LATINA Celebrates Women's Empowerment

 WASHINGTON -- LATINA Style, the premier magazine addressing the needs of professional Latinas in the U.S. will officially launch Washington's Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. The 7th Annual National LATINA Symposium taking place on Thursday, September 9, 2010, at the JW Marriot hotel located on 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington D.C., from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm provides a national platform for Latina entrepreneurs and professional working women to address the status of the Hispanic woman in the United States. The event is open to the public and attended by Latina leaders, professional women from corporate America, the government and military.

Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) is the chair for this year's Symposium, a recognized leader that serves as the influential Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligences, the first Hispanic American in U.S. history to lead the committee. Congressman Reyes is also a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the primary committee responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DOD). Reyes is an Army combat veteran, served in the Army from 1966 – 1968, and fought in the Vietnam War as a helicopter crew chief in the 282nd Combat Assault Helicopter Company known as "the Blackcats."  In 1984, Reyes was Sector Chief, becoming the first Hispanic Sector Chief in Border Patrol history. Congressman Reyes has proved himself as leader in serving our country!

The event will commence with a ceremonial breakfast and welcoming remarks from the Honorable Juan M. Garcia, III,Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy. He acts on matters pertaining to manpower and personnel policy within the Department of the Navy including issues affecting active duty and reserve Sailors, Marines, and Department of the Navy civilians. Garcia is an attorney, a former Texas State Representative, and a second-generation naval aviator.

Following the ceremonial breakfast participants will engage in a series of workshops that will allow them to learn about issues such as: advancing Latinas in the workplace, leadership development, emerging trends, strategies for success, and much more!

The Symposium will conclude with the Distinguished Military Service Awards Luncheon, co-hosted with the Department of Defense. During the luncheon, women and Latinas representing each branch of the Armed Forces will be honored for their excellence in service. In addition, celebrating the awards luncheon will be Keynote Speaker U.S. Marine Corps Major GeneralAngela Salinas, the highest ranking Hispanic woman in the military, and the first woman Marine to command a recruiting station. Aside from that, Salinas was the first woman Marine to command Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA. A true role model for Latinas!