Hispanic Group Honors Latina Leaders
WASHINGTON – The National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) along with distinguished national and regional leaders from the non-profit, government and corporate sectors, honored Latinas who are making a difference through public service during NHLI's renowned Latina Leaders Breakfast, an annual event held in the nation's capital, which marks the beginning of the organization's Hispanic Heritage month celebration.
Founded in 1987, NHLI is the premier executive leadership organization preparing Latinas for positions of national and international influence, public policy impact and to contribute to the advancement of the Hispanic community.
The Latina Leaders Breakfast was started over 13 years ago to honor and celebrate Latina Congressional Representatives while expanding NHLI’s vision of Latinas as ethical leaders. In 2009, the scope was broadened to include Latinas in all three branches of government.
“Today we recognize a small group of exemplary leaders but they represent thousands of Latinas who are making their mark in public service, said Cristina López, NHLI’s President. Each honoree embodies NHLI’s vision of ethical Latina Leaders and we are proud to have them as visible role models for Hispanic women nationwide,” added Cristina. “Latinas are changing the face and strengthening the social fabric of this country. From politics to the sciences, from the arts to the economy, from Los Angeles, CA to Wall Street NY Latinas are making an impact. We start the celebration of Latina Leadership here by recognizing the honorees for their exemplary and relentless work to improve our communities and their efforts to change the status quo of Latinas and we will continue to honor other outstanding leaders at our annual Mujer Awards,” said López.
This year’s honorees were: U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis; U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios; Ambassador Carmen Lomellin (NHLI 1989 alumna), United States Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States; Sara Manzano-Diaz, Director of the Women’s Bureau ,U.S. Department of Labor; Barbara J. DesMarteau (NHLI 2004 alumna) Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training; Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL, 18th District) and Congresswoman Loretta Sánchez (CA, 47th District).
The 2010 Latina Leaders Breakfast was possible with the support of sponsors committed to advancing Latina leadership including AARP Visa Card from Chase, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, State Farm Insurance Companies, Goya and Comcast.
The Latina Leaders Breakfast is part of NHLI’s Executive Leadership Program (ELP) Washington, DC week. The program consists of a four-week training curriculum that spans nine months and includes sessions at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the prestigious Center for Creative Leadership. Since its establishment, NHL has trained more than 10,000 Latina Leaders, including 680 who have graduated from its award-winning leadership institute, and who in turn have mentored more than 5,000 Latinas and impacted hundreds of thousands of Hispanics nationwide through their community leadership projects.
NHLI’s 2010 Executive Leadership Training Conference and Mujer Awards in Miami on November 4-5, a gathering of hundreds of Latina leaders, is open to the public.
By providing Hispanic women with leadership and professional development opportunities and access to role models and mentors, NHLI serves as a catalyst to address the underrepresentation of Latina professionals in leadership positions.
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Founded in 1987 to address the disparity of representation of Latinas in leadership, NHLI’s mission is to develop Hispanas as ethical leaders through training, professional development, relationship building and community activism. For more than 20 years, NHLI has developed hundreds of Latina leaders who have gone on to become elected officials, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, executives at non-profits and powerful decision makers.
