and BNY Mellon.
“ALPFA changed my life. It helped me finish high school, get through college and launch myself post-college. ALPFA Mentors were front and center in guiding and helping me follow my dreams and aspirations, from interning at Goldman and Accenture, to then proceeding to launch my own social venture.”
ROSE AREVALO DIRECTOR, ON STRATEGY/ PRESIDENT, ILS Rose Arevalo is an accomplished leader with extensive expertise in business-to-business sales, entrepreneurship and consulting. Rose owns Industrial Listing Services, is Director at ON STRATEGY, and recently led market expansion in Latin America at Active Storage. Rose received an MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, and Bachelor degree in Business Administration and Marketing from California State University, Fullerton. A team builder, and bilingual in Spanish, Rose’s community roles include President ALPFA Orange County chapter, and Pepperdine Alumni Council board member. Rose’s mantra: “Family and friends are blessings…Appreciate life with all your senses”
“I engage ALPFA OC, corporate sponsors and community partners to make a positive impact in our community, from addressing the soft skills gap among students to networking with professionals, and challenging everyone to be present and be the best they can be.”
JAVIER SUAREZ VP, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, GREATER PHILADELPHIA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Javier Suarez is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. From 2001 to 2011, Suárez served as CEO of the Hispanic Yellow Pages with publications in Philadelphia and New Jersey. In 2011 he sold the company to a local media firm. From 1987 until 1996, Javier Suárez worked in the radio industry serving in multiple roles from programming to sales at radio stations like WXTU 92.5 FM (country music), WWDB 96.5 FM (talk radio) and WTEL 860am (spanish). In 2014, Suarez received the Minority Business Leader Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal and received the 2014 Brillante Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence from the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s. Suarez was named one of Philadelphia’s “Most Influential Latinos” in 2007 and 2010 by Philadelphia’s Multicultural Affairs Congress and Impacto Newspaper. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from La Salle University.
“My ALPFAmilia is probably the closest reflection I know of the talent, the diversity and the power of what America can expect from young professionals in America.”
ARACELY GODINEZ, CPA REGIONAL DIRECTOR, BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES PRESIDENT, ALPFA SEATTLE Aracely Godinez is responsible for providing analysis on the financial aspects associated with an airline’s operations and developing persuasive presentations that promote Boeing’s products. She previously held roles in accounting and corporate audit teams. Aracely joined Boeing with over 12 years of experience in various finance and project management roles. She holds a CPA license in Illinois and Washington State. She has an MBA from the UW Foster School of Business, and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois. Aracely dedicates her free time to enjoying the outdoors and volunteering as board president of the ALPFA Seattle Chapter.
“Leadership comes with responsibility. ALPFA provides a platform to not only serve our community but also help others thrive.”
HECTOR PEREZ PARTNER, NEW YORK LIFE PRESIDENT, ALPFA ORLANDO Hector Perez is a Partner & Registered Principal at New York Life. In his role, he leads a business unit focused primarily on Transnational Planning for foreign investors, Advanced Pension Planning for entrepreneurs, and Charitable Gift Planning for non-profits. In the community, Hector serves as President of ALPFA Orlando and South Region Director for ALPFA Corporate. In this dual role, he leads the local Orlando chapter as well as supports the south region’s other 9 chapters. He is also a Board Member of the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, a Young Executive member at The Citrus Club - the Orlando affiliate of the ClubCorp Group - and a Local Business Affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Orlando City Soccer Club. In 2012, he was recognized as one of Central Florida’s 25 Most Influential Hispanics by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.
“Being a chapter leader and ALPFA Lifetime Member allows me to instill leadership development traits in up-and-coming professionals from my local community and across the nation, for years to come.”
ILEANA MUSA MANAGING DIRECTOR, MERRILL LYNCH WEALTH MANAGEMENT CHAIR, ALPFA CORPORATE ADVISORY BOARD ILEANA MUSA is a financial services executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Most recently she was the Global Client Segment and Strategy executive for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She is the chair of the Corporate Advisory Board of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and leads, Women of ALPFA, a strategic initiative focused on advancing Latinas. In 2016 Musa was awarded the 2015 Top 10 Corporate Executives of the Year by Latina Style magazine. She was recently recognized in Fortune magazine as one of ALPFA’s Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America. Follow Ileana on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook as @ileanamusa3
“My ALPFAmilia is probably the closest reflection I know of the talent, the diversity and the power of what America can expect from young professionals in America.”
“LATINO LEADERS WANTS TO CONGRATULATE THESE LEADERS. YOUR COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP ARE MOTIVATING AND INSPIRING. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO EMPOWER THOSE AROUND YOU”.
L AT INO LE A DE R S
The USHCC 2017 National Convention:
Driving America’s Business Future
T
he United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) is the largest Hispanic business organization in America. It actively promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 4.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, which together, contribute over $668 billion to the U.S. economy each year. The USHCC also advocates on behalf of 260 major American corporations and serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide. For nearly 4 decades, the mission of the USHCC has been to foster Hispanic economic development and to create sustainable prosperity for the benefit of all Americans. To carry out this mission, the USHCC advocates for five major public policy issues: access to capital, international trade and commerce, education and workforce development, immigration, and energy. Each fall, the USHCC hosts the country’s largest gathering of Hispanic business leaders: The USHCC National Convention. The Convention is held every year in a city that embodies the American entrepreneurial spirit and supports a thriving small business community. This year, the Convention will be held in a truly global business hub. Dallas, Texas is home to a record number of Fortune 500 companies, including many of the USHCC’s corporate partners such as Toyota, American Airlines, AT&T, Comerica Bank and many more. It is also home to one of largest concentrations of Hispanic Business Enterprises (HBE) in America. The USHCC will be “Driving America’s Business Future,” at the 2017 National Convention taking place from October 1 – 3 at the Omni Dallas Hotel. The gathering is an opportunity for business owners, corporate executives, entrepreneurs and community leaders to engage in targeted business matchmaking opportunities, as well as professional development and networking forums such as workshops, training sessions and roundtable discussions. Other notable Convention events include the Million Dollar Breakfast Club, which celebrates supplier diversity, the Chamber Awards Breakfast, HBE Elite Luncheon, Women in Business and Leadership Luncheon, and the Closing Gala. Small business owners will benefit from attending the convention by making valuable connections with corporate representatives, other business owners and potential customers and investors. 20 • July / August 2017
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Corporate representatives will be able to reach out to rising entrepreneurs and established small business experts, as well as cultivate lasting strategic partnerships with HBEs, chamber executives and thought leaders in policy, government. Join the USHCC at the 2017 National Convention in Dallas, Texas, as we bring together corporate executives, public officials, chamber leaders and entrepreneurs who are all eager to foster meaningful, long-lasting partnerships with America’s most dynamic small business community. Take advantage of the endless opportunities awaiting you at the USHCC 2017 National Convention. Visit ushcc.com/convention for more information and follow #USHCCDallas on social media.
L AT INO LE A DE R S
3 1 2016 CEO Panel: Steve Clemons, Political and Foreign Policy Commentator, Washington Editor at Large, The Atlantic and National Journal, Contributor, MSNBC; JosĂŠ R. Mas, CEO of MasTec, Inc.; Robert E. Sanchez, Chairman & CEO of Ryder System, Inc.; and Robert I. Unanue, President of Goya Foods, Inc. 2 2017 USHCC National Convention Kick-Off reception in Dallas, Texas. 3 Nina Vaca, USHCC Chairman Emeritus, USHCC Foundation Chairman, Chairman & CEO of Pinnacle Group, with 2016 At The Table: The Enterprise Accelerator winners. 4 Javier Palomarez, USHCC President & CEO; Gloria Estefan, singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman; and Emilio Estefan musician and producer who has won 19 Grammy Awards.
4 latinoleaders.com
Contributors: Kristian Jaime Kimberly Olguin
1 O1 MOST I N FLU E NTIAL L ATI N OS
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As usual, these are not all of the leaders, but those in the list are all leaders. Fantastic leaders with a diverse activity, all of them advancing Latinos all over the country and all across industries and professions. All of the leaders included have proven an actual influence on the national scene, not only for the Hispanic community but for the entire country. From lawyers to cabinet members, from media personalities to powerful business figures, this list is a snap shot of the power and influence of Latinos in the US today. Newcomers, like Lin-Manuel Miranda, who has a powerful voice in the entertainment industry, or Agustin Arteaga, the only Latino with the title of Director at one of the most important museums of art in the country, or Andre Arbelaez, who may be the most respected voice for Latinos in the hi-tech industry, make this list a very special one. We hope you enjoy reading who they are, where they live, what has been their professional path and even contact them, for these are the leaders forging the future of America.
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• Mexican-American • 1964 in San Diego, CA • Bachelor’s degree in Art and
Industrial Design from San Diego State University, Master’s degree in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley. • Married
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
LALO ALCARAZ
2017 Ruben Salazar Award for Communication at National Council of La Raza Annual Conference
Alcaraz is best known for his comic La Cucaracha, the first nationally syndicated, politically themed Latino daily comic strip. Launched in 2002, La Cucaracha has become one of the most controversial in the history of American comic strips. He is also the creator of “Daniel D. Portado”, a satirical Hispanic character who in 1994 called on Mexican immigrants to return south—””reverse immigration”—as a response to the controversial Proposition 187. In 2012, Daniel D. Portado returned to the headlines thanks to Mitt Romney’s call for undocumented immigrants to exercise “self-deportation. A leading figure in the Chicano movement, Alcaraz also contributes political cartoons for LA Weekly and hosts a radio show on KPFK called the “Pocho Hour of Power.” He also contributed a work of art to the 2008 Obama campaign called “Viva Obama.” Alcaraz led a social campaign in response to Disney’s attempt to trademark El Dia de los Muertos for Disney film, “Coco”. He won and was then hired by Pixar to consult on the film.
2003 Cyril Magnin Lifetime Achievement Award 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom 2016 California Hall of Fame Inductee 2017 CA Latino Legislative Caucus, Latino Spirit Award, Achievement in Literature 2017 Premio Sicily
Chilean author Isabel Allende won worldwide acclaim when her bestselling first novel, The House of the Spirits, was published in 1982. She has since written 22 more works. Allende, who has received dozens of international tributes and awards over the last 30 years, describes her fiction as “realistic literature,” rooted in her remarkable upbringing and the mystical people and events that fueled her imagination. In addition to her work as a writer, Allende also devotes much of her time to human rights. Following the death of her daughter, Paula, in 1992, she established in her honor a charitable foundation dedicated to the protection and empowerment of women and girls worldwide. She has been awarded 15 international honorary doctorates and more than 60 awards in over 15 countries. In 2017, she published her latest novel,
laloalcaraz.com @laloalcaraz
ARTIST, CARTOONIST, WRITER
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• Chilean-American • August 2, 1942 in Lima, Peru • Divorced isabelallende.com @isabelallende
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
ISABEL ALLENDE AUTHOR
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In The Midst of Winter.
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• Mexican • February 14, 1958 in Veracruz,
Mexico • B.A in Architecture from
Universidad Metropolitana de México, M.A. and Ph.D from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México • Married
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
AGUSTÍN ARTEAGA
dma.org @DallasMuseumArt
2000-2002 Founding Director of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) Fundacion Constantini in Argentina 2013 Ohtli Award 2013 Director and CEO of Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) in Mexico City 2016 Appointed new Eugene McDermott Director of Dallas Museum of Art
EUGENE MCDERMOTT DIRECTOR OF DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART
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1900–1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, and the Avant-Garde in Dallas, TX making it the only first and only stop in the U.S. • Puerto Rican-Cuban • May 9, 1979 in New York, NY • Lee Strasberg Institute • Single @rosariodawson
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
ROSARIO DAWSON
2006 Won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress for Rent 2008 Became spokesperson for More Than Footprints, Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Save The Children 2012 Launched the first annual Unbottle the World Day
Dawson is an American actress and activist. Her film debut in the 1995 controversial teen drama Kids launched a huge career which has been a mix of Hollywood big budget films and indie movies. She is also very politically active. Dawson is Co-founder of Voto Latino. Very involved with the Lower East Side Girls Club, she supports numerous charities including environmental group Global Cool, the ONE Campaign, Operation USA, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the International Rescue Committee and Stay Close.org, and serves on the board for V-Day, a global non-profit movement that raises funds for women’s anti-violence groups. Dawson is a spokeswoman for TripAdvisor.com’s philanthropy program, More Than Footprints, Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Save The Children. Dawson partnered with SodaStream International in launching the first annual Unbottle the World Day, a campaign conceived in an effort to raise awareness to the impact of cans and plastic bottles on the environment.
2013 Musician of the Year by Musical America 2016 Americas Society Cultural Achievement Award 2017 Youngest-ever conductor to lead the Vienna Philharmonic’s famous New Year’s Day Concert, watched annually by over 60 million people in 90 countries.
Dudamel was the son of a trombonist and a voice teacher. He studied music from an early age, with El Sistema, and took up the violin at age ten. Dudamel began to study conducting in 1995, first with Rodolfo Saglimbeni, then later with José Antonio Abreu. In 1999, he was appointed music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, the national youth orchestra of Venezuela. Dudamel has won a number of conducting competitions, including the Gustav Mahler Conducting Prize in Germany in 2004. Dudamel made his debut at La Scala, Milan, with Don Giovanni in November 2006. In 2013 Dudamel conducted the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra during the funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. In 2015 Dudamel conducted both the opening and end titles, for the official motion picture soundtrack and film of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. His contract with the LA Philharmonic has been extended until 2021-2022
1960 Participated in the Chicano Movement 1973 1997 Produced ‘Selena’, Jennifer Lopez breakout film 2005 Opened up the first multiplex in the Maya Cinemas chain 2008 Selected as one of the 50 Most Powerful and Influential Latinos by The Imagen Foundation 2017 Recipient of the Latino Business Award- Inspirational Leader of the Year by Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce
A prolific producer with 31 credits, Oscar-nominated Moctezuma Esparza blazed the trail for Chicano/Latino on-screen stories since the 1970s. His documentary short “Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country” received an Academy nod in 1978. His most popular work includes “Selena” and “The Milagro Beanfield War” and the HBO film “Walkout.” Recognizing the need for more cinemas to screen Latino and ethnically diverse films as well as Hollywood fare, Esparza launched the Maya Cinema multiplex chain; there are now four in California.
ACTRESS
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• Venezuelan • January 26, 1981 in
Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela • Latin American Academy of
Violin • Divorced ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
GUSTAVO ADOLFO DUDAMEL
gustavodudamel.com @gustavodudamel
MUSIC DIRECTOR AT SIMON BOLÍVAR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF VENEZUELA/ MUSIC AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
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• Mexican-American • March 12, 1949 in Los
Angeles, CA • B.A. of Theatre Arts-Motion
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
MOCTESUMA ESPARZA
Arteaga formerly served as the director of the Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) in Mexico City, one of Mexico’s largest and most prominent cultural institutions, presenting work from the mid-16th through the mid20th centuries. Prior to his tenure at MUNAL, Arteaga was the director of the Museo de Arte de Ponce (MAP) in Puerto Rico, and the founding director of the contemporary art museum Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) Fundación Costantini in Argentina. Arteaga has organized more than 100 exhibitions over the course of his career, including major monographic presentations of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Diego Rivera. Arteaga was decorated as a Chevalier in the French Republic’s Order of Arts and Letters in 1998, and he received the Ohtli Award from the government of Mexico in 2013, which is the highest honor bestowed to Mexican citizens for support of Mexican culture abroad. He also organized Mexico’s Modern Art Exhibition México
Pictures, Television, M.F.A. of Theatre Arts-Motion Pictures, TV from the University California Los Angeles • Married mayaentertainment.com @MoctesumaE
PRODUCER, ACTIVIST
July / August 2017 • 23
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1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S
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• Honduran-American • April 18, 1984 in Los Angeles, CA • Major in International
Relations from University of Southern California • Married ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
AMERICA GEORGINE FERRERA
@americaferrera
2002 First television movie, Gotta Kick It Up! 2006 Starred as Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty, which would become her breakthrough role 2007 Named as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2007 Won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress 2017 Was the opening speaker for the Women’s March On Washington
Emmy, Golden Globe, Alma, Image, SAG, and Sundance award winner Ferrera’s auspicious career took off in 2002 when she starred in the indie hit Real Women Have Curves. With 41 film and TV credits, America has built a solid resume of high-quality roles in major Hollywood films, live action and animation. Best known for her hit series Ugly Betty, the US version of Betty la Fea, the hit Latin American novella, Ferrera’s performance as the nerdy, everoptimistic fashion magazine assistant in a viper’s nest of ‘fashionistas’ won hearts for 85 episodes, and broke barriers for Latinas on network TV. Her performance even received congressional congratulation by the US House of Representatives, for being a role model for young Hispanics. Recognized in 2007 by “TIME Magazine” as one of the “Most Influential People in the World,” Ferrera’s bright smile is insured for $10 million by Lloyds of London. In her current roles on NBC’s “Superstore,” America has successfully proven that she can both act and produce.
