Lasting Legacies in Las Primeras
For over 18 years MANA, A National Latina Organization has proudly recognized Latinas who have accomplished “firsts” at its annual Las Primeras® Awards Gala. In doing so, MANA has helped raise awareness on the accomplishments of Latinas, while raising funds to support educational programs for Latinas across the country, mentor girls ages 11-17 and advocate on issues important to the health, education and economic well being of Latinas.
The categories for the Las Primeras® Awards are; Arts, Business, Communications, Community Service, Leadership, Military, Public Service, Sciences and Sports. Awardees are recognized for significant contributions at the national level.
HerMANO/HerMANA Award
These awards were introduced three years ago because MANA wanted to recognize
individuals who support the issues of the Hispanic Community, especially Latinas.
Corporation of the Year Award
This award is presented to a corporation which demonstrates long-term, consistent
support to, and inclusion of, the Hispanic community in their corporate practice
and to the MANA organization.
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - U.S. Congresswoman Florida's 18th District House of Representatives
Dr. Antonio Novello - First woman and first Hispanic to become the Surgeon General of the United States.
Mari-Luci Jaramillo - First Latina to serve as a U.S. Ambassador. Native of New Mexico. Served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 1977 to 1981.
Minerva Bernardino - First Hispanic woman Ambassador to the United Nations and first woman elected Vice President of the Economic and Social Council of the U.N. She was one of the four women to sign the Charter of the United Nations in 1945.
Ellen Ochoa - First Latina astronaut, San Diego, California.
Rita di Martino - Manages public policy and global issues for AT&T and advises the company on trade to the Latin American region.
Lena Guerrero - First female and first ethnic minority to serve on the 100-year-old Texas Railroad Commission. Second Hispanic female ever elected to the Texas House of Representatives.
Victoria Corderi - First Hispana national news co-anchor. Until then she co-anchored morning news and news segments of CBS.
Anna Caballero - First Latina to seek public office and the first elected to the Salinas, California, City Council.
Elma Teresa Salinas Ender - First Mexican-American woman appointed and elected to a district court bench in the history of her state and the U.S. Miriam Santos - At the age of 33, she was the first female and first Hispanic to serve as Chicago's City Treasurer.
Anita Perez-Ferguson - First Mexican American woman in the history of California to run for the House of Representatives.
Lucille Roybal-Allard - First Latina to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 33rd Congressional District of Los Angeles.
Yvonne M. Shepard - President and CEO, AT&T of Puerto Rico. Highest Ranking female and minority for a major corporation in the U.S.
Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez - First Puerto Rican female to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and also the first to serve on the city Council of New York City.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes - First Latina on New York Times' Bestseller list for Women Who Run With The Wolves.
Liz Balmaseda - First Latina to receive the Pulitzer Prize. She won the Pulitzer for her commentary while working for the Miami Herald.
Dr. Carmen de la Cruz Rocco - Among the first to detect a pattern of anencephaly - a disease in which babies are born with brain and spinal cord problems - along the border, forcing the EPA to intervene and participate in helping solve the problem.
Paula S. Gomez - Worked with Dr. de la Cruz on the cases of anencephaly and founded the One Border Foundation in 1992 to help fund the research needed to prevent and treat the disease.
Sandy Martinez Pino - First female administrator for the Olympic Games in 1984, the World Championships in 1986, and the Pan American Games in 1987.
Jane L. Delgado - Honored for her leadership role in the field of women's and environmental health issues. She oversees national and community programs, policy and research on health issues at COSSMHO.
Gloria Lopez Hernandez - Honored for her leadership in the creation of MANA. She helped create a voice for Latinas in the policy-making arenas of the country.
Ilka Tanya Payan - An AIDS activist, actress, columnist, immigration attorney and a member of the New York Commission on Human Rights. She died of AIDS in 1994.
Martha Vasquez - First female judge in the U.S. District of New Mexico.
Carolyn Curiel - First person of color and the first Hispanic to serve for a U.S. President.
Tish Hinojosa - Singer, composer and recording artist.
Jackie Nespral - News anchor and reporter for WTVJ, an NBC Miami affiliate.
Mary Rodas - Vice President for Marketing of Catco Toys Angelina Sanchez - Union activist. In the late 1940s, she was a leader in the Empire Zinc strike in Hanover, N.M.
Lisa Fernandez - Part of the softball team that won the gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. In 1993 she was named the NCAA Woman of the Year.
