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The LATINA Style 50 Awards Ceremony and Diversity Leaders Conference
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Chao described recent efforts the Department of Labor is utilizing to reach out to underserved communities. For example, to familiarize Hispanics with America’s complicated labor laws the Department is translating some of its educational literature into Spanish. And in 2004, the Department sponsored the first-ever Hispanic Health and Safety Summit.
The DOL, explained Chao, remains active in Gulf Coast recovery efforts and works with media, churches and community-based organizations—such as LULAC—to help vulnerable workers and ensure that they are fully and fairly compensated. Another issue Chao addressed was the protection of America’s retirement security, especially for women because they tend to live longer.
Chao ended her address by emphasizing the importance of the Hispanic community to America, because “for centuries [Hispanics] have made America stronger, enriching our country with your culture, traditions and hard work,” she said. “Working together, we can continue to ensure that traditionally underserved communities have access to opportunity, and we can continue to strengthen the diversity that makes our country strong.”
Health education was an important issue throughout the event, as Congresswoman Grace Flores Napolitano (D-CA) rose to the stage for an impromptu speech about healthcare. Napolitano, who founded the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, advised Latinas in the audience to “become involved in every aspect of Latina Healthcare.”
Congresswoman Napolitano recently assembled a consortium of local hospitals, healthcare providers and healthcare worker training institutions to address various healthcare issues in her district. The group developed a proposal to prepare with basic skills, train and upgrade 1,600 health care workers, mainly Certified Nurse Assistants and Licensed Vocational Nurses.
“My meta is that any Latina is able to show her true attitude about this issue, because nowadays there is room at the table for everybody, and we all need to become involved in this issue,” she said. “All of us are sisters under the sun. The power of women is much more significant when we work together.”
Before awardees were handed their plaques, Gloria Santona, executive vice president and general counsel for McDonald’s Corporation, delivered a speech on behalf of the company thanking LATINA Style for awarding it the ceremony’s most prestigious honor as Company of the Year. “These are exciting times to be a Latina—there is a world of opportunity out there for us,” she said.
After the awards ceremony, attendees exchanged business cards and prepared for Macy’s Fashion Presentation. The show presented outfits for both the professional women and men, flaunting the casual and formal attires.
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| Nilde Passanessi of Eastman Kodak Company, Congressman Joe Baca, Melanie Liddle Healey of The Procter & Gamble Company |
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| Guadalupe Alcala of State Farm Mutual Insurance Companies and Amber Peralta of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. |
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| Attendees taking a break |
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“I’d never attended a conference with so many successful Latinas climbing up the corporate ladder,” said Mimi Velez of Montgomery County. “This experience has taught me that it is important to get out of one’s comfort zone to get ahead in the world.”
Stella Raymaker, director of EEO and Ethics Compliance at Waste Management Incorporated said that although her workplace is predominately Hispanic, there aren’t many women in the industry, and panel discussions “helped [her] learn various formulas that work to introduce more women into my company’s workforce.” |
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| Attendees taking a break |
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| Melanie Liddle Healey, president of Global Feminine Care & Adult Care for The Procter & Gamble Company and Esther Aguilera, President & CEO of CHCI |
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| Marcia Vargas, vice president for U.S. Inclusion & Diversity at McDonald’s Corporation |
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| U.S. Bank representatives Lucille Conley and Maricruz Hill |
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| Gloria Santona, executive vice president & general counsel for McDonald’s Corporation & Linda Madrid of Fannie Mae |
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| “How the LATINA Style 50 Companies Differentiate Themselves from the Rest” panel (left to right) Kriss Ann Fernandez of Cingular Wireless Inc., Redia Anderson Banks of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP and Corliss Fong of Macy’s |
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| Carlos Sandoval of Wachovia Corporation gives Rosie Saez also of Wachovia Corporation a much deserved pat on the back! |
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| “Senior Executive Roundtable” panel (left to right): David A. Gonzales of State Farm Mutual Insurance Companies, Rosie Saez of Wachovia Corporation, Ron Glover of IBM, Magda Yrizarry of Verizon Communications |
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| Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano and Robert Bard, president and CEO of LATINA Style |
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| Breakfast Keynote speaker Congressman Joe Baca |
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| Patt Cronin, general manager, ITD Productivity Initiatives, Integrated Operations for IBM |
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| U.S. Secretary of Labor, the Honorable Elaine L. Chao |
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| The Honorable Anna Escobedo Cabral, U.S. Treasurer speaks at White House Reception |
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| Jennifer Sevilla Korn associate director of the Office of the Public Liaison (left) and Jovita Carranza deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (right) |
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| Barbara Kerecz, Corporate Benefits, Healthy Lifestyles Program manager at Aetna, Inc. during Q & A session |
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All Macy’s pictures share same credit: Macy’s Fashion Presentation at the LATINA Style 50 Diversity Leaders Conference
The lunch and awards ceremony concluded after Latina representatives from each company accepted the commemorative plaque on their companies’ behalf. They were treated to a special White House reception held at the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with U.S. Treasurer, the Honorable Anna Escobedo Cabral and Jovita Carranza, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Education was a key issue in her address, and she explained that financial literacy should be emphasized among young adults, especially those entering college. “I stand before you a product of solid education,” she said. “This is something we should strive to have for all Americans.”
She also explained that there are more opportunities than ever before for Latinas to advance their careers and make a difference in their communities. “When I came to D.C., there was very little color in it,” she said. “But now is the time to be a Latina.”
Joining Cabral was one of the White Houses’ highest-ranking Latinas, Jennifer Sevilla Korn, associate director of the Office of the Public Liaison. She congratulated award recipients, and encouraged everyone to continue working for a diverse workplace.
Carranza also addressed the audience, describing personal experiences of her life. She also mentioned unique circumstances that first-generation Mexican Americans often face as she described her own childhood. “It’s hard to overcome language barriers when you go to an English school and come from a Spanish home,” she said. “But at the same time, I come from a very efficient one, and that helped me get ahead.”
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