2016 Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Mozart in the Jungle 2016 Named one of the l00 Most Influential People by Time Magazine
This Mexican actor has risen to the top internationally. With films like Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien, El Crimen del Padre Amaro, Casa de Mi Padre, Babel, Neruda, Desierto and Golden Globe winning Mozart in the Jungle,Garcia Bernal has become one of the most sought-after international actors in the US. His talent and drive has taken him to reach new areas like directing. His directing debut came with the 2007 film Deficit.
2015 Academy Award for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for Birdman 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Director The Revenant 2016 BAFTA Award for Best Film, Best Direction and The Revenant 2016 Academy Award for Best Director for The Revenant
With his film “Babel” he became the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Oscar in 2007 and the first Mexican-born director to win the Prix de la mise en scene at the Cannes Film Festival. Iñárritu’s six feature films—Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), and The Revenant (2015)—pushed Iñárritu to the top of the game. In 2015, Iñárritu won the Academy Award for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture for Birdman. In 2016, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the enormously expensive [$135 million] western ,”The Revenant,” thus making him the third director to win back to back Academy Awards, and the first since 1950.
1999 Launched her production company, Ventanarosa. 2002 Starred in and co-produced the very popular movie, Frida 20062010 Produce the Golden Globe-winning series, Ugly Betty
Mexican-born Hayek is an icon to Latinos around the world and continues to stay on top of her game. She first captured American audiences in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado. Hayek has developed a strong reputation as a producer through her production company, Ventanarosa, showcasing quality Latino-based film and television projects such as Ugly Betty and her 2002 triumph, Frida. Hayek has also been an advocate of immigrant rights. She has fought to create awareness against domestic violence against women and immigrant discrimination. She is married to François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, top-tier internatioanl leader of the luxury goods industry.
ACTRESS
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• Mexican • October 30, 1978 in
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico • “El Centro” School of Speech
and Drama • Single ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
@GaelGarciaB
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL ACTOR, DIRECTOR
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• Mexican • August 15, 1963 in Mexico City • Communications from
Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City • Married ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZIÑÁRRITU
DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER, PRODUCER
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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
SALMA HAYEK PINAULT ACTRESS
24 • July / August 2017
• Mexican • September 2, 1966 in
Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico • International Relations from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City • Married @salmahayek
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• Mexican-American • March 15, 1975 in Corpus
Christie, TX • B.S. in Kinesiology from Texas
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
EVA LONGORIABASTÓN
A&M Univeristy-Kingsville, Master’s in Chicaco Studies from California State University • Married evalongoriafoundation.com @EvaLongoria
2006 Eva’s Heroes founded 2011 Appointed to the commission on the National Museum of the American Latino by President Barack Obama 2012 Eva Longoria Foundation founded 2016 Participated as a speaker in the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia 2017 Listed by Richtopia as #42 in the list of 200 Most Influential Philanthropists and Social Entrepreneurs Worldwide.
First famous to fans of The Young and the Restless, on which she starred from 2001 to 2003, Eva Longoria was cast in her most iconic role to date as Gabrielle Solis in ABC’s Desperate Housewives, which ran from 2004 to 2012. Eva is also an active philanthropist founding the Eva Longoria Foundation to help Latinas build better futures through education and entrepreneurship. She is also the cofounder of Eva´s Heroes in San Antonio. Eva’s Heroes is a non-profit that benefits developmentally disabled children. She has received numerous awards for her work and philanthropy. Among them are awards from Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the National Hispanic Leadership Institute, The National Civil Rights Museum, Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and the Mayor of Los Angeles. Through her work and charity, Eva continues to remain active, empowering Latinos to create better futures. She is married to Jose Baston, President of Content and Television at Grupo Televisa, the largest media company in Latin America.
2005 Named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by Time Magazine 2009 Founded the Lopez Family Foundation 2012 Ranked by Forbes as the most powerful celebrity in the world 2013 Awarded the humanitarian award by amfAR
López broke the glass ceiling for Latinas in entertainment as the first Latina actress to be paid more than $1 million as result of her leading role in the 1997 biopic “Selena.” In the years between, “J.Lo” has held the place as the best paid Latina in Hollywood, commanding up to $15 million for her roles in “Shall We Dance,” and “Monster In Law.” López has released eight studio albums, and many singles. Concerts, her clothing line, and perfumes have positioned her among the world’s highest paid celebrities. López again made history as a judge in the last five seasons of American Idol. With a new Las Vegas ‘residency’ at Planet Hollywood, her earnings keep pace with her ambition. On July 21st, 2016, her production company announced López’ latest TV deal: a 10 episode: “World of Dance”, a reality show on NBC. As of 2016, López ‘net worth is estimated at 320 million.
2008 In the Heights won two Tony for Best Musical, Best Original Score “In the Heights” opened in March of 2008 at the Richard Rodgers stage in Broadway and ran for 1,184 performances. 2016 Hamilton won 11 Tony awards and a Pulitzer 2016 Named one of the l00 Most Influential People by Time Magazine
Manuel is best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. Manuel wrote the book, music, and lyrics for both shows, in addition to starring in the title role. He has personally won a Pulitzer Prize, two Grammys, an Emmy, an Olivier, a MacArthur “Genius” Award, and three Tony awards, among others. Lin Manuel work and talent has placed him on the very notorious list of the Most Influential People created by Time Magazine. His recently debuted his music video “Immigrants”. The track was taken from The Hamilton Mixtape. The song that was released in late 2016, debuted as No. 1 on the charts. In his Time Magazine’s Most Influential People profile, he is said to have “redefined the musical”. Miranda has created a new style of musicals that it may be safe to say: it’s the beginning of a new era.
2015 Became a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Board of Directors 2016 Established the We Will Foundation 2016 Awarded the Young Humanitarian Award by unite4:humanity 2016 Hosted the Young Women’s Honors
Rodriguez is a Golden Globe winner for her portrayal of Jane Villanueva in the hit TV comedy “Jane the Virgin.” Rodriguez, whose TV career began with Law and Order, became known for her work on the soap opera Bold and the Beautiful, is a now a red-hot Hollywood star. Aware of the power of images in media, Gina consciously avoids roles that perpetuate negative stereotypes. The actress is also penning a book honoring her father Genaro Rodríguez, “I Can and I Will: Tools My Daddy Gave Me.” Rodriguez is also politically active. She publically endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Her activism has continued into her social media accounts. She created the hashtag #MovementMondays in which she showcases a Latino or Latina.
ACTRESS, ACTIVIST, PHILANTHROPIST
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• Puerto Rican • July 24, 1969 in Castle Hill, NY • Divorced @Jlo
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
JENNIFER LOPEZ SINGER, ACTRESS
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• Puerto Rican-American • January 16, 1980 in New York,
New York • Theater Studies at Wesleyan
University • Married ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
linmanuel.com @Lin_Manuel
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA COMPOSER, PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR, SINGER
014
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• Puerto Rican-American • July 30, 1984 in Chicago,
Illinois • Tisch School of the Arts • Single ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
GINA RODRIGUEZ
hereisgina.com @HereIsGina
ACTRESS
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• Mexican-American • July 20, 1947 in Autlan de
Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico • Married santana.com @SantanaCarlos
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
1998 The Milagro Foundation established by Deborah and Carlos Santana 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by Billboard Latin Music Awards 2013 Kennedy Center Honoree
A music legend with a career spanning nearly 50 years, Santana has influenced an entire genre of Latin-infused rock. “Rolling Stone” listed Santana, who has won 10 Grammys and three Latin Grammys, at number 20 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He also is the recipient Billboard Latin Music Awards’ 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. At 67, Santana just keeps going on, recording performing sold-out dates around the world. The Milagro Foundation, established by Santana in 1998, has granted more than $5 million dollars to supporting underserved children and youth in the areas of arts, education and health. Santana currently has a residency at House of Blues Las Vegas.
1982 Founded the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum 2003 Received the White House’s Coming Up Taller Award 2006 Renamed to National Museum of Mexican Art
Carlos Tortolero has worked as a teacher, counselor, and administrator in Chicago public schools for many years before his passion for art drove his crowning achievement as Founder and President of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.This is only Latino museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It has become one of the most prominent institutions to house Mexican art collections. He has organized several exhibitions. To be more specific, he has coordinated 20 traveling exhibitions, three anual festivals, and two local comunnity youth initiatives. Tortolero served on numerous boards including the University of Illinois, the American Alliance of Museums, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Smithsonian Latino Center, to name few. He is the co-author of Mexican Chicago and has written articles for national and international publications.
1989 Appeared in a Pepsi commercial as a 17 year-old, her first performance appearance 2008 She ranked No. 62 on Maxim’s Hot 100 list 2012 Was the topearning actress on US television 2014 Ranked as the 32nd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes
Discovered in Colombia for a Pepsi commercial, Catholic schoolgirl Vergara asked the nuns opinion before committing. So began the 27-year-roller-coaster career of the now iconic Award-winning Colombian-American actress, comedian, producer, and businesswoman. Sofia left perilous Colombia for Miami. Vergara found work, co-hosting television shows for Univisión in the late 1990s. After a series of films and TV appearances, Vergara finally struck gold in a role that was tailor made for her: Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the ABC series Modern Family. Vergara shares ensemble SAG Awards with the cast of Modern Family. She has won individual NAACP and Imagen Awards and been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. Vergara leads her own artists’ management company, focused on Latino talent, and has secured many lucrative endorsement deals. She has her own line of clothing, perfume, home goods, and shapewear.
2017 Despacito is released 2017 Has remained steady in the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks. 2017 Scored its first week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart with 54.3 million U.S. streams 2017 Became the most watched video of all time on YouTube
Multiple award-winning duo Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee created the hit Latin single “Despacito”that has helped them reach top charts. It became the first Spanish-language single to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena” in 1996. The YouTube musical video has historically accumulated 3 billion video views, making it the most watched video of all time on YouTube. Something that has never been done in such a short time. This single has reached #1 in 89 countries, Diamond Certification in 11 countries and Multiplatinum Certification in 25 countries. The single currently holds the #1 spot on Spotify and Shazam Global Charts.
CARLOS SANTANA MUSICIAN
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• Mexican • 1954 in Guadalajara, Mexico • B.A. in Secondary Education
and History from the University of Illinois and a M.A. in Bilingual Education Supervision from Chicago State University • Married
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
CARLOS TORTOLERO
nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org @ExploreNMMA
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART IN CHICAGO
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• Colombian • July 10, 1972 in Barranquilla,
Colombia • Creative Workshops School of
Acting • Married ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
@SofiaVergara
SOFIA VERGARA ACTRESS
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LUIS FONSI/ DADDY YANKEE SINGER, SONGWRITER/ SINGER, SONGWRITER, RAPPER
26 • July / August 2017
• Puerto Rican • April 15, 1978 in San Juan,
Puerto Rico/ February 3, 1977 in San Juan, Puerto Rico • Vocal Performance at Florida State University/ • Married/ Married luisfonsi.com/ daddyyankee.com @LuisFonsi/ @daddy_yankee
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• Mexican • March 6, 1978 in Mexico City • Master´s in Journalism from
2013 Named one of the Top Young Latinos in American Newsrooms
One of the freshest faces of Univision journalism team, Enrique Acevedo has covered some of the most important events. He is the anchor for Noticiero Univision late-night edition. He has been the recipient of a News & Documentary Emmy Award in the Outstanding Newscast or News Magazine category. He has interviewed some of the most influential figures in the world including President Barack Obama, philanthropist Melinda Gates, Nobel Peace Prize winners Jody Williams, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan and Juan Manuel Santos, as well as many other global leaders in the fields of science, finance and technology. He’s credibility has been steadily expanding among the Hispanic American community.
1988 Became CEO of Grupo Televisa 2010 Televisa acquires a 5% stake of Univision 2012 Millward Brown recognizes Televisa as one of the most valuable brand in Latin America, under the media category 2013 Azcarraga is recognized as Personality of the Year Mipcom 2012 2016 Televisa launches Blim, which would be considered as Netflix’s competition
With an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion, this Mexican media tycoon is Mexico’s 10th richest individual, ranking among Latin America’s wealthiest. He is Chairman and CEO of Grupo Televisa, the largest Spanish-language media company in the world. A skillful businessman, Azcarraga Jean took over the ailing business from his father Emilio Azcarraga “El Tigre”, and is widely credited with the enormous success his company now enjoys. He sits on the board of directors of the Spanish-language Univision Network, in which Televisa also owns a stake, and Banamex, the Mexican financial giant. Additionally, he is global board member of Endeavor, an international non-profit organization headquartered in New York that serves entrepreneurs in nearly 20 nations with emerging markets in four continents.
2009 Became Vice Chairman and Director of Strategy at Grupo Cisneros 2013 Appointed CEO of Grupo Cisneros 2015 Recipient of the NATPE Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award 2017 Awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award by EY
Adriana Cisneros is considered one of the most powerful Latinas in the nation by ALPFA and FORTUNE Magazine. She is the President and CEO of Grupo Cisneros, the largest privately-owned media, entertainment, real estate, tourism and consumer products company in the world. Grupo Cisneros reaches 550 million Spanish and Portuguese-speaking consumer in the Americas and Europe. The reach of Grupo Cisnerso is incredible. It is currently the last independent outlet in Venezuela. She is also the President of the Fundacion Cisneros, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education in the region. Cisneros is the third generation of her family to lead Grupo Cisneros. Adriana Cisneros is a double threat to many, Latina and female and if we may add another: powerful.
2002 White House Fellow for Secretary of State Colin Powell 2003 Joined Univision 2013 Joined NBCUniversal as Executive VP
Harvard graduate and former White House Fellow, Conde exploded through the executive ranks at Univision to become one of the youngest presidents of an American broadcast network at the age of 36 in 2009. While at the Spanish-language network, he held half a dozen senior positions, from special assistant to the CEO, to VP and operating manager of the Galavisión Network to vice president Univision’s sales and business development. In 2013 Conde joined NBC Universal, where he served as an executive vice president prior to his promotion to Chairman. He has led multiple social and community initiatives throughout his time in Univision and Telemundo.
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism • Married MEDIA
ENRIQUE ACEVEDO
@Enrique_Acevedo
JOURNALIST AT UNIVISION
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• Mexican • February 21, 1968 in Mexico
City • Bachelor´s in Industrial
Relations from Universidad Iberoamericana • Married
MEDIA
EMILIO AZCARRAGA JEAN
@eazcarraga
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TELEVISA SA
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• Venezuelan • December 17, 1979 in
Caracas, Venezuela • B.A. from Columbia University.
M.A. in Journalism from New York University, Program for Leadership Development from Harvard Business School • Married
MEDIA
ADRIANA CISNEROS
adrianacisneros.com @cisnerosadriana
CEO OF GRUPO CISNEROS
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• Peruvian-Cuban • December 8, 1973 in New
York City, NY • B.A from Harvard University
MEDIA
CESAR CONDE
and M.B.A from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania • Married @cesarconde_
CHAIRMAN NBC UNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL GROUP AND TELEMUNDO INTERPRISES
July / August 2017 • 27
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• Cuban • 1963 in Santa Clara, Cuba • Master’s and PhD in Clinical
and Cultural Psychology. nelygalan.com @Nely_Galan
MEDIA
1994 Founded Galan Entertainment 1999 Became the President of Entertainment for Telemundo 2008 Appeared in Celebrity Apprentince 2012 Added to the Advisory Board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund 2016 Published her book Self
Media mogul is a title that perfectly fits this Cuban immigrant. Galán was the first Latina president of a U.S. television network, Telemundo. She has produced more than 600 episodes for Spanishand English-language TV, including telenovelas, talk shows, sitcoms and so-called reality series. Her credits include the shows Los Beltrán, Viva Vegas, Sólo en América, La Cenicienta, Father Albert and The Swan. Her company Galan Entertainment helped launched about 10 channels for HBO and Fox in Latin America and also creates content for the web and other media platforms focused on women and Latinos. Galan currently heads the Adelante Movement, a motivational digital platform and tour for Latinas.
1996 Founded Spanishlanguage American magazine, People en Espanol 2002 Received the Hispanic Heritage Award for Leadership 2002 Inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Aluni Hall of Fame 2007 Became Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility of Time Warner, Inc. 2012 Became Chief Diversity Officer of Time Warner, Inc. 2016 Chairman of Hispanic Scholarship Fund
President Obama appointed Lisa Garcia Quiroz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, and Chief Diversity Officer at Time Warner Inc., to chair the Corporation for National and Community Service Board of Directors (CNCS). CNCS is a federal agency that helps more than five million Americans make a positive impact on the lives of fellow citizens through service. They invest in thousands of nonprofit groups across the country, and govern federal service programs like AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund. She was appointed to the Board in 2010. As Time Warner’s first Chief Diversity Officer, she has deepened the company’s dedication to diversity and corporate responsibility. She is also president of Time Warner’s Foundation.
Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant and Rich In Every Way.
NELY GALÁN PRODUCER, AUTHOR, DIRECTOR
024
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• 1961 • B.A. from Harvard University
and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School • Married MEDIA
LISA GARCIA QUIROZ SVP, CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER AT TIME WARNER, INC.
28 • July / August 2017
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• July 30, 1962 • B.A. in Political Science from
Boston College @magicgus
2008 Founded HSG Communications 2011 Joined HP 2015 Named Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of HP Enterprises
Henry Gomez has worked with Hewlett Packard Enterprise for over 15 years in various capacities. With more than 27 years of experience in marketing, communications, and broad-based business management, Gomez is responsible for leading marketing, advertising, brand, media, and industry analyst relations, executive communications, employee communications, government affairs, global social innovation, and environmental sustainability. Henry was president and EVP of SKYPE from 2006-2007. He also is a member of HP’s Executive Council.
2010 Received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from DePaul University in Chicago 2012 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism 2015 Received the Peabody Award
For 25 years, this Mexico City-born journalist has been covering all sorts of issues for radio and TV networks like National Public Radio, CBS and CNN. A winner of four Emmys and other national and international awards, Hinojosa is known for also covering underreported issues, Latinos and other communities. She hosts the radio show Latino USA on National Public Radio since 1992. In 2010 she founded the Futuro Group, a nonprofit media organization that produced the recent PBS TV series “America by the Numbers” and has taken over the production of Latino USA. Hinojosa taught at DePaul University as the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz chair of the Latin American and Latino Studies program in 2013. She is also the author and mastermind of two books including a motherhood memoir, Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son. She is the recipient of four Emmy Awards, which has placed as one of the most reliable Latina journalist in American television.
1992 Became vice president of programming and production for the Telemundo Network 1997 Served as senior vice president and editorial director of Cosmopolitan Television 2010 Began her job as senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Espanñol and Hispanic Strategy for CNN/U.S.
Cynthia Hudson has one of the broadest curriculums in the industry of communications. Her expertise and ability to lead has put top-leading media businesses in the forefront. She currently is senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Español and Hispanic strategy for CNN/U.S. Hudson launched CNNEspañol.com and expanded the radio business to include over 150 new affiliates in the U.S. and another 100 markets in Latin America and Europe. Under Hudson, CNN en Español has won two Emmys, three GLAAD Awards, two Promax-BDA awards, as well as an honorable mention at the Shortly Awards for Best Multi-Platform Campaign for Social Coverage of 2014 Venezuelan Crisis.
2008 Received the President´s Award from the Los Angeles Press Club 2011 Received and honorary doctorate degree from San Jose State University 2011 Was a Pulitzer Prize finalist
Lopez has written for the LA Times since 2001. His humanity has touched millions of loyal readers. Lopez’ series of columns about his unlikely relationship with schizophrenic bassist, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers became the subject of a national best-selling book, The Soloist, winner of the PEN USA Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and the subject of a Dream Works movie by the same name. Ayers and Lopez’s relationship was also nationally highlighted in the March 22, 2009, episode of 60 Minutes. He wrote the novels Third and Indiana, The Sunday Macaroni Club, and “In the Clear.” He has also compiled a collection of his works from The Philadelphia Inquirer titled Land of Giants, and a collection of Los Angeles Times columns called “Dreams & Schemes.”
MEDIA
HENRY GOMEZ EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER FOR HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE
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• Mexican-American • July 2, 1961 in Mexico, City • B.A. from Barnard College • Married
npr.org/programs/latino-usa @Maria_Hinojosa
MEDIA
MARIA HINOJOSA JOURNALIST AND HOST OF LATINO USA
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• Cuban-American • 1964 in Los Angeles, CA • Master’s degree in
Communications from the University of Miami @cynthiacnn
MEDIA
CYNTHIA HUDSON SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF CNN EN ESPAÑOL AND HISPANIC STRATEGY FOR CNN/U.S
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• Spanish-Italian • 1953 in Pittsburg, CA • San Jose State University latimes.com/lopez @LATstevelopez
MEDIA
STEVEN M. LOPEZ JOURNALIST AT LOS ANGELES TIMES
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• Mexican-American • 1943 in Calexico, California • Single nhmc.org @alexnogalesNHMC
MEDIA
ALEX NOGALES
1995 Protested against the “Howard Stern” radio show after Stern’s comments about Selena Quintanilla 2000 A key player in the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding with NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX 2014 The NHMC launched the Latino Experts Program 2016 Protested publicly against slanderous and racist comments from GOP candidate Trump
As head of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Nogales has been at the forefront of the fight for accurate portrayals of Latinos. He has confronted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over his derogatory comments about Mexicans, and Nogales was one of the most prominent and vocal Latino leaders calling for swift action against Trump. Due in no small part to he has now been dumped by NBC, Univision, Macy’s and the Professional Golfers’ Association. Earlier in the year, Nogales and NHMC celebrated the “open internet” rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission that he believes will pave the way for full Latino participation on the internet. Nogales is considered the “watchdog” for Latinos in entertainment, assuring fairness and equality.
2002 Created the first book club in the history of Hispanic television, Despierta Leyendo 2002 Honored with the “Ruben Salazar” award by the National Council of La Raza for his positive portrayal of Latinos 2006 Received the Latino Book Award 2017 Awarded Recognition of Excellence Award by Premio Gabo
In 2016, respected, Emmy-winning anchor Jorge Ramos came face to face with the enemy. Rudely ejected from a press conference of GOP presidential nominee, Trump, for asking hard questions, Ramos’ dignity did not waver even as he appeared stunned by the naked racism directed at him, as a journalist representing Mexicans in America. Mexican-born Ramos came to the U.S. in the 80s; in that time, he has become the most trusted face of Latino journalism. Named “the voice of the voiceless”, Ramos has coanchored Noticiero Univision for nearly three decades, covering major events from wars to the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has interviewed US and Latin American presidents and Nobel Prize winners, like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, among others. He also hosts Univision’s “Al Punto” and Fusion’s English-language “America with Jorge Ramos.” He has authored 11 books and writes a column distributed by the New York Times Syndicate.
2014 Joined PBS
He is the 3rd Latino to be awarded a Rhodes scholarship. With over 25 years of experience working with philanthropic organizations, non-profits, businesses, governments and communities he comes to build efficiencies, find solutions, foster collaboration and nurture innovation. In many communities, public television and radio stations are the only remaining broadcasters that are locally owned and operated with the power to reach and change the lives of America’s citizens. As PBS’ Senior Vice President of System Leadership, Sepulveda works closely with leaders to create a strategy and direction that will ensure that PBS programs, products and services support each station’s connection to its community and audience. PBS is an American broadcasting station. They are independently operated and are the top provider of television programming to public television stations in the U.S.
2004 Named one of Crain’s
With over 25 years of experience, Lisa Torres has become a key to the change in multicultural brands. Her expertise and knowledge is continuously looked for when it comes to understanding market audiences. Torres has helped launch, Utilisima, a Spanish-language cable network. Prior to her current position, she was Executive Vice President, Group Account Director for MPG’s Diversity Unit. She was able to grow the company’s diversity business, while helping the business acquire new clients such as Dannon and Sears Holding Company. This power Latina keeps making strides not only in her workplace but also as a speaker. She was recently one of the speakers at the 11th Annual Hispanic Advertising and Media Conference.
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NATIONAL HISPANIC MEDIA COALITION
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• Mexican • March 16, 1958 in Mexico City • Communications from
Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Master’s in International Studies from the University of Miami • Divorced
MEDIA
JORGE RAMOS
jorgeramos.com @jorgeramosnews
JOURNALIST AT UNIVISION
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• Mexican-American • November 22, 1963 in Topeka,
Kansas • B.A. in Government from
Harvard College, B.A. in Politics, Philosophy & Economics from Oxford University, J.D. from Stanford Law School
MEDIA
JUAN SEPULVEDA
@JSepulvedaJr
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SYSTEM LEADERSHIP AT PBS
032
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MEDIA
LISA TORRES PRESIDENT OF MULTICULTURAL PRACTICE AT PUBLICIS MEDIA
30 • July / August 2017
@TorresLisa
New York Top 40 under 40 2004 Named Media AllStar by Mediaweek 2008 named President of AAAA Multicultural Committee
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• American • 1951 in Albuquerque, New
Mexico • Pomona College • Married alvaradoconstruction.com
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
LINDA ALVARADO
1976 Founded Alvarado Construction, Inc 1992 Became first Latino to own a major league baseball team, Colorado Rockies 1996 U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year 1996 Revlon Business Woman of the Year 2001 Horatio Alger Award 2003 Inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame
Linda Alvarado is the President and CEO of Alvarado Construction, Inc., a commercial and industrial construction firm in Denver, Colorado. She is also President of the Palo Alto, Inc. restaurant company, and serves on the boards of directors of 3M, Cypress Amax Minerals Company, Mayo Clinic, and Pitney Bowes. In keeping with breaking non-traditional roles, Linda Alvarado has also made history as the first Hispanic (male or female) owner of a major league baseball franchise, the Colorado Rockies. Winner of the Horatio Alger Award, Linda is a trailblazer, wife, and mother, and stands out at a strong Latina in the male-dominated arenas of construction, sports, and corporate boards. Linda Alvarado has been named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in America”. She was honored in New York along with U.S. Attorney General, Janet Reno and poet laureate, Maya Angelou, as a recipient of the prestigious Sara Lee Corporation Frontrunner Award for exemplary achievement and leadership. Her success in business and active community involvement led to her recognition as a trailblazer in her field.
2007 Joined HITEC 2011 Became President of HITEC
Andre Arbelaez is not only the President of HITEC. He is also the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Office for Softtek USA. HITEC is an organization of top leadership executives in technology. This organization provides the tools to build stronger tech leaders through mentoring, events, and programs. Arbelaez’s influence and leadership has elevated the prestige of HITEC. Since becoming President in 2011, he has supported Latino talent in STEM. He is the creator of connections and teams among Latino executives.
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ALVARADO CONSTRUCTION, INC.
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• Colombian • Detroit, Michigan hitecglobal.org @arbelaez28
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
ANDRE ARBELAEZ PRESIDENT OF HISPANIC IT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (HITEC)
C OR P OR AT E / BUSI N E SS
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• American • 1964 in San Francisco • B.S. in Mathematics and
Computer Science from University of Texas at Arlington, MBA from Southern Methodist University • Married
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
THADDEUS ARROYO
2007 Officially joined AT&T via a merger 2013 Named one of CNET en Español’s 20 Most Influential Latinos in Technology 2014 Earned MIT Sloan’s CIO Leadership Award 2016 CEO of AT&T Business Solutions 2016 Made Quién magazines’s list of 50 People Transforming Mexico 2016 Named Mexico’s 300 Most Influential Leaders by Líderes Mexicanos magazine
Thaddeus Arroyo was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business in December. He is responsible for the company’s integrated business organization, which serves nearly 3.5 million business customers in almost 200 countries and territories, including nearly all of the world’s Fortune 1000 companies. Thaddeus has vast experience driving strategic growth through change. He boldly uses innovation to fuel disruptive business models in consumer and business segments. And he knows the value of customer engagement.
2013 Became a member of the Board of Directors for HITEC 2014 Became a member of the Board of Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula 2016 Retired from HP
Ramon Baez’s career experience spans various global Fortune 100 companies in the manufacturing, packaged goods, aerospace and defense industries, and products and services for the scientific community. He first began his career at Northrop Grumman, where he spent 25 years and finished as CIO for its electronics system sensor sector. In October 2016, Baez retired from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he had served as the senior vice president, customer evangelist and advocate. While at HP, he advised customers and partners through peer-to-peer discussions on how to make and implement decisions about emerging digital technologies in their operations, products and business models in order to have a positive impact on the marketplace. Baez is one of the most respected names in the Hi-Tech Latino community.
1989 Began his time in The Coca Cola Company 1991 Awarded the Hispanic Community Commitment Award by the Latin American Management Association 1994 Received a special recognition by the USHCC 1995 Received the Hispanic Leadership Award from the National Puerto Rican Forum 2011 Received the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award 2011 Awarded the Hector Barreto Con Ganas Award
Everything Latino comes through his office. For the past 24 years, Rudy M. Beserra has headed Coca-Cola’s Latin Affairs division. Beserra is vice president of Latin Affairs at Coca-Cola. He joined the beverage company in 1989 after serving under President Ronald Reagan as special assistant on Latino and Small Business Affairs. He is on the board of directors of numerous national organizations that assist and advance Latinos including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), the National Council Of La Raza, Inc., the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce.
1981 Served a Mayor of San Antonio, Texas 1993 Served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 1997 President and COO for Univision 2007 Maestro Award for Leadership from Latino Leaders magazine 2007 National Hispanic Hero Award from United States Hispanic Leadership Institute 2008 Visionary Award from Hispanic College Fund
With a long career in community-building, Cisneros varied career includes stints as mayor, housing developer, and TV corporate owner. He is now taken another role as a sort of “evangelizer” of climate change to the business sector, helping to shape public opinion on the subject. He was appointed to Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1992 and worked to revitalize several of the country’s public housing developments with new policies, which helped grow the home ownership rate in the country. Cisneros was also president and chief executive officer of Univision Communications and continues to serve on its board. He has served as the president of the National League of Cities, deputy chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and Habitat for Humanity International.
CEO OF AT&T BUSINESS
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• American • 1962 B.S. in Business
Administration from University of La Verne in California • Married @ramonfbaez
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
RAMON BAEZ MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN, INC. AND KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITALS
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• Albuquerque, NM • A.A. in Special Education and
Political Science from the University of New Mexico • Married coca-colacompany.com
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
RUDY BESERRA
VICE PRESIDENT OF LATIN AFFAIRS AT THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
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CORPORATE/BUSINESS
HENRY CISNEROS
CHAIRMAN OF CITYVIEW AND PRINCIPAL OF SEIBERT CISNEROS SHANK
32 • July / August 2017
• Mexican-American • June 11, 1947 in San
Antonio, Texas B.A. and M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning, from Texas A&M University, Master’s in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, DPA from George Washington University • Married
cityview.com/contact/index.html
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• Bolivian-American • December 9, 1970 in La Paz,
Bolivia • B.S. in Economics and Finance
from Bentley University • Married CORPORATE/BUSINESS
@marceloclaure
MARCELO CLAURE
1997 Founded Brighstar 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year by USA Today 2001 Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young 2003 Hispanic Entrepreneur of the Year by Hispanic Business Magazine 2008 Acquires BAISA 2014 Selected as Sprint’s new CEO 2017 Joined Softbank’s Board of Directors
Marcelo Claure, the CEO of Sprint Corporation, is one of a handful of Latino CEO’s of multi-billion dollar companies. Sprint, now the 4th largest wireless network in the US as of March 2016, ranked number 87 on the Fortune 500 before Japan’s SoftBank acquired an 80% ownership. Claure also serves on the board of directors of Sprint. He is a wireless industry entrepreneur, having served as Founder and CEO of Brightstar Corp.
1992 U.S. Surgeon General’s Gold Medallion for Public Health 1995 Community Service Award from the American Diabetes Association 1995 Significant Achievement Award from the Chicanos for Creative Medicine 2016 Leader in Action Award from UCLA Prime 2017 Awardee of the Medallion of Excellence from CHCI
De la Rocha has made a name for himself nationally as a foremost advocate for affordable health care to struggling Latino communities. He holds several degrees from top tier universities, including a Juris Doctorate from Berkeley. Since joining AltaMed in 1977, the company has grown exponentially under his tenure to now serve communities in the L.A and Orange County area. AltaMed today is the largest FQHC in the state of California and number one in the nation, delivering more than one million patient visits annually across nearly 50 medical, dental and PACE sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties. He has had numerous mentions and awards, including induction into the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Grassroots Hall of Fame.
2016 Named one of the Most Influential Women by the San Francisco Business Times 2017 Third on ALPFA and Fortune magazine’s 50 Most Powerful
Gabriela has been a key contributor to Mellon Capital’s growth in multiasset and beta strategies, international expansion, and the extension of its institutional strategies through strategic sub-advised relationships. She has worked in the financial services, operations, risk, and regulatory fields since 1994. Gabriela has 22 years of financial services, operations, risk and regulatory experience. She previously served other senior roles at Mellon Capital: Managing Director of Business Operations, Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel.