Linda Chavez-Thompson - First person of color elected to a top office in the AFL-CIO. Highest ranking woman in the labor movement. Elected vice president of AFL-CIO in 1994.
Belen B. Robles - First female president of the nation's oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
Norma V. Cantu - The first Latina assistant secretary, and director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.
Aida Barrera - Assistant professor, communications and media studies, Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois, creator and producer of Carrascolendas, the first bilingual network television production directed to Latino children.
Elizabeth Martinez - Owner of her own consulting firm, Women Future, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the first Latina Executive Director of the American Library Association.
Laura Angelica Simon - Fourth grade teacher, Hoover Elementary School, Los Angeles, and producer "Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary." Winner of the 1997 Sundance Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award.
Aida Alvarez - The first Hispanic female to serve as a member of the President's Cabinet. She became the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 1997.
Terri De La Haya - Vice president of the University Center for Community Health in San Antonio. Helped to create a $27 million facility to house the Texas Institute in a poor and under-served area of the city.
Maria Echaveste - First Latina to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States.
Maguelina Maldonado - Director of government relations and policy for the National Minority AIDS Council Rachel McLish - World champion body builder, actress and author.
Anna Santiago - Student at Highland Park High School, Highland, Illinois. She became the first Youth Advocate and spokesperson for the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids. Fought against the sale of tobacco to minors in her hometown.
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez - 4th District, California. Honored for her work in building infrastructure in her community. Sanchez is community oriented and has hosted more than 125 community events in her district. She has personally visited over 70 schools in her district, often with dignitaries such as Vice President Al Gore, cabinet secretaries, astronauts and other Members of Congress. She has hosted "Community Office Hours," where she and her staff have taken the Congressional office into the community.
Marta Sotomayor, Ph.D. - President, National Hispanic Council on Aging. Honored for her work in building affordable housing. She has been the President of the National Hispanic Council on Aging since 1986. She was a senior policy advisor to the Secretary's Task Force on Minority Health at the National Institutes of Health from 1984 -1986. From 1981-1994 she was Director of the Office of Special Populations in the Administration for Mental Health, Drug Abuse and Alcohol of the U.S.A. Public Health Service. She has held numerous university teaching positions and has been a consultant on aging issues to state and community organizations as well as to research institutions. Dr. Sotomayor is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley; obtained an MSS degree from Smith College and a Ph.D. from the University of Denver.
Elvira Valenzuela Crocker - Senior Professional Associate National Education Association (NEA) Teaching and Learning Unit. Honored for her work in building the MANA community for the last 25 years and her work in journalism. She joined the NEA in 1984 as a writer in Government Relations. Following a stint as Communications Coordinator for the NEA - New Mexico, she rejoined the Association's headquarters staff in Washington, D.C. as a senior professional associated in Communications. A journalism major, she graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Arts and received accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America.
Amalia Murguia - Honored for her work in building strong families. The mother of four prominent public servants.
Polly Baca - Polly Baca was a member of the Colorado State Legislature for 12 years. She was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1974 and to the Colorado Senate in 1978. Ms. Baca was the first Latina elected to a state legislature in the United States, the first minority woman elected to the Colorado State Senate (1978-86); the first Hispanic woman to be nominated by a major political party for the United States Congress (1980 Democratic Party Congressional nominee); the first Hispanic woman to co-chair a National Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention (1980 and 1984); and the first Hispanic woman to serve in a leadership role in a State Senate in the U.S. (Chair, Colorado Senate Democratic Caucus, 1985-86). Ms. Baca has served in senior level positions in the Administrations of Presidents Lyndon Baines Johnson, Jimmy Carter and William Jefferson Clinton. Prior to returning to the private sector Ms. Baca was the Regional Administrator of the General Services Administration, Rocky Mountain Region VIII. She is presently Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Baca Services.
State Representative Irma Rangel - Representative Irma Rangel was the first Latina elected to the Texas house of Representatives in 1976, the first Latina elected as Chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the first Mexican American appointed to serve as Chair of the House Committee on Higher Education. Representative Rangel has devoted tireless hours to improve both public and higher educational systems. In 1997 she passed landmark legislation which mandates that the state colleges and universities automatically admit those students who graduate in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class. A former educator, Representative Rangel's achievements include: the Woman of the year Award from GEMS Television; Legislator of the Year Award from the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas; Latina Lawyer of the Year Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association; and Texas Woman of the Century Award from the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas.
State Representative Belda Garza - State Representative Belda Garza was