LS50 Columns | Latina Style 50 | Corporate America´s initiatives for careers of professional Hispanic women.

It has been a decade since LATINA Style made history by launching the most respected evaluation of corporate America’s best practices and polices as they pertain to the professional Hispanic Women, the LATINA Style 50 Report. On February 7, LATINA Style celebrated the 10th year anniversary of the LATINA Style 50 Awards ceremony and fifth annual Diversity Leaders Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in the nations’ Capital.

Since it’s inception in 1998, the number of companies applying have tripled and today it sets the standards by realizing the goal of its founder, Anna Maria Arias, by providing Latinas an extensive research tool that would address their needs and concerns as professional Hispanic women in the workplace. Attendees were offered career advice, a wide range of workshops and following the conference, award recipients were directed to an exclusive White House reception where remarks were given by Sara Martinez Tucker, under secretary of Education and Jovita Carranza, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Josefina G. Carbonell, assistant secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HS) and Ivette Fernandez, associate director for the Office of Public Liaison, at the White House.

State Farm, Christina Sandoval; Ruth Sandoval, BusinessconX; Michelle Jordan; Marie Quintana; David Gonzales, PepsiCo; Chris Parsell, State Farm; Ernest McFadden, PepsiCo; Art Ruiz, State Farm

With elation, on the evening prior to the event, LATINA Style kicked off with an elite Latina Leadership dinner at one of D.C.’s favorite restaurants, Oyamel. With laughter and jubilation White House executives, members of Congress, CEO’s and executives of the top selected companies for Latinas to work for enjoyed a delicious Mexican-style cuisine. The following day initiated with breakfast and welcoming remarks by Belinda Garza, manager of Federal Government Relations at Wal-Mart. “I’d like to thank LATINA Style for naming us again one of the top 50 companies for Latinas to work for,” she said. “As a top company being recognized today we will continue to make improvements and strive to always be an employer of choice for Latinas.”
Wal-Mart and P&G have distinguished themselves by having Latina executives responsible for not only million dollar budgets but billion dollar budgets.
Everyone gathered to celebrate a common purpose, “To better serve Latinas not only in our companies but within our nation,” said Scott Stewart, director of Multicultural External Relations at Procter & Gamble. “LATINA Style comes to represent for us a major point of connection with our Latinas. As you learn through today and as you look at what the plans for 2008 will be, think about the importance of it not only as a magazine but an organization that can play a significant role in advancing your agenda. We are grateful to LATINA Style for making the 50 what it is today and we could not be happier to help celebrate 10 years.”
Rep. Joe Baca, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute provided opening remarks during the breakfast. “It’s an honor to be with such distinguished individuals, such as you Latinas,” he said with enthusiasm. “You are a future in terms of role models for many other individuals; you are an inspiration for many others.” As he spoke, he reassured that the future of corporate America were among those sitting in the room, stating the importance of opening doors for Latinos and Latinas in the U.S. “I am going to work hard to make sure that we promote more Latinos and Latinas in that structure, to make sure that when we look at corporate America, that corporate America looks like we do.”

LS 50, 10th Year Anniversary

LATINA Style 50 Awards Ceremony and Diversity Leaders Conference