2012 Becomes President and CEO of Gruma 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Association of Mexican Entrepreneurs 2017 Good Neighbor award from the Mexico-United States Chamber of Commerce
Juan González Moreno is Chairman and CEO of GRUMA and GIMSA, the world’s leading producers of corn and flour tortillas and wheat-flour related food products. In 2014, Gruma reported revenues of 3.8 billion. In 2016, it was reported that Gruma/Mission Foods contributed US$4 million dollars to create a Mexico-Texas bilateral relations center “The Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center” to provide a solid foundation for developing a better understanding of the unique relationship between Mexico and Texas in political, economic, social, and cultural matters. This educational center will make recommendations on public policies and encourage debate and research in order to improve the strategic relationships between Mexico, Texas, and the United States. In 2017, González Moreno was named number 132 in Los 300, a list showcasing the 300 most influential leaders of Mexico by Lideres Mexicanos Magazine.
CEO AND DIRECTOR OF SPRINT CORPORATION
040
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CORPORATE/BUSINESS
CASTULO DE LA ROCHA
• Mexican-American • 1948 • B.A. in Political Science from
University of California in Santa Barbara, J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California in Berkeley altamed.org
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ALTAMED HEALTH SERVICES CORPORATION
041
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• Mexican-American • M.P.A. from the University
of Texas at Austin, J.D. from Stanford Law School bnymellon.com
Latinas in Corporate America
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
GABRIELA FRANCO PARCELLA CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT, AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MELLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
042
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• Mexican • August 23, 1957 in Monterrey,
Nuevo Leon, Mexico • B.B.A. from Universidad
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
JUAN GONZALEZ MORENO
Regiomontana, M.B.A. from University of San Diego • Married @GrumaGlobal
CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GRUMA AND GIMSA
July / August 2017 • 33
C OR P OR AT E / BUSI N E SS
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1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S 043
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• Mexican-American • 1948 in Tucumari, New Mexico • B.A. in History from University
1986 Became President and CEO of Griego Enterprises
The former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles is a doer, feminist, and visionary. She is a member of several high profile boards, including CBS as well as the Chair of the MLK Jr. Hospital Foundation. Since 2006, she has served as a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In 2010, she joined the board of directors of The German Marshall Fund. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Art Center College of Design. She previously served on other boards, including Cedars Sinai, Medical Center, Southwest Water Company, City National Bank, Granite Construction, Inc., Blockbuster, Inc., Tokai Bank and First Interstate Bank. She was also a Los Angeles director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. An avid restauranteur, Griego owned Engine Co. No 28 for 23 years; she now owns several specialty bakeries/cafes in Downtown Los Angeles. She is currently planning the construction of a Latino arts community to revitalize her native New Mexico.
2001 Co-Founded Liberty Power Corporation 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Hispanic Business magazine 2007 Awarded Businesman of the Year by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2007 Liberty Power was ranked as the #1 Fastest Growing Hispanic 500 company by Hispanic Business magazine
Cuban immigrant David Hernández is the visionary Founder/CEO of Liberty Power, the largest independent retail electricity supplier in the United States. Since Hernández co-founded the company in 2001 it has become one of the ten largest Hispanic-owned companies in the country, serving nearly 200,000 business and residential accounts across the electric retailer’s national footprint. To bring the next generation into the ‘grid’ he created the Liberty Power Bright Horizons Scholarship in alliance with US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to provide 100K in STEM college scholarships over a five-year span.
1992 Joined Softtek 2004 Became part of the Sales and Marketing team of Softtek USA 2011 Appointed CEO of Sofftek USA and Canada
Marco Jimenez is the guy who runs the show at Softtek USA and Canada. Also known as the CEO, Jimenez is a avid promoter of diversity. In 2016, he was awarded the 2016 Member of the Year award from HITEC. Jimenez has over 20 years of experience in IT and he has played a very important role in the global expansion of Softtek. He is also a member of the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and the Pan American Development Foundation. Prior to becoming CEO of Softtek, he was also responsible for Softtek’s Sales and Marketing, in which he was able to doble the revenues in only three years. Jimenez is natural-born champion who leads by example.
2000 Walt Disney Company Board 2001 Bank of America Corporation Board 2002 Director of the Tenet Healthcare Corporation 2012 Rockefeller Foundation Board 2014 The Cisneros Center for New Americans Board 2016 Target Board of Directors
Monica Lozano is one of the most respected Hispanic business leaders in America with a thirty year record of accomplishment leading diversified media organizations. She is currently Chair of the Board of US Hispanic Media, Inc. the parent company of ImpreMedia LLC. Lozano recently retired after five years as Chief Executive Officer of ImpreMedia, one of the largest media companies serving Hispanic communities in the United States. Under her leadership, the company expanded into new markets, products and lines of business including lifestyle publications targeting Hispanic families; entertainment and sports magazines and websites; and a Commercial Publishing division which currently produces Que Rica Vida, a bi-monthly magazine for General Mills Inc. Monica Lozano is a Latina with some of the greatest influence inside boardrooms.
of California in Los Angeles • Married CORPORATE/BUSINESS
LINDA GRIEGO
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GRIEGO ENTERPRISES
044
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• Cuban • B.S. in Accounting from Palm
Beach Atlantic University, M.B.A. from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business CORPORATE/BUSINESS
libertypowercorp.com @libertypower
DAVID HERNANDEZ CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF LIBERTY POWER
045
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• Mexican • B.A. in Electronic Engineering
from Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana softtek.com @MarcosJ0425
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
MARCOS JIMENEZ
CEO OF SOFTTEK USA AND CANADA
046
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• Mexican-American • July 21, 1956 in Los Angeles,
California Sociology and Political Science at the University of Oregon • Married CORPORATE/BUSINESS
MONICA LOZANO
CORPORATE EXECUTIVE
34 • July / August 2017
@monica0650
047
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• Mexican-American • Detroit, Michigan • Bachelor’s in International
Business and Master’s in Interdisciplinary Technology from Eastern Michigan University
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
MONICA MARTINEZ
comerica.com
2007 Executive of the Year by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs Detroit Chapter 2010 Named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the U.S. by Hispanic Business Magazine 2011 Received the Enterprising Spirit Award from Wayne State University 2016 Named as one of Corp! Magazine’s Diversity Business Leaders
Monica L. Martinez is Senior Vice President, External Affairs for Comerica Bank, which includes the dual roles of managing the corporate contributions function for the Michigan market as well as overseeing all aspects of the bank’s involvement of Hispanic Business Development nationally. Martinez joined Comerica in 2006 in support of the bank’s ongoing commitment to building strong relationships with Hispanic business owners, entrepreneurs and communities. Under her leadership, Martinez’ teams have reached many milestones including Comerica being named to the Hispanic Business Magazine’s Diversity Elite 60 list (in the top 10) in addition to being highlighted as the number one company for Supplier Diversity for two consecutive years.
1995 Founded Geoscape
César Melgoza is the CEO and Founder of Geoscape, a business intelligence firm from Miami. César is an innovator and leader in creating strategies using analytical information. Coming from humble beginnings, having grown up on a farm labor camp in California, he has been able to thrive becoming a highly-influential leader in IT. Prior to Geoscape, he was part of the team at Apple and Strategic Mapping. Melgoza is part of the Board of Directors of the USHCC and on its Executive Committee. He has also served on the advisory boards of Florida International University´s International MBA program and he is a board member of Florida State University´s Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication. Melgoza´s has been going from success to success, his leadership is imperative to young Latinos today.
2008 Joined GameStop as the Chief Operating Officer 2010 Became CEO of GameStop
Paul Raines is the CEO and a member of the board of directors of GameStop, which is ranked number 311 on the Fortune 500, with $9.3 billion in revenue. GameStop has over 6,600 locations and 36,000 employees worldwide. Raines is also a board member of Advance Auto Parts, which is ranked number 294 on the Fortune 500, with over $9.8 billion in revenues. Raines has had a terrific career in retail and having previously served in leadership roles with Game Stop, Home Depot, L.L. Bean, and Kurt Salmon Associates
1979 Cofounded The Related Group 2005 Named as one of top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States by TIME magazine 2005 First appeared in The Forbes 400 2008 Published his first book, Powerhouse Principles: The
Billionaire real estate developer Jorge M. Perez has created an empire. He has built his fortune by building and operating low-income multifamily apartments across Miami, then branched off into rental apartments before becoming one of the most prolific high-rise condo builders in the Southern United States. In an interview with Forbes, Perez said he onfronted Trump on his immigration ideals and asked him, “When you build your 30-foot wall, which side should I be on?” Perez, a U.S. citizen since 1976, says Trump laughed, and after the Inauguration, Trump asked Perez to help him build it. Perez, who happens to be a democrat, declined.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR COMERICA BANK
048
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• Mexican • Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico • B.A. in Psychology from the
University fo California-Santa Barbara, M.A. in Public Affairs and Political Economy from The University of Texas at Austin
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
CÉSAR MELGOZA
geoscape.com @cesarmmelgoza
FOUNDER AND CEO OF GEOSCAPE
049
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• Costa Rican-American • 1964 in Costa Rica • B.S. in Industrial Engineering
from Georgia Institute of Technology • Married CORPORATE/BUSINESS
@gamestopcorp
PAUL RAINES
CEO OF GAMESTOP
050
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• Argetine-Cuban- American • October 17, 1949 in Buenos
Aires, Argentina • Bachelor’s from Long Island
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
JORGE PEREZ CO-FOUNDER OF THE RELATED GROUP, INC.
University C.W. Post Campus, Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan • Married relatedgroup.com @Related_Group
Billionaire Blueprint for Real Estate Success 2008 Awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from C.W. Post, Long Island University.
July / August 2017 • 35
C OR P OR AT E / BUSI N E SS
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• Mexican • 1962 in Saltillo, Coahuila,
Mexico • Instituto Tecnologico de
Monterrey (ITESM), M.B.A. from Texas A&M University CORPORATE/BUSINESS
@GuillermoP_SH
GUILLERMO PERALES
1997 Founded Sun Holdings 2008 Received Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst and Young 2008 Awarded the Minority Business Leader Award by Dallas Business Journal 2013 Achieved the American Dream Award 2014 Sun Holdings ranked 7th multi unit brand by Multi Unit Franchisee Magazine
Insatiable entrepreneur Perales picked up 84 GNC stores in 2016, betting on the growing hunger for health.Winner of the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the International Franchise association, Guillermo Perales is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Holdings, Inc., the company he founded in 1997. With over 750 retail locations, Sun Holdings is the largest Latino-owned operator of Quick Service Restaurants in America. Their brands include Arby’s, Burger King, Popeye’s, Golden Corral, Cici’s Pizza, and Krispy Kreme. They also have T-Mobile stores. Sun Holdings is ranked as 8th largest Franchise owner in the United States, valued at $555 million.
1996 Founded Pinnacle Technical Resources 2005 Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 Named Chairman of the Board of Directors of the USHCC 2014 Appointed to the inaugural Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship 2017 Named one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas of 2017 by ALPFA and FORTUNE Magazine
Nina Vaca is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Pinnacle Group, the largest Latina-owned workforce solutions provider in America. Pinnacle Group has been ranked among the Inc 500/5000 fastest-growing companies in the country for the last decade. In 2015 it was named fastest-growing women-owned/ led company in the nation by the Women Presidents’ Organization. Vaca also serves as a director of three Fortune 1000 companies with a combined market cap of $23 Billion: Kohl’s Corporation, Cinemark Holdings, and Comerica, Inc. In 2012, she was named Chairman Emeritus for Life of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and serves as Chairman of its Foundation. In 2014 Vaca became a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and has traveled to five continents inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs globally. Vaca is a German Marshall Fellow, a British American Project Fellow, and a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. In 2016 she was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame and Museum and recently she was honored as a Trailblazing Woman in Labor and Business by the National Women’s History Project.
1999 Presented with the Ronald H. Brown Corporate Bridge Builder Award by President Clinton 2000 Received the Corporate Recognition Award from A Better Chance 2003 Became CEO of Trujillo Group Investments 2008 Named CEO of the Year by Australian Telecom Magazine
Sol Trujillo is the Chairman of Trujillo Group Investments. He is a member of the board of directors of Western Union, which ranks number 468 on the Fortune 500, with $5.6 billion in revenue and 10,000 employees. Trujillo has served as the CEO of three major telecommunications companies on three continents including US West in North America, Orange S.A. in Europe, and Telstra in Australia. In 2010, Trujillo co-founded the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), an organization dedicated to improving the Hispanic brand and ensuring Hispanic participation at every level of leadership in America. Trujillo is one of the most respected personalities and fierce advocate in and for the Latino Community.
1999 Founded Hoteles.com 2006 Founded PeopleFund 2008 Named CEO of Brokersweb, Inc. 2011 Named one of the top 10 Hispanic entrepreneurs by INC Magazine 2015 Served as the Chief Executive Officer of Autoweb, Inc.
Originally from Latin America, the entrepreneur has a long history of founding and investing in companies from varying industries. That eventually led him to founding PeopleFund. PeopleFund strives to provide loans to local start-up companies seeking to grow or simply establish a product base. Since his career started in his early twenties, he has been at the forefront of empowering Latinos through investments and thus propelling the commercial clout of Hispanics everywhere.
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SUN HOLDINGS, INC.
052
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• Ecuadorian • 1971 in Quito, Ecuador • B.A. in in Speech
Communications and Minor in Business Administration from Texas State University, • Married
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
NINA VACA
ninavaca.com @ninavaca
CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF PINNACLE GROUP
053
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• American • November 17, 1951 in
Cheyenne, Wyoming • BBus and M.B.A. in Finance
from Univeristy of Wyoming • Married CORPORATE/BUSINESS
soltrujillo.com
SOL TRUJILLO CHAIRMAN OF TRUJILLO GROUP INVESTMENTS
054
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• Guatemalan peoplefund.org @TwoCentz
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
MATIAS DE TEZANOS
CO-FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF PEOPLEFUND
36 • July / August 2017
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• Cuban-American • 1961 in Cuba • Bachelor’s in Engineering
from the University of Miami, M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University • Married
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
GEISHA WILLIAMS
2007 Joined PG&E 2017 Became CEO of PG&E 2017 Named one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas of 2017 by ALPFA and FORTUNE Magazine
During her tenure at PG&E, she oversaw the company’s move to bring nearly 30% of its energy from renewable sources. The power company has also become a leader in renewables integration, grid modernization and smart grid technologies under her stewardship, while also achieving the best electric reliability in company history. Her tenure in the energy sector has proven Latinas as more quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, as PG&E becomes a leading player in sustainability. Williams and her teams are responsible for providing safe, reliable and affordable power to 16 million people in northern and central California.
Kentucky Derby Winner: 2002, 2014, 2015; ESPY Award for Best Jocky: 2002, 2014, 2015 National Museum for Racing and Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2017
Professional Jockey, Victor Espinoza, was recently inucted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. His career spans decades back, including over 3,200 wins and counting. Espinoza uses this platform for philanthropy and regularly dedicates 10% of all winnings to the pediatric cancer research charity City of Hope. At age 45, he continues breaking barriers by setting records and becoming the first Latino to be awarded the honors he continues to win.
Pro Bowl: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014; NFL Passer Rating Leader: 2014; Passer Rating: 97.1
This year, Tony Romo begins a new journey in his sports career. After a successful 14 year career with the Dallas Cowboys, Romo announced his retirement during spring. Then, he began a new position as lead color analyst for NFL telecasts after being hired by CBS Sports. Romo’s football career is full of records
CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2013, 2017 MLS Rookie of the Year: 2009 MLS Defender of the Year: 2011
Omar Gonzalez is currently playing soccer for Pachuca in Liga MX (Mexico) and the U.S Men’s National Team. Although, the Dallasite started his career in the Dallas Texans back in 2001, he ended up launching his professional career straight out of college, when Los Angeles Galaxy drafted him during the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Gonzalez participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and continues to be a defense player for both the U.S and Mexico.
@PGE4Me
SP OR T S
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PG&E CORPORATION
056
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• Mexican • May 23, 1972 in Tulancingo,
Hidalgo, Mexico • Jockey school in Mexico • Single @EspinozasVictor
SPORTS
VICTOR ESPINOZA JOCKEY
057
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• Mexican-American • April 21, 1980 in San Diego,
CA • Eastern Illinois University • Married SPORTS
ANTONIO RAMIRO “TONY”ROMO
tonyromo9.com @tonyromo
FORMER QUARTERBACK FOR DALLAS COWBOYS
058
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• Mexican-American • October 11, 1988 in Dallas, TX • University of Maryland • Single @omar4gonzalez
SPORTS
OMAR GONZALEZ SOCCER PLAYER
38 • July / August 2017
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• Argentine • July 28,1977 in Bahia Blanca,
Argentina • Married @manuginobili
Olympics- gold: 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011, Silver: 2002 (2) Bronze: 2008 (3) Euro League Championship: 2001 NBA Champion: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
Ginobili Manu was raised in a family of basketball pros, with his two bothers playing basketball and his father coaching it professionally in Argentina. Manu has dedicated 15 of his 22 year professional basketball career to the San Antonio Spurs. Currently, he is one of only two people in the entire world to have won a EuroLeague title, NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal. At age 40, the Argentine native continues strong in the NBA as a shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs.
