Much has been written about the enormous growth of the Hispanic population and how this segment of the population is now the largest ethnic community in the U.S.; moreover, articles appear almost daily on how Corporate America needs to be mindful of our “spending power” and economic clout. Political leaders have also taken note of how Hispanic can influence the outcome of an election. But, more importantly, how this consumer segment is largely a “Matriarch” culture, and The 100 Hispanic Women, Inc. recognizes the central role of Latina women within their family, and is proud of with the distinction.
With this new economic and political clout comes a new sense of responsibility. As an organization, we will continue to place the spotlight in safeguarding women’s issues. We have been very proactive in delivering information through a series of interactive seminars, conferences and workshops. We have focused on key areas of interest to our membership and the Latina community at large --all while empowering our women with the tools to take control of their personal, professional and economical growth. We are hopeful that their strength will filter down to their families and the society in which they live.
This is a very exciting time for our organization. This year, the 100 Hispanic Women, Inc. embarks on its 10th Anniversary. We are celebrating our achievements and recognizing our growth in being the premier Hispanic women's organization. With chapters in Westchester and Long Island combined with our outreach to women throughout the Northeast region, the future looks bright for our organization.
During our 9th anniversary gala, we instituted The 100 Hispanic Women’s Orgullo Latino Awards. This year's honorees were Elizabeth Vargas, anchor of 20/20 ABC News, Sylvia Montero, senior vice president of human resources for Pfizer Inc, and our “Men”ción honorable recipient Miguel Fuentes, president and CEO of Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. Our Orgullo Latino award recipients are successful Hispanic women, role models to our young Latinas and leaders who know the importance of giving back to their communities. Their commitment and dedication to the Latino community has earned them the highest honors and respect.
We are especially proud of our Young Latina Leadership Institute, a program we started in 2002. To date we have awarded four-year scholarships to 15 young Latinas with five more being added this year. We plan to hopefully increase this number next year. Our scholarship program is important for many reasons: education will afford our young Latinas to prosper in the future; to become the leaders of tomorrow; and to become better equipped to help address all the problems we as a society, face.
We continue to strive to provide the best of services to our members, whether it is workshops on finances or entrepreneurship, our annual health and wellness conference "Mind, Body and Spirit" that promotes good health and healthy lifestyles, or simply by providing networking opportunities. All of this goes to our mission of "Leading Latinas to Leadership Excellence."
The inroads of Latinas in this country are tremendous. We will continue to examine the many challenges and opportunities ahead of us, and to reach out and build bridges with others. We are fueled by our vision to inspire and challenge Latinas to maximize their strengths and potential and to become equal partners in an empowered world of equal opportunity with equal justice, recognition, respect and dignity.
We thank our many corporate partners, supporters, friends and members who make all this possible. The 100 Hispanic Women, Inc. is encouraged by old, trusted friends as well as new ones who will help us continue to grow our organization, but we can not have done it all without our loyal members, our board of directors and community members. Thank you.
Shirley Rodriguez-Remeneski
President