Olympics- gold: 2016, silver: 2016, Winner of Dancing With the Stars 2016 during season 23
This teenage olympian took home gold with her team during the 2016 olympics, also earning silver as a soloist on the balance beam. Hernandez quickly became a household name last year after making yet another victory as the winner of season 23 on Dancing With the Stars. She released her book “I Got This: The Gold and Beyond” back in January. These days, she’s maintaining a steady career in acting, with appearances in various shows slated to air within the year, such as Sesame Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Total Fights: 51 Total Wins: 49 Total KO’s: 34 2004 Junior Mexican National Championships: Silver Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion: 2005
Canelo comes from a large Mexican family with eight children and all seven boys of the Alvarez family became professional boxers. He started boxing at just 13 years old but turned pro already by age 15. For the past four years, Canelo has participated in Pay-per-view specials and regularly fights to sold out shows. Currently, the Welterwight champion is ranked number one by the Transitional Boxing Rankings Board and The Ring. He is probably one of the most admired sports figures for Latinos worlwide.
2016 Received the Goldman Environmental Prize
Maxima Acuna is a farmer and environmentalist who has endured intimidation and violence from mining corporations who have sought access to the Conga mine. Her and her family have had their home destroyed. Maxima and her daughter have been beaten unconscious. Maxima has been targeted by these companies for defending highland habitat, water rights and indegenous rights. She was recently awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her fight against mining corporations.
SPORTS
MANU GINOBILI SHOOTING GUARD FOR SAN ANTONIO SPURS
060
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• Puerto Rican-American • June 9, 2000 in Old Bridge
Township, New Jersey • Single @lzhernandez02 SPORTS
LAUREN ZOE “LAURIE” HERNANDEZ GYMNAST
061
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• Mexican • July 18, 1990 in Guaralajada,
Jalisco Mexico • Single
SPORTS
SAUL “CANELO” ALVAREZ 062
N
CIVIL
• Peruvian • 1970 in Peru • Married
MAXIMA ACUÑA ENVIRONMENTALIST
July / August 2017 • 39
CIVIL
BOXER
CIVIL
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• Mexican-American • May 13, 1961 in Kansas City,
Missourri • Bachelor’s in Business
Administration from Rockhurst University • Married
CIVIL
HECTOR V. BARRETO
2001 Appointed Administrator of U.S Small Business Administration 2006 President & CEO of Barreto Inc. 2015 Recipient of the Maestro of Entrepreneurship Award by Latino Leaders Magazine
Hector V. Barreto is an advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Back in 2001, he was appointed the 21st Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where his role in assisting entrepreneurs was major in the distribution of tools. As the founder of Barreto Inc., he has dedicated his career to helping small businesses as he bridges the gap between entrepreneurs and major corporation relationships with this international consulting firm. He is currently the Chairman of The Latino Coalition, one of the most important advocacy groups in the nation. The Latino Coalition is an organization that provides to keys to a successful business and entreprenership venture, through membership, influence and partnerships.
2014 Honorary Doctorate in Public service from Notre Dame de Namur University in California 2017 Received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Western Michigan University
Dr. Antonio Flores is the president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Flores leads a strong team of professionals throughout the country with the common goal of improving higher education opportunities for Hispanics; and he’s been leading the organization for over 20 years now. Over the years, membership has trippled under his leadership and billions of dollars in federal funding have been allocated to Hispanic-serving institutions.
2008 Honored as a Health Hero by WebMD 2010 Listed as one of the “Ladies we Love” by Ladies Home Journal 2015 FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation, Dr. Harvey Wiley Award
Dr. Jane L. Delgado is the President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. Prior to becoming an executive, she worked with the Children’s Television Workshop, scouting talent for the new groundbreaking educational series Sesame Street. Continuing to focus on education and health, Delgado moved on to assisting minorities with mental health at the Department of Health and Human Services. She became a publisher along the way and has continued to write about health and wellness. By 1985, she was already the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and continues to lead the organization over 30 years later.
2009 Mendez High School in Los Angeles was named in honor of the Mendez family 2011 Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2012 Awarded Honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Sylvia Mendez has been on the frontlines of advocating for civil rights ever since she was a child. Her parents Gonzalo and Felicita Mendez fought the segregated school system all the way to court as Mendez v. Westminister until a judge ruled to desegregate all California public schools in 1947.The historical victory was the first of its kind and paved the way for many others. Mendez took full advantage of the rights her parents fought for her to have by attending desegregated public schools, college and went on to become a nurse.After 33 years in nursing, she retired to continue her family’s legacy by advocating for civil rights and touring to give speeches enlightening the public on this lesser known part of history.
thelatinocoalition.com @LatinoCoalition
CHAIRMAN OF THE LATINO COALITION
064
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• PhD in Higher Education
Administration from the University of Michigan AnnArbor, M.A. in Counseling and Personnel from Western Michigan University CIVIL
hacu.net @HACUNews
ANTONIO FLORES PRESIDENT AND CEO, HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
065
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York University, Ph.D in clinical psychology from SUNY Stony Brook, M.S in Urban and Policy Sciences from Stony Brook’s W. Averell Harriman School of Management and Policy • Married
CIVIL
JANE L. DELGADO PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR HISPANIC HEALTH
066
• Cuban American • June 17, 1953 • M.A in Psychology from New
N
janeonhealth.blogspot.com @janeonhealth
• Mexican-Puerto Rican
American • 1936 in Santa Ana, California • Nursing • Dato CIVIL
SYLVIA MENDEZ CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
40 • July / August 2017
@sylviafmendez
067
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• Panamanian-American • February 28, 1961 in
Washington D.C. • B.S. from United States Air
CIVIL
CHARLES PATRICK GARCIA
Force Academy, M.P.A. from the University of Oklahoma, J.D. from Columbia Law School • Married
1988 Selected by President Ronald Reagan to serve as one of the White House Fellows 1997 Became the CEO of Sterling Financial Group 2009 Assumed position as CEO at Garcia Trujillo 2014 Became CEO of ALPFA 2015 Elected to the national board of Junior Achievement
Whether traveling for speaking engagements, sitting on corporate boards or becoming a CEO at yet another company, Charlie Garcia’s influence dips into many pools. After founding Garcia Trujillo, a merchant banking firm that focuses on the Hispanic market, Garcia accepted a new venture to become the CEO of ALPFA International in 2014, the “largest Latino association for business professionals and students.” As the CEO of ALPFA, Garcia ontinues the effort to increase opportunities for Latino leadership. Author of the book A Message from Garcia he has transformed the leadership style of a non-profit while leading ALPFA.
1978 Ordained a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature 2001 Ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver 2004 Became Archbishop of San Antonio 2011 Became Archbishop of Los Angeles
Archbishop Gomez has been a U.S. Citizen since 1995. During his priestly and episcopal career he has founded or co-founded a number of initiatives designed to bring Latino Catholics closer to the Church, and received many awards. Since coming to Los Angeles he has worked very hard to reconcile the various elements of a deeply divided Archdiocese, emphasizing the Faith and local heritage that transcends cultural and ethnic lines. He is particularly concerned about immigration, education, and priestly formation. At the same time he has been keenly aware of the responsibilities of running the nation’s largest Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the most important in the nation, with close to 5 million members.
2004 Founded Voto Latino with Rosario Dawson 2010 Pushed to get American Latinos to fill out the 2010 census via a bilingual iPhone app 2013 Named one of the 10 most influential women in Washington D.C. by ELLE Magazine 2016 Participated in a Reddit’s Ask Me Anything
Very few wield as much influence and praise as Kumar. She is the founder of the acclaimed Voto Latino organization, a nonpartisan group that champions Latino millennials in their communities and careers. She also serves on the national board of Planned Parenthood and Latino Leaders Network. Named one of the most influential and creative business owners by celebrities and publications alike. She is a frequent guest on TVs biggest programs. Her long list of awards includes an Emmy nomination and the White House Project award. Under her leadership,Voto Latino has become a key factor in national elections by directly registering over a quarter million voters and influencing millions more through viral, celebrity-driven campaigns.
2001 Joined the University of Kansas (KU) as Executive Vice Chancellor for University Relations 2005 Became President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of La Raza 2006 Named to People En Español’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics 2006 2017 NCLR officially became UnidosUS
A Kansas City native, Murguia began her political career in Washington, D.C., as legislative counsel to a Kansas councilwoman. Her career took her through the White House as deputy assistant to President Clinton as well as other roles in the 1990s. Murguia joined NCLR in 2005 and has sought to enhance the impact of Latinos in politics since. A few of the areas Murguia has brought to the Latino forefront have been education, health care, immigration, civil rights, economic issues and race and ethnic relations. She is on the board of directors of the American Heart Association and the Partnership for a Healthier America, and is on the executive committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and is a board chair for the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.
alpfa.org @alpfa
CEO OF ASSOCIATION OF LATINO PROFESSIONALS FOR AMERICA (ALPFA)
068
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• Mexican • December 26, 1951 in
Monterrey, Mexico • Doctorate in Theology (S.T.D.)
from University of Navarre, Spain CIVIL
archbishopgomez.org @ArchBishopGomez
JOSE HORACIO GOMEZ CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF LOS ANGELES
069
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CIVIL
MARIA TERESA KUMAR
• Colombian-American • 1974 in Bogota, Colombia • Bachelor’s in International
Relations from the University of California at Davis, Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government • Married votolatino.org @MariaTeresa1
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VOTO LATINO
070
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• September 6, 1960 in Kansas
City, Kansas • B.S. in Journalism, B.A. in Spanish, J.D. from University of Kansas CIVIL
JANET MURGUIA
unidosus.org @Jmurguia_Unidos
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF UNIDOSUS (FORMERLY KNOWN AS NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA)
July / August 2017 • 41
CIVIL
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• Born1956 • B.A. in History from SUNY,
M.S. and Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from SUNY Albany • Married CIVIL
csusb.edu @CSUSBNews
TOMAS D. MORALES
2007 Named President of the College of Staten Island, The City University of New York 2012 Selected as President of California State University, San Bernardino 2012 Awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater SUNY, New Paltz
Tomás Morales is President of California State University, San Bernardino, Chairman of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Chairman of the TIAA-CREF Hispanic Advisory Board. During his stellar career in higher education, Morales served in leadership roles at the College of Staten Island (CUNY); CalPoly Pomona; the City College of New York (CUNY); and the State University of New York (SUNY). Morales is at the top level of leadership in the U.S. higher education sector, serving as Chairman of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
1988 Became President of UTEP 1994 Nominated to the National Science Board by President Clinton 1999 Inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame 2012 Vice Chairman American Council on Education
Diana Natalicio is the President of the University of Texas, El Paso having assumed the position in 1988. UTEP has been recognized nationally among the top 10 natioanl universities. UTEP is 80% Hispanic making it the most Latinofriendly university in the country. Dr. Natalicio was recently named to the 2016 TIME 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2015,The Carnegie Corporation of New York honored Dr. Natalicio with its prestigious Academic Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional achievements during the transformation of UTEP into a national public research university. In 2011, the President of Mexico presented her the Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca, the highest recognition bestowed on foreign nationals. She also received the TIAACREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at The University of Texas at Austin, and awarded honorary doctoral degrees by Georgetown University, Smith College and the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon.
1992 Became an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God denomination 2013 Invited to deliver keynote address at The Martin Luther King, Jr. 40th Anniversary Commemorative Service in Goergia 2015 Named as one of Newsmax’s Top 100 Christian Leaders in America 2016 Be Light, was featured #1 on the LA Times Bestsellers List 2017 Delivered readings and an invocation at the 58th U.S. presidential inauguration of President Donald Trump
Samuel Rodríguez is the head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. That means he commands over 40,118 US churches and over 450,000 throughout Spanish-speaking countries. The fiery, completely bilingual preacher of Puerto Rican origin has been active in politics, swaying the Hispanic Evangelical vote. There is a reason Time Magazine chose Rodríguez as one of the 100 most influential Latino leaders in the world. He most recent book, “Be Light” made #1 on the LA Times Best Seller’s list. His leadership and faith has congegrated millions and milions of Latino protestants together in unity.
2001 Became Executive Director of American Civil Liberties Union 2005 Named Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Hispanics 2007 Co-authored a book called “In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror” 2011 Received the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood.
It was pivotal time for America when Romero became Executive Director of the ACLU just days before 9/11. Son of a waiter, Anthony graduated from Stanford University of Law School and Princeton University. His father’s struggle for equality and respect inspired his path. Romero has worked on numerous campaigns to uphold rights of others and lobbying for the civil liberties. In 2016, he signed a letter with Norman Lear, Ernesto Zedillo, and Eve Ensler to Ban Ki-Moon, the eighth Secretary General of the UN for a more humane drug policy for epidemics. He is a co-author, member of several non-profit boards and the first openly gay leader of the ACLU. Romero has made it a life goal to defend the liberties and rights of all American individuals. He was the first to file a lawsuit against President Trump’s Muslim Ban.
PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO
072
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• American • August 25, 1939 in St. Louis,
Missouri • Master’s in Portuguese from St.
CIVIL
DIANA NATALICIO
Louis University, Doctorate in Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin • Married utep.edu @utep
PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
073
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• Puerto Rican-American • September 29, 1969 • Master’s in Educational
Leadership from Lehigh University • Married CIVIL
PastorSam.com @nhclc
SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (NHCLC)
074
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• Puerto Rican-American • July 9, 1965 in New York
City, NY • Stanford University Law
CIVIL
ANTHONY D. ROMERO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU)
42 • July / August 2017
School, Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs • Single aclu.org @AnthonyACLU
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S 075
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• Mexican-American • Born 1961 • B.B.A. in Finance from The
University of Texas-Pan American • Married CIVIL
ushcc.com @Jpalomarez
JAVIER PALOMAREZ
2012 Appeared in British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) “Ten Latinos Who Made History in 2012” 2014 Received honorary doctorate from Westminster College 2014 Awarded the Maestro of Leadership by Latino Leaders Magazine 2015 Received the Ohtli Award by the Government of Mexico
Javier Palomarez is the President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), America’s largest Hispanic business association. The USHCC actively promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that combined, contribute over $486 billion to the American economy every year. In 2014, Mr. Palomarez received an honorary Doctorate from Westminster College, Utah’s premier Liberal Arts institution. He was also awarded the Distinguished Alumni Medallion from National 4-H Council and was recognized by the Government of Mexico with the Ohtli Award, the highest honor bestowed upon foreign citizens. Palomarez received the Maestro Award for Leadership from Latino Leaders Magazine in 2014. Palomarez is considered the epitome of Latino business. Palomarez recently invited President Donald Trump to dialogue in a chamber convention. Trump denied.
2005 Began serving as U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Florida 2009 Acosta became the second Dean of Florida International University College of Law 2017 Acosta was nominated for United States Secretary of Labor by President Donald Trump
Son of Cuban immigrants, Alexander Acosta became the first Latino in Trump’s cabinet. Acosta has served on the board of National Labor Relations and was the head of the civil right division at the Justice department. But Acosta’s goes beyond that. He was also the U.S. attormey in South Florida. Under his lead, they were able to prosecute lobbyist Jack Abramoff, terrorism suspect Jose Padilla, the founders of Cali Cartel, and an additional 700 individuals, responsible for a total of more than $2 billion in Medicare fraud. He was also the Dean of Florida International University College of Law. While his time there, FIU Law has risen to #100 in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings.
1992 Elected to the House of Representatives 1997 Served as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 2016 Spoke out against gun violence as part of the #NoFlyNoBuy ‘sit-in’ in Congress 2017 Sworn in as the Attorney General of California
As the newly elected 33rd Attorney General Incumbent of California, Becerra has reached a new plateau in his political career spanning decades back. Currently, he is the only Latino to have ever served as Attorney General. The former chair of the House Democratic Conference dedicated 20 years to serving three separate districts during his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives. He continues to be a party leader and uses his platform to support a number of causes such as immigration and women’s issues.
2011 Served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan with the U.S Navy Reserves 2012 Became Deputy Finance chairman of the Republican Party of Texas 2014 Elected Texas Land Commissioner 2017 Announced his re-election campaign
Member of one of the most politically powerful families, George P. Bush is currently fullfilling his time as Texas Land Commissioner. In 2014, he was elected as the Texas Land Commissioner with 61% of the votes.After attaining his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas school of Law and becoming a teacher, the proud Hispanic worked in U.S. Naval Reserves in Afghanistan. In late June 2017, Bush announced his was running for re-election. George P. Bush’s politcal activity and military service has placed his loyalty for this country at evidence.
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• Cuban-American • January 16, 1969 in Miami, FL • A.B. in Economics
from Harvard College • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
ALEXANDER ACOSTA
27TH UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF LABOR
077
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• Mexican-American • January 26, 1958 in
Sacramento, CA • Juris Doctor from Stafford Law
School • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
@AGBecerra
XAVIER BECERRA
33RD ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA
078
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
R
GEORGE P. BUSH
• Mexican-American • April 24, 1976 in Houston, TX • Bachelor’s from Rice University,
Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law • Married georgepfortexas.org @Georgepbush
TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER
July / August 2017 • 43
POLITICS/GOVERMENT
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF UNITED STATES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (USHCC)
POLITICS/GOVERMENT
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• Mexican-Italian-American • March 29, 1964 in Las Vegas,
NV • Bachelor of Science in Business
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO
Administration in Finance from the University of Nevada, J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law • Married
2014 Named executive vice chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education 2017 Became the first Latina in the U.S. Senate
Catherine Cortez Masto is considered the “fighter” of Nevada families.With two terms as Attorney General, she has managed achieve multiple things. Her leadership has gained Nevadean families security and stability. She has created a senior protection unit in the Attorney General’s office to ensure that her investigators and prosecutors had the necessary tools to pursue those who abuse, neglect, or exploit seniors. She has also worked to strengthen laws against sex trafficking and violence against women. Cortez Masto has also created the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force to investigate and prosecute fraudulent foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams. Catherine Cortez Masto’s leadership has become one of the most influential for Latinos around the country.
2003 Solicitor General of Texas 2012 appointed Vice-Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 2012 Elected to the Senate 2015 Announced his candidacy in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election 2016 Suspended his campaign on May 4th
One of only three Latinos in the Senate, Cruz was among the first Republicans to announce his candidacy in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Previously he served as the first Hispanic (and youngest) Solicitor General of Texas, the State’s chief lawyer before the U.S. Supreme Court. He suspended his presidential bid in May 2016. He returned to the Senate to resume his fight to require the Library of Congress to use the term ‘illegal aliens’. At the 2016 Republican Convention, he defied the GOP denying Trump his endorsement, urging the audience to “vote their own conscience.”
2001102nd Texas Secretary of State 2005 Sworn in as U.S. Congressman 2009 Authored the Southern Border Security Taskforce Act of 2009 2016 Reelected for his sixth term as U.S. Congressman
Congressman Henry Cuellar is known as “the most degreed member of Congress”, amongst other things, for attaining his Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, along with a Ph.D and a Juris Doctorate. The Laredo born native has dedicated his entire political career to represesnting the state of Texas. He’s loyalty served Texas’s 28th congressional district since 2005. Prior to assuming office, he was appointed as the 102nd Secretary of State. His outstanding support for his native community has allowed him to continue serving them on his sixth term as Congressman.
2005 Helped found the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust 2006 Served as President of the Los Angeles City Council 2013 First elected mayor 2014 Honored as Person of the Year by the NAACP 2015 Became the first mayor of a major American city to sign a $15 minimum wage law 2017 Was re-elected for a second term as mayor
Native Angeleno, LA’s popular mayor, Democrat, Eric Garcetti runs the second largest American city like a small town mayor. He’s accessible, and everywhere, smiling, efficient, and low key. It’s his home. He’s a 4th generation Angeleno. Garcetti earned his B.A and Masters at Columbia University but returned to his hometown to roost. Garcetti’s political career launched in 2001 when elected representative of the 13th district to the Los Angeles City Council, where he served four terms as President of City Council. He was elected Mayor of Los Angeles in 2013 and after a quiet beginning he won the approval of LA residents with his can-do, everyman style. He is also a former Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy reserve. He recently won re-election for a second term as mayor of Los Angeles.
catherinecortezmasto.com @CatherineForNV
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA- D
080
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• Cuban-American • December 22, 1970 in Calgary,
AB • Graduate of Princeton and
Harvard Law • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
tedcruz.org @tedcruz
TED CRUZ
U.S SENATOR FROM TEXAS- R
081
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• Mexican American • September 19, 1955 in Laredo,
TX • Bachelor’s in Foreign Science
from Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Master’s in Inernational Trade from Texas A&M International University in Laredo, J.D. from University of Texas School of Law and Ph.D. from University of Texas • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
HENRY CUELLAR
U.S CONGRESSMAN FROM TEXAS- D
082
R
cuellar.house.gov @RepCuellar
• Mexican-American • February 4, 1971 in Los
Angeles, CA • B.A. and M.A. from Columbia
University • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
ERIC GARCETTI
MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES- D
44 • July / August 2017
ericgarcetti.com @ericgarcetti
083
R
• Mexican • April 12, 1956 in Durango, MX • Bachelor’s in Political Science,
Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of IllinoisChicago • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
JESUS “CHUY” GARCIA
1992 First Mexican- American member of the Illinois State Senate 2010 Elected County Cook Board of Commissioners 2014 Re-elected for a second term as Cook County Commissioner 2015 Runner-up for Mayor of Chicago
Old school in a good way, Progressive Dem Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia has seen it all. He ran hard for mayor of Chi-town in 2015, and lost in a run-off, but that didn’t dim his enthusiasm. Chuy’s measure cut off Cook County’s cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, preventing County officials from detaining a person based on the suspicion of being undocumented. The measure became the first of its kind in the nation and more than 250 localities followed Chuy’s lead nationwide. Chuy was re-elected to a second term on the County Board in 2014, and currently serves as the 7th district Cook County Board of Commissioners, presiding as its floor leader.
1992 Sworn in as U.S. Congressman 2010 Helped guide the passage of the Development Relief and Education Act for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) 2016 Angrily testified before Congress protesting the lack of response to gun control and Zika virus 2016 Re-elected for a 12th term as U.S. Congressman
Now in his 12th term, Democratic Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez is the senior member of the Illinois delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. An active and vocal member, Gutierrez has not only pushed for quicker legislation to deal with the country’s immigration issues but he has also spearheaded programs to help immigrants become proficient in English, help immigrant children in the education system and inspired other Democrats to join the fight. He has become increasingly visible in the fight for gun control, and against the stagnant house of representatives.
1997 Became District Attorney 2011 Elected Governor of New Mexico 2011 Named Woman of the Year by Hispanic Business Magazine 2013 Named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world
The first Hispanic female governor in the United States, Martinez was raised in the Rio Grande Valley. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Well respected for her bi-partisanship in New Mexico and instrumental in passing Katie’s Law, requiring DNA from all felony arrests. Governor Martinez’s agenda has focuses on most critical issues like economy and education. She has worked intensively to improve New Mexico’s education system along side the Public Education Department.
1992 Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 2006 Sworn in as U.S. Senator 2009 Appointed chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 2013 Public No.3 school in New York was renamed after him 2015 Ranked #1 in the 50 Most Powerful Political Figures in Hudson County list by The Hudson Reporter
Menendez was first elected to the Union City School District’s Board of Education at the age of 20 and went on to become mayor of Union City in 1986. He was elected for Mayor of Union City in 1986. Soon after in 1988, he was elected to represent the 33rd disctrict in the General Assembly of New Jersey. In 2006, he was appointed as U.S. Senator, with winning re-election in 2012. He authored comprehensive immigration reform legislation that passed the Senate in 2013 with an overwhelming bipartisan show of support. Menendez is a well-representation of Latinos in politics. He is one of the four Latinos in the Senate.
jesuschuygarcia.com @jesuschuygar
COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER, 7TH DISTRICT- D
084
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• Puerto Rican-American • December 10, 1953 in
Chicago, IL • Bachelor’s in English from
Northeastern Illinois University • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
LUIS GUTIERREZ
gutierrez.house.gov @RepGutierrez
U.S. CONGRESSMAN FROM ILLINOIS-D
085
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• Mexican-American • July 14, 1959 in El Paso, TX • Bachelor’s in Criminal
Justice from the University of Texas at El Paso, J.D. from Univeristy of Oklahoma School of Law • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
SUSANA MARTÍNEZ
governor.state.nm.us @Gov_Martinez
GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO-D
086
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• Cuban-American • January 1, 1954 in New York
City, NY • B.A. in Political Science from
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
ROBERT MENENDEZ
Saint Peter’s College, J.D. from Newark’s Rutgers School of Law • Divorced menendez.senate.gov @SenatorMenendez
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY- D
July / August 2017 • 45
POLITICS/GOVERMENT
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S
POLITICS/GOVERMENT
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S 087
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• Mexican-American • December 4, 1936 in
Brownsville, TX • Cerritos College, Texas
Southmost College • Married POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
napolitano.house.gov @gracenapolitano
GRACE NAPOLITANO
1986 Elected Mayor of Norwalk, California 1992 Elected to the California Assembly 1998 Elected to U.S. House of Representatives 2014 Won midterm re-election 2016 Met with President Obama to discuss executive actions on gun violence
Napolitano is a leader in promoting mental health, including her efforts to revitalize the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and to designate May as National Mental Health Awareness Month. She introduced the Mental Health in Schools Act in 2011, a bill to provide more on-site, professional mental health services for students. Napolitano is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure.
2006 Became president of the Hispanic National Bar Association 2010 Received the Ohtli Award 2011 Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Reyna is the first Latino to serve on the CAFC, which has nationwide jurisdiction of appeals arising from federal district courts, the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Claims. Upon his nomination to the CAFC, his nomination was met with unparalleled approval; he received the highest rating possible by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary: “Unanimously Well Qualified.” On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by a roll-call vote of 86-0. As of January 1, 2016, Judge Reyna has heard over 820 cases and authored 189 opinions, including 72 precedential opinions and 2 en banc opinions. He is a recipient of the Ohtli Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican government for a nonMexican citizen. Reyna currently serves on the Nationwide Hispanic Advisory Council of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
1982 Elected to Florida House of Representatives 1986 Elected to the Florida Senate 1989 Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 2010 NCLR Capital Award 2012 Became the first Republican in the House to support same-sex marriage 2013 Edward R. Roybal Award from NALEO 2016 Wings of Freedom Award from President of Taiwan 2017 Announced that she would not be running for reelection in 2018
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has made history since being elected as the first woman to serve in U.S. Congress in 1989. After 27 years in the house, she’s seen it all. Looking for balance in immigration, she remembers what it was like to arrive in the US as a Cuban refugee. Back then, Ros-Lehtinen began working as a teacher in the Miami-Dade area.With education at the forefront, she continues to support efforts to increase financial aid availability for students and seeks to increase the quality of education in South Florida.
2000 Became member of the Florida House of Representatives 2010 Elected to the U.S. Senate 2015 Announced his candidacy for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election 2016 On March, he quit the presidential race 2016 Re-elected as U.S. Senator.
After announcing his bid for the White House in April, Rubio, a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives who once interned for U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has shifted to a more moderate position to appeal to the larger Republican base. Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address. It marked the first time the response was delivered in English and Spanish. On June 22nd, 2016 Rubio announced his intention to run for reelection, despite previous statements to the contrary, and losing his state in the presidential primary. Rubio turned out to be re-elected defeating Democrat Patrick Murphy.
U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA
088
R
• Mexican-American • November 11, 1952 in
Tucumcari, NM • B.A. from the University of
Rochester, J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
JIMMIE V REYNA
cafc.uscourts.gov/judges/ jimmie-v-reyna-circuit-judge
U.S. JUDGE OF THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT
089
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• Cuban • July 15, 1952 in Havana, Cuba • B.A. in Education, M.A in
Educational Leadership from Florida International University, Ed.D in Higher Education from the University of Miami • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
ILEANA ROS LEHTINEN
ros-lehtinen.house.gov @RosLehtinen
U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN FROM FLORIDA- R
090
R
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
MARCO RUBIO
U.S. SENATOR FROM FL- R
46 • July / August 2017
• Cuban-American • May 28, 1971 in Miami, FL • B.A. in Political Science from
the University of Florida, J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law • Married marcorubio.com @marcorubio
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S 091
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• Mexican-American • January 28, 1969 in Orange,
CA • B.A. in Spanish from the
University of California, Berkeley, J.D. from UCLA School of Law • Married
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
LINDA SÁNCHEZ
lindasanchez.house.gov @RepLindaSanchez
1998 Joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker Local 441 2000 Elected as Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Orange County Central Labor Council 2002 Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 2005 Appointed Assistant Minority Whip 2017 Became Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
Linda Sánchez’ political career began with the redistricting of the 39th congressional district following the 2000 Census (the old 39th district had very different boundaries). A tireless campaigner, Sanchez finished first in a six-person primary for the Democratic Party nomination in March 2002, ran unopposed in the Democratic primaries in 2004, and in the general elections she won by a margin of 60.7%. For the 2006 elections, she defeated two challengers in the primary with 77.8% of the vote and defeated attorney James L. Andion in the general election. She is the ranking member on the House Ethics Committee, where she helps maintain the standards of conduct in the House. Known among her peers for her efforts toward children and workers’ safety, Sanchez recently sponsored the Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2015.
1994 Elected 25th District representative for the Nevada Assembly 1999 Chairman of the Gaming Commission of Nevada 2002 Elected Attorney General of Nevada 2004 Received the award for Most Influential Hispanic in the U.S. by Latino Coalition 2005 Appointed U.S. District Judge for the District of Nevada 2010 Elected Governor of Nevada 2014 Won re-election for Governor
Consistent record of public service in Nevada in a variety of roles, currently as Governor since 2010. Prior to become Governor, Sandoval at 35 became the youngest to be chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Went on to be elected Nevada’s Attorney General and then appointed a US District Judge by George W. Bush, becoming the state’s first Hispanic federal judge. His optimism has lifted the state of Nevada, through hard work in the areas of economy and education.
1998 Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2009 Confirmed as the 111th Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 2013 Published a memoir about her earlier days My Beloved World 2015 Received the Katharine Hepburn medal from Bryn Mawr College
The Court’s first Hispanic justice and its third female justice, Sotomayor is also among the most visible through speeches and television appearances. She is also vocal on the Court’s rulings, making headlines for her scathing dissent in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, allowing closely held for-profit corporations to be exempt from a law its owners religiously object to if there is a less restrictive means of furthering the law’s interest. Justice Sotomayor remains outspoken about decisions that she finds objectionable, and go against the interests of the American people as a whole.
2010 Led the completion of the Pfizer-Wyeth merger in Spain 2012 Played a major role in introducing Pfizer’s medicine against lung cancer in China
Nanette Cocero is Regional President for Emerging Markets in Pfizer’s Innovative Health Pharma segment in New York City. This includes innovative products, vaccines, and oncology. Cocero manages about 3,000 employees in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and emerging Asia Pacific countries. She is responsible for developing new strategies to bring Pfizer’s innovative medicines to a larger number of patients in emerging economies. In 2012, Nanette played a leadership role in introducing Pfizer’s breakthrough medicine against lung cancer in China. During her 15 years at Pfizer, Nanette has faced many challenges, and is always gratified when she is able to enable access to crucial and life-saving medicines. Cocero led the completion of the Pfizer-Wyeth merger in Spain in 2010; her efforts resulted in a larger portfolio of specialty care medicines for Spanish patients. This is what Cocero lives for; the opportunity to serve patients with medical needs is her privilege and a responsibility.
U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA- D
092
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• Mexican-American • August 5, 1963 in Redding,
CA • B.A. in English and Economics
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
BRIAN SANDOVAL GOVERNOR OF NEVADA- R
093
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from the University of Nevada, J.D. from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law • Married briansandoval.com @BrianSandoval
• Puerto Rican-American • June 25, 1954 in New York
City, NY • B.A. from Princeton University,
J.D. from Yale Law School • Divorced POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
SONIA SOTOMAYOR
094
R
• B.S. in Chemistry from Cornell
University, M.B.A. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School MEDICINE/SCIENCE
NANETTE COCERO REGIONAL PRESIDENT OF EMERGING MARKETS PFIZER INNOVATIVE HEALTH
@pfizer
July / August 2017 • 47
MEDICINE/SCIENCE
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE U.S.
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S 095
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MEDICINE/SCIENCE
DAVID HAYES-BAUTISTA
• Mexican • 1946 • B.A. from the University of
California, Berkeley, M.A. and Ph.D. in Medical Sociology from the University of California Medical Center • Married
1971 Founding Executive Director of the La Clinicia de la Raza 1974 Began working at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley 1987 Became a professor at UCLA 2017 Published an updated edition of La Nueva California: Latinos from Pioneers to Post-Millenials
An award-winning expert whose extensive research into Latino healthcare has broken stereotypes, Dr. Bautista is a prominent voice in his field, and has been for almost 40 years. After graduating from UC Berkeley and completing his M.A. and PH.D at University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, he founded la Clínica de La Raza. Currently, Bautista is a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he established the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine in 1992. He researches the costeffective, high-quality standard of care in Latino communities, and his work has been repeatedly published in medical journals. Dr Bautista is a media expert and public speaker. He is also an author to various books that focus on the study of society, culture and health.
1993 Co-authored the Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) 2012 Awarded with the NASA Flight Safety Award 2016 Received the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Houston-Clear Lake 2016 Named as one of the Top 20 Most Influential Hispanics in the US by CNET in Spanish 2017 Was keynote speaker at Hispanicize conference
A “Virtual Visionary” is what Evelyn Miralles is known for. She currently leads virtual reality innovation efforts at NASA. Admirable, inspiring and authentic. She has co-authored DOUG, which is a software used since 1993 by astronauts for training. She has received various awards and recognitions for her achievements and contribution in STEM, but her influence goes beyond that. Miralles is a major advocate of early-school outreach to inspire young girls to pursue careers in STEM. She is part of various outreach programs, like science fairs and lectures, that help promote STEM careers.
2008 Named as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. by Hispanic Business Journal 2012 Recipient of the Ohtli Award 2014 Recognized as the Neurosurgeon of the Year by Voices Against Brain Cancer 2015 Named as one of the World’s Most Creative Mexicans by Forbes
Dr. Q, as known to many, comes from a very humble beginning. From working the cotton fields, to being a painter and welder, Dr. Q´s drive has been nonstop. He put himself through school, learned English, practiced his language on the debate team, all while working as a welder for a railroad company. His dream to enter the world of medicine was sparked by his grandmother, who was a curandera. Thanks to her and to Dr. Q’s will, he has now become one of the most influential Latinos in medicine, receiving dozens of awards and achievements for his work in cancer research.
2001 Founded Cabrera Capital Markets 2012 #68 on the 100 Most Powerful Chicagoans list by Chicago Magazine
Martin Cabrera, Jr. is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cabrera Capital Markets. He is responsible for overseeing many of the firm’s activities, including investment banking, corporate debt, initial public offerings and trading. He is also founder of Cabrera Capital Partners. Prior to the forming of Cabrera Capital, he served as a General Principal and Branch Manager of Salomon Grey Financial Corporation and was a Senior Vice President at Amerivet Securities, Inc.
PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AND DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LATINO HEALTH AND CULTURE
096
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MEDICINE/SCIENCE
EVELYN MIRALLES
• Venezuelan • 1967 in Caracas, Venezuela • B.S. in Computer Graphics
from Lamar University, B.A.Sc. in Computer and Information Sciences, M.B.A. in Management of Technologies from University of HoustonClear Lake @vrevelyn
PRINCIPAL ENGINEER AND LEAD VIRTUAL REALITY INNOVATOR AT NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
097
R
• Mexican • January 2, 1968 in Mexicali,
BC, Mexico • B.A. in Social Sciences and
MEDICINE/SCIENCE
ALFREDO QUIÑONESHINOJOSA F I N A NC E
NEUROSURGEON, CHAIR OF NEUROLOGIC SURGERY AT MAYO CLINIC
098
R
Humanities from Escuela Normal Urbana Federal Fronteriza/ University of California San Joaquin Delta College, B.A. in Psychology from University of California Berkeley, M.D. from Harvard Medical School doctorqmd.com @DoctorQMd
• 1972 • B.S. in Finance from Northern
Illinois University cabreracapital.com FINANCE
MARTIN CABRERA FOUNDER AND CEO OF CABRERA CAPITAL MARKETS
48 • July / August 2017
099
R
• Mexican • 1951 in Mexico City • Bachelor’s in Industrial
Engineering from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), M.B.A. from Harvard Business School
FINANCE
LUIS MAIZEL
1980 Served as President of Industrias Kuick and Blount Agroindustrias 1989 Became President of LM Capital Management 1997 Became Director of United Panam Financial Corp.
Luis Maizel is the Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director of LM Capital Group, LLC. His investment portafolio manages more than 650 million. Prior to founding LM Capital, he served as Vice President of Finance for Grupoventas, S.A. and was a member of the faculty at the Harvard Business School. He was also President of Industrial Kuick, S.A. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Hispanic National Mortgage Association and President of the Investment Committee for the Board of Trustees of the University of San Diego. Maziel has been voted as one of the most important Hispanics in the U.S. With his wealth of experience, Maziel has proven to be one of the brightest and influential in the finance industry.
1974 Became CPA of Price Waterhouse 1980 Started his own company, Terremark 2011 Terremark was acquired by Verizon Communications
Manuel Medina heads Medina Capital, a private equity firm focused on high-growth technology companies in sectors such as cybersecurity, big data, mobility and cloud-based technologies, announced late in 2014 the closing of the firm’s Fund with $182 million of aggregate committed capital. In his early career, Medina, worked as certified public accountant, with Price Waterhouse after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Florida Atlantic University in 1974. Later, in 1980, he started his own company, Terremark, and served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer until 2011, when the company was acquired by Verizon Communications for $1.4billion, out of which he would receive about $83 million from his 4.4 million shares, almost 7 percent of the company. In addition, Mr. Medina is a managing partner of Communication Investors Group, one of their investors.
1989 Joined the firm Joseph Littlejohn &Levy (JLL) 1997 Founded Palladium Equity Partners
Marcos Rodriguez founded Palladium Equity Partners in 1997 and serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this, he joined the firm of Joseph Littlejohn & Levy in 1989 and ultimately became a partner. He worked for General Electric in operations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for several of Palladium’s portfolio companies, including Capital Contractors, Jordan, Taco Bueno and on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian, the University Hospital of Columbia, and Cornell University.
lmcapital.com
CO-FOUNDER AND SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LM CAPITAL GROUP
100
R
• Cuban • 1952 in Matanzas, Cuba • B.S. in Accounting from Florida
Atlantic University • Married medinacapital.com @medinacapital
FINANCE
MANUEL MEDINA FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER OF MEDINA CAPITAL
101
R
FINANCE
MARCOS A.RODRIGUEZ
• Cuban • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
from Columbia University, M.B.A. from Wharton School, M.A. in International Studies from Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania. palladiumequity.com
CEO OF PALLADIUM EQUITY PARTNERS
July / August 2017 • 49
F I N A NC E
1 O1 MO ST I N F LU E N T I A L L AT I N O S
Index Names THE
IOI
LIST OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL LATINOS IN 2017: OUR BEST YET!
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT • Lalo Alcaraz • Isabel Allende • Agustín Arteaga • RosarioDawson • Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel • Moctesuma Esparza • America Georgine Ferrera • Gael García Bernal • Alejandro González-Iñárritu • Salma Hayek Pinault • Eva Longoria- Bastón • Jennifer Lopez • Lin-Manuel Miranda • Gina Rodriguez • Carlos Santana • Carlos Tortolero • Sofia Vergara • Luis Fonsi y Daddy Yankee MEDIA • Enrique Acevedo • Emilio Azcarraga Jean • Adriana Cisneros • Cesar Conde • Nely Galán • Lisa Garcia Quiroz • Henry Gomez • Maria Hinojosa • Cynthia Hudson • Steven M. Lopez • Alex Nogales • Jorge Ramos • Juan Sepulveda • Lisa Torres 50 • July / August 2017
CORPORATE/BUSINESS • Linda Alvarado • Andre Arbelaez • Thaddeus Arroyo • Ramon Baez • Rudy Beserra • Henry Cisneros • Marcelo Claure • Castulo De La Rocha • Gabriela Franco Parcella • Juan Gonzalez Moreno • Linda Griego • David Hernandez • Marcos Jimenez • Monica Lozano • Monica Martinez • César Melgoza • Guillermo Perales • Jorge Perez • Paul Raines • Nina Vaca • Sol Trujillo • Matias de Tezanos • Geisha Williams SPORTS • Victor Espinoza • Antonio Ramiro “Tony” Romo • Omar Gonzalez • Manu Ginobili • Lauren Zoe “Laurie” Hernandez • Saul “Canelo”Alvarez CIVIL • Maxima Acuña • Hector V. Barreto • Antonio Flores • Jane L. Delgado • Sylvia Mendez • Charles Patrick Garcia • Jose Horacio Gomez • Maria Teresa Kumar • Janet Murguia • Tomas D. Morales • Diana Natalicio • Samuel Rodriguez • Anthony D. Romero • Javier Palomarez
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT • Alexander Acosta • Xavier Becerra • George P. Bush • Catherine Cortez Masto • Ted Cruz • Henry Cuellar • Eric Garcetti • Jesus “Chuy” Garcia • Luis Gutierrez • Susana Martínez • Robert Menendez • Grace Napolitano • Jimmie V Reyna • Ileana Ros Lehtinen • Marco Rubio • Linda Sánchez • Brian Sandoval • Sonia Sotomayor MEDICINE/SCIENCE • Nanette Cocero • David Hayes-Bautista • Evelyn Miralles • Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa FINANCE • Martin Cabrera • Luis Maziel • Manuel Medina • Marcos A. Rodriguez
Follow us: editor@latinoleaders.com latinoleaders.com Latino Leaders Magazine @LatinoLeadersUS
Numbers 18 in Arts/Entertainment
4 in Medicine/Science
• 9 Male
• 9 Female
• 2 Male
14 in Media
4 in Finance
• 6 Female
• 4 Male
• 8 Male
• 2 Female
• 0 Female
23 in Corporate/Business
• 7 Female • 16 Male
6 in Sports
• 1 Female • 5 Male
14 in Civil
• 6 Female • 8 Male
18 in Politics/Government
• 6 Female • 12 Male
TOTALS:
64 Male
37 Female
• 21% are new in 2017 N • 81% are repeated in 2016 R • 37 are foreign-born • 64 have a Bachelor’s Degree • 39 have a Master’s Degree • 22 have a Doctorates Degree
latinoleaders.com
L AT INO LE A DE R S
COVER
@ninavaca @ninavaca nina.g.vaca ninavaca
NINA VACA
CEO Pinnacle Group
54 • July / August 2017
COVER
PINNACLE GROUP CEO NINA VACA: NOT LONELY AT THE TOP Story by: Judi Jordan
E
ntrepreneur extraordinaire Nina Vaca’s legendary optimism is real, intense, and highly contagious. Genetically wired for success and coded for brilliance, this sparkling leader, triathlete, benefactor, mentor, scholar, mother of four, immigrant, presidential ambassador, and CEO of her thriving information technology services corporation, reconfigured the paradigm for achievement on her own terms. Vaca never held a corporate job, nor did anyone in her family; she grew up in a busy hive of entrepreneurs. “I came from a family of entrepreneurs; you could argue that it’s all I’ve ever known. I grew up thinking that’s what you do—you build your own company! It’s my ‘safe space!’”
The ultimate outsider made good, Vaca created her own mega corporation. Having discovered her calling early in life, twenty-one years in, Nina is very serious about Latinos accessing their destinies. “We have to create wealth in our communities where wealth does not exist. There are Hispanics in the C Suite, just not enough of us. There are Hispanics on corporate boards but again, not enough. There are Hispanic entrepreneurs but they’re not scaling.” “Often times as I was climbing and finding success I was the youngest and the ‘only,’ I looked around and said it’s not enough to be the ‘only’ or ‘the first,’ to me that is not acceptable. The higher we climb and the more opportunities we see at the table, the more I want my community to be there.” “The more successful Pinnacle becomes, the more opportunity, and frankly, the more bandwidth and financial ability I have to give back. What I do at Pinnacle feeds my family, but what I do in the community feeds my soul.”
The Vaca family bond is tight, full of wisdom, moral support, and patriotism. “My parents ingrained in our minds, that yes, we are immigrants to this country, but we need to give our best to this country. My dad worked three jobs, he parked cars; he had a night job and an afternoon job... we were your classic immigrant family in LA.” Nina’s mother was a role model; Nina witnessed the power and strength in numbers. Now when she launches a big project she gathers her ‘troops.’ “I’ve been like that all my life, I’m the daughter of a real grassroots activist! All I ever saw my mother do growing up was gathering people together, inspiring them, taking
COVER
“We need more Latinos in STEM. STEM is the way to the new American dream.” action. It’s in my DNA. I’m happiest when I know that I’m helping people. To me, this is how you build a legacy.”
My secret to success? “I never do anything by myself! I always have an army of people along, much like I never take all the credit.” After coming to the US from Ecuador when Nina was two, the family’s early years in California were no picnic. The Vacas moved from town to town in California, in search of the best schools for their children. Vaca credits her determined parents who actively prioritized their children’s futures. “Those schools were in different cities; where there were no Hispanics. I never saw myself as a Hispanic growing up; I always tried to blend into the mainstream. I thought, ‘I’m just as good as everybody else,’ and I worked just as hard.”
When Nina was a teenager, her dad altered the course of her life by buying a computer. “What led me to technology was seeing my first computer when I was fifteen years old. My father in his infinite wisdom brought a Sabre Travel System terminal to the office—this huge thing—and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world! I was savvy enough to know that the technology sector was growing very fast.”
This major AHA! moment for Nina never gets old. “I was fascinated by technology and I knew that if I pursued a career there it would be something that would have a future, so like a good entrepreneur I started
56 • October / November 2015
Boards and Organizations: • Cinemark • Kohl’s • Comerica Bank
diving in!” Nina’s unsinkable spirit lives in these words: “Good entrepreneurs see opportunity where others see none and they dig! They go through the back door, the side door, the chimney!”
Nina didn’t stray from her entrepreneurial roots. “Twenty-one years ago I realized that corporations would need a technology workforce and the need would go up every year! This is the industry of the future. 65% of our elementary school children are going to be doing a job that doesn’t exist today! And 80% of the new jobs in this country will be STEM related. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence and technology everywhere, you are going to see America transform!”
Nina foresees longevity and opportunity for Latinos on an unparalleled scale and she’s committed to getting them access to STEM education. “We need more Latinos in STEM. STEM is the way to the new American dream. But with the rising cost of education and the median income in America flat for the past 12 years, how were we going to get young Latinos
COVER Awards and Recognitions: • 2017 – National Women's History Project National Women's History Month Award • 2017 – 50 Most Powerful Latinas of 2017 • 2017 – Women Of Distinction from Women's Business Enterprise National Council • 2017 – Women Of Impact Award from Off the Field Players - NFL • 2016 – AT&T Supplier Award (Pinnacle Group) • 2016 – Minority Business Hall of Fame and Museum (MBHF&M) Inductee • 2016 – Second Fastest-Growing Women Owned/Led Company by the Women Presidents’ Organization • 2016 – Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Award • 2016 – Lifetime Achievement Award from Dallas Business Journal’s • 2016 – The Staffing 100 by Staffing Industry Analysts • 2015 – Fastest-Growing Women Owned/Led Company Worldwide by the Women Presidents’ Organization into STEM?” Nina has contributed meaningfully to several initiatives over the past decade to address this very question. But in 2016, she and Pinnacle Group joined the Pathways to Technology Early College High School Program (P-TECH) for the Dallas Independent School District and Dallas Community College District. During their 4 years in this life-changing program, students will earn their high school diploma, an associate’s degree, relevant certifications for their chosen job path, and job training and skills from their industry partner. Pinnacle Group is proud to be the industry partner for Thomas Jefferson Collegiate Academy, whose student body is over 97% minority and over 60% Latina. Nina beams when she talks about the freshman class that started in 2016, and the incoming freshman starting this August. “I’m very, very proud of this program. This is a legacy that will live on. Hispanics are the fastest growing and the youngest segment of America; if we do not do well, then this country does not do well. This is the single biggest reason why I do what I do.”
Nina is unique, but she does share a common trait with supersuccessful entrepreneurs; she’s fearless. Vaca jumps in where others vacillate. “I’m a triathlete. That takes a lot of risk and courage jumping in the cold water! I’m not really afraid of anything. I think that’s served me well.” She does have criteria for her choices: “I ask how I can be a person of value, versus a person of success.”
By putting her desire to contribute first, she opened opportunities for others. Incredibly intuitive, smart, personable, persistent, and prolific, Vaca loves what she does. She sought a meaningful way to share the how-to secrets of her success with the world. It became a website with real, practical instructions for a slew of different goals.
Nina lives for the success of those around her; it’s her oxygen. Now, there’s a website for all the amazing stuff she does so well: NinaVaca.com. “On my site, I’m going to introduce you to my ecosystem; that’s the way I’m going to change lives. I’m going to give people the resources and the know-how. Even if it’s how to run a 5k, they’re going to get it from my website.”
On the way to the top, she discovered the secret of life. “I’ve learned that you can have it all, but you can’t do it all.”
Regrets? “None. I don’t live life with any regrets. I feel like every life challenge is an opportunity to learn, and grow from it.”
SCIENCE
These four words represent the future. These four areas are the focus of studies, career development and fields of great need when it comes to developing professionals in the Hispanic population. Why are they so important? This is a key question. Many would answer that it is because Latinos are very lagged in these areas. Others will say these areas are needed the most by corporations in order to keep
TECHNOLOGY
growing their labor force and forge their expansion. Yet, others would say it is an area full of opportunities for those who dominate and prepare in these fields. The three answers would be accurate: STEM is and should be important for Latinos who are searching for a successful professional path. Tech leaders are changing the way we view the world, and Latinos need to be at the forefront of an industry that is leading each and every aspect of our human experience.
ENGINEERING
THE BEST IN
58 • July / August 2017
Design by: Carlos Cuevas
We begin our series by recognizing the contributions of a corporate giant, made much grander through the impact it has had on the lives of young tech leaders. The Bank of New York Mellon and its STEM initiative, led by Lee B. Stephens III, Executive Vice President, has made an impact not only because of its proven success but because of the passion and enthusiasm by which its leaders are investing in the future. So, for Liz Agosto, Global Chief Administrative Officer, Information Security Division at BNY Mellon, volunteering at Diversetech is one of the highlights of a stellar career. For Emmanuel Delgado, Senior Associate at BNY Mellon, a member of the Technology Leadership Program, the mentorship goes way beyond what he has ever expected.
MATHEMATICS
Elizabeth (Liz) Agosto
Global Chief Administrative Officer, Information Security Division at BNY Mellon When and how did you become interested in Tech? When I joined the Information Security team at BNY Mellon and started to learn about the different aspects of cybersecurity, I found it fascinating. It truly has an impact on everything we do, regardless of industry. I constantly remind my family and friends about the importance of cybersecurity and the personal responsibility we all need to take to keep our information safe and secure. It always surprises me how little people know about it; it’s a very real risk and we all need to be prepared and educated about the potential threats. What are your key responsibilities in your present role and how did you arrive at this position? As the Global Chief Administration Officer for BNY Mellon’s Information Security Division (ISD), I report directly to BNY Mellon’s Chief Information Security Officer, Jeff Lunglhofer. In this role, I lead the division’s administrative, operational, and financial affairs. My responsibilities include working closely with Human Resource partners to deliver on ISD’s talent management strategies including staff planning, recruiting, retention and salary
administration. My work ensures we have the talent, systems, processes and procedures in place to be dynamic and resilient. I have a passion for organizational change management and enjoy every aspect of it. What have you received in terms of advice and mentorship that has pushed you to where you are today? My family has always played a big role in my life as my source of support and inspiration. They’ve taught me some of the biggest lessons: stay humble, keep learning and share that knowledge with others, don’t be afraid to take risks and always go the extra mile. I have also been very blessed to have both formal and informal mentors in my life who have taught me that mistakes can be great learning opportunities. They’ve also shown me we all have the responsibility to build a respectable personal brand and make a path for young Latinos who are seeking opportunities and may not have role models in their families. My mentors have stressed the value of using my perspective – built from all of my life experiences – to put my stamp on everything I do. I also want to be a good steward and leave the world, including my workplace, better than I found it.
What is the main advantage of a career in STEM? Do you see it as a key area of opportunity for Latinos? There are so many advantages to a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). As technology continues to advance, the demand for people with these skills, education and competencies increases. We have to be prepared to compete in this space, to be a part of this incredible revolution, or risk being left out. In the near future, virtually every job will need people with STEM knowledge – regardless of the industry. If we can’t offer those skills, it will mean we cannot compete in the space. We have to think and be able to compete globally! What steps do we need to take to address the Hispanic Technology pipeline shortage? Why is it important for corporations like BNY Mellon to help increase Latino representation in the Technology industry? We all play a part in this. If we don’t, it will affect our competitiveness in the global market. Latinos are one of the fastest growing groups in the country and we are joining the workforce in big numbers. It is so important that Latinos have the option to pursue a career in STEM, not just for obvious reasons like professional success, but to contribute in areas that are truly vital to our security, our future, and our economy. BNY Mellon is serious about diversity, as evidenced by the impressive work of the company’s Diversetech group, and they
are playing a very big role in creating opportunities for Latinos in technology. I am living proof! I feel a lot of pride representing an organization that has an uncompromising commitment to diversity; BNY Mellon has given me a platform! How do initiatives such as HITEC and Diversetech provide solutions to hiring, developing and retaining diverse Tech talent? These initiatives provide support, networking opportunities, and mentors, which are so important because many Latinos do not have role models in the technology space or in STEM careers. Exposure to these programs and scholarship opportunities drive focus and ignite a passion in students to help propel them toward professional success. It also teaches them the value of giving back, the understanding and importance of breaking barriers and paving the way for others like themselves. Diversetech, the diversity in technology division of BNY Mellon’s multicultural IMPACT business resource group, features senior professionals who volunteer their time to promote, attract, hire and retain diverse talent. There’s a strong commitment straight from the top of the organization, offering more passion and support than at any other firm where I’ve worked. The group works closely with HITEC to help Latino and Latina technologists to advance their professional and leadership development, and with other organizations to rally around other underrepresented groups like women and African Americans.
The Best Companies in STEM programs • Google • Entertainment Software organizations and sources Association like ALPFA, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, HITEC and others, • Best Buy • BNY Mellon we have researched and • Adobe have presented an initial list • Infosys of those companies with the strongest and most successful • G.M. • Exxon Mobil programs. These companies are pushing for this same goal, • Coca-Cola going the extra mile by hosting • CVS workshops, mentoring students • Facebook • SWA and leveraging resources to include Latinos in tech related initiatives. In partnership with respected
60 • July / August 2017
INSIDE BNY MELLON… Emmanuel Delgado
Senior Associate at BNY Mellon, Member of the Technology Leadership Program I’ve always had a specific interest in technology. I remember convincing my family to buy our first computer when I was eight years old. However, I didn’t actively pursue a career in it immediately, because I doubted my capabilities. I’ll never forget the day that a speaker came to my high school and told my classmates and me that whatever we had a passion to do, and whatever lifestyle appealed to us, we have the power to go after it. That’s when I decided I would go after a profession I was truly passionate about. Pursuing a career in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field was the best decision I could have made for myself. Enter BNY Mellon I first learned about BNY Mellon’s Technology Leadership Program (TLP) at a career fair. At the time, financial services firms were not on my radar, but I knew I wanted to ‘grow up’ in the tech industry. The most striking thing about TLP is how much BNY Mellon clearly invests in its employees. As soon as I went through the program, my BNY Mellon colleagues and soon-to-be mentors really took the time to train me, and more than that, they emphasized how important it is to network, set goals and define what I actually wanted to achieve through my career. My peers and I were quickly introduced to many experienced leaders in the organization who were not only willing, but eager to help us develop our careers by building a strong business foundation in addition to providing opportunities to apply and strengthen our technical skills. I have been fortunate enough to have multiple people mentor me at different stages of my life. The most important thing that I’ve learned through those experiences is that there is a level of obligation and responsibility that comes with these relationships. You have to push yourself and be an asset to everything you’re a part of and take ownership of your own career path. You don’t only owe it to yourself, but the people who took the time to invest in you. Each employee has the power to take charge of their career and open new doors to other parts of the business that might interest them more. Be open to constantly meet new people, say yes to opportunities to attend industry events and never be afraid to speak up about new experiences you are interested in having. Being Your True Authentic Self The environment and culture at BNY Mellon really encourages my colleagues and me to be as transparent and as authentic as possible. I was given a warm welcome by everyone I met when I first started at BNY Mellon and I felt like I could be myself. Every person has a unique background, which means we all have something different to bring to the table, and it is very empowering to know that my voice will be heard, even as a junior-level employee. Hiring talent from different backgrounds is the first step, but BNY Mellon takes it further by creating an environment where I, as a Latino, feel my voice is really heard and valued. This sense of belonging benefits my personal career growth and also contributes to BNY Mellon’s overall success by diversifying the talent pool. I am a big believer that you can’t optimize your productivity if you aren’t in a good mindset. I wouldn’t be able to perform as well as I would like to if I felt isolated and unwelcome. Knowing that I’m surrounded by supportive people encourages me to work even harder. When I first started at BNY Mellon, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know a lot of Latinos in finance. But the second I started, I met several Latino mentors who took the time out of their day to speak to me about their experiences. I already feel that I am part of the BNY Mellon family, and that’s an important factor to consider when choosing a company. I know I will thrive at BNY Mellon. Paying it Forward My experience getting to where I am today has inspired me to want to get involved in influential initiatives, such as DiverseTech, a division of the company’s multicultural business resource group – IMPACT – that raises awareness of the need to increase diversity within the tech space, to encourage more people from different backgrounds to pursue jobs in the STEM field. Being able to coach new people would be my way of paying it forward, from all the support that I have received. It’s important to continue representing Latinos in the STEM fields. It fills me with pride to see so many established Latinos already thriving in other fields – notable poets, authors, painters, film-makers and musicians. However, there is still room for improvement when it comes to recognizing and encouraging the strides that we are making in STEM. As we continue to highlight our achievements and raise the profile of Latino role models, future generations will start to realize that they can also make a difference and find success working in a STEM field. Parting Words of Wisdom Don’t doubt yourself and never hide who you are or where you’re from. As soon as I stepped through the doors of BNY Mellon, my colleagues and mentors encouraged me to be my most authentic self. Don’t ever feel you need to be someone else, and don’t be afraid to express yourself. Let your true self show in your work and persona, and your teams will benefit from the value you bring to the table. To help you get there, look for someone you identify with at work who serves as a true mentor for you, who will encourage you and guide you to thrive professionally. Your career path will become increasingly clear.
Why did you decide to become involved in developing new Hispanic talent in Tech? How has this enriched your own trajectory? As one of six girls, I learned the value of sharing at a very early age. I have been truly blessed to have mentors throughout my career who have helped and paved a way for me. I am passionate about doing the same. It is so important. I have nieces and nephews, and I want to make sure they know about and take advantage of every opportunity. We are the future; we have a voice and I intend to use mine. I want to be known as someone who broke barriers and created opportunities, to build a personal brand people respect and aspire to emulate. It’s this passion that has afforded me the opportunity to build relationships with likeminded, successful individuals in my industry. What are your most important personal and professional values? From a personal perspective, my most important values are family and the importance of supporting one another; it all begins there! From a professional perspective I stress the importance of integrity, community, respect and stewardship. What is the most fulfilling aspect of your current role? The most fulfilling aspect of my current role is interacting with people across the organization and within my team. I enjoy connecting the dots, being a part of change and in some cases the catalyst for driving that change. I also find it very rewarding to recruit new talent into the organization. I treasure the opportunity to meet and inspire them to reach higher, and then watching their talent unfold. What is the main lesson you have learned since joining BNY Mellon? Since joining BNY Mellon, I’ve learned the power of building a strong network and community to drive change. There is power in numbers. What advice do you have for others who want to follow your path? Talk to people, build a network, ask questions, stay curious and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo - ever! Be a steward, make your mark, build your brand every day and take pride in it. What are you most proud of in your personal and professional journey? I’m proud that I have been able to help people in my life to do and be and learn more. It’s gratifying to see some of the people I have mentored who are just as passionate about making a difference as I am. It doesn’t end with a paycheck or the title; it’s about how many people we impact! In my role, I am committed to increasing diversity in cybersecurity. Since I joined in 2016, we have had a lot of growth in the division. In the talent sourcing process that I lead, many of the candidates interviewed for open positions were diverse candidates, resulting in diverse hires. I recently led our delegation at a Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Regional Conference, where I also led two workshops and arranged to have BNY Mellon’s CIO and CISO speak to students at our Innovation Center. From that conference alone we identified more than 50 potential candidates, primarily of Hispanic/Latino descent, to be considered for entry-level technology positions in 2018.
DR. NORMAN RUANO
BRINGS EDUCATION BACK TO THE WORKPLACE Story by: Joe Dyton
D
r. Norman Ruano’s work for the Institute for Workforce Education, a division of St. Augustine College, is not just a job; it’s fulfilling a lifelong passion. Dr. Ruano was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and lived there until his early teens when he and his family moved to Chicago during the civil war. Influenced by having college professors and activists in his family, Dr. Ruano developed a penchant for education and advocacy on others’ behalf at an early age. “When I was a kid, my grandmother used to organize protests to help the poor,” Dr. Ruano said. “I saw firsthand her understanding of people’s condition and dedication to do something about it. I always had a sense that we needed to do something to help others.” Along with activism, Dr. Ruano took his education seriously. He studied social sciences in college. He continued studying the subject, earning a Master Degree and later a Doctorate in Sociology, with Summa Cum Laude honors, from Loyola University Chicago. 62 • July / August 2017
Feeling the need to understand life in the private sector, he began his professional career in business sales and management, before joining the City Colleges of Chicago. Here, he managed the workforce operations of Harry S. Truman College and later founded the Workforce Institute, where he served as Vice President. Through his leadership, hundreds of businesses in Illinois and other states in the country received strategic consulting and training, as well as workforce training funding from government agencies. He focused on bringing education to the workplace and on the development of programs to support Latinos in higher education. Because of his interest in higher education and commitment to promote the progress of Latinos, Dr. Ruano transitioned to St. Augustine College (a Latino college), where he’s worked as Vice President for Workforce Development for almost a decade. At St. Augustine college, Dr. Ruano’s mission was to create a workplace development program from a private, non-profit college perspective, focusing on serving the Latino community of Chicago and the state of Illinois. As a result, the Institute for Workforce Education (IWE) was created. This college division is dedicated to helping the Latino community advance in the workforce and classroom in many different ways.
“Our intent is to ensure that our Latino companies develop the latest skills with the latest technology and techniques so when they go into the marketplace, they’re able to be competitive and have an upper hand.”
For example, a lot of immigrant and U.S. born Latinos join the workforce right away with a particular skill set. Once technology changes, however, they need to get new training to stay competitive with the rest of the workforce and to get promoted. IWE fills this void by working with companies and non-profit organizations to secure funding and provide customized training to their most valuable resource, their employees. IWE offers customized training to meet the needs of different industries and management training for people who are employed with larger organizations but need help gaining the skills that will help them move up. Dr. Ruano and his team have found that the language barrier can be an obstacle for a lot of people who need the training. So while IWE teaches hundreds of courses in English, they also offer them in Spanish, and even some in Polish. The Institute also partners with business associations to develop training programs for its members, with the objective of improving their management, organizational and business generation skills.
Recognizing that green technologies yield a lot of job opportunities, IWE partners with the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) to provide training programs to Latino contractors. The contractors are taught practices related to green construction and prepare to obtain the required certifications. “Our intent is to ensure that our Latino companies develop the latest skills with the latest technology and techniques so when they go into the marketplace, they’re able to be competitive and have an upper hand,” Dr. Ruano said. IWE’s work has garnered the attention of other organizations—including some in Latin America. A group of workforce partners, sponsored by the Chilean Department of Labor, called and brought them to Santiago in order to certify instructors on how to use American-based workforce education models (more skills focused). IWE has now taken the step of publishing its own workforce training materials. “That is something that is very dear to my heart because it’s not about just doing it once, it’s about repeating it in every corner of this country,” Dr. Ruano said, adding “We make those resources available to other institutions or organizations to help transform people’s lives.” Dr. Ruano could have continued on a more lucrative career path in medical technology, but all of the money in the world could not buy the satisfaction he gets by helping others succeed trough workforce training and higher education. “What gives me the greatest satisfaction is that I know the education and training we’re giving our people is making a difference for them, their families, and their community” Dr. Ruano concluded.
LATINO LEADERS @JFerraez_Latino
THE BEAUTY OF WHITE
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ANY THINK that the best wines are red. I need to confess that I myself prefer to drink red most of the time, but whenever you have a sip of a refreshing and crisp white, you cannot resist the tropical fruits, vanilla, white flowers and floral notes of the nice white wines. I have a friend that always brings a white Burgundy to any dinner just to start and then turns to red wine for the rest of the evening. There’s a white for every taste; a sweet, flowery Riesling for a delicate white fish, buttery and pineapplenoted Chardonnay for grilled seafood, a light grapefruit like Sauvignon Blanc with Brie cheese and of course, an elegant white Burgundy for a sophisticated white meat dish. Here are some of the best whites I’ve been trying recently:
CELLAR
Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2014 Region: Mosel, Germany Varietal: Reisling (Spatlese) Price: $29 Aromas: Apple, Caramelized Peaches Flavors: Honeysuckle, Vanilla, Flowers Impression: Crisp and delicious Structure: Nice balance Drink with: Elaborated white fish dishes. Raw Oysters. Why I loved this wine? Very nice perfumed notes My Rating: 91 pts.
Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay 2015 Region: Napa Valley / Carneros Varietal: Chardonnay Price: $52 Aromas: Tangerine and banana, tropical melon Flavors: Vanilla, caramel, grapefruit Impression: Rich and exotic Structure: Round Drink with: Grilled Salmon, Chicken Florentine, Smoked Turkey Why I loved this wine? Crisp and Mouth-filling My Rating: 93 pts.
Neethlingshof Estate Chenin Blanc 2016 Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa Varietal: Chenin Blanc Price: $22 Aromas: Citric, lime peel, pear Flavors: Orange oil, tropical fruit, kiwi Impression: Fresh Structure: Good Balance Drink with: Raw Seafood, Shrimp Cocktail, Oyters, Grilled Vegetables Why I loved this wine? Easy to drink My Rating: 89 pts.
64 • July / August 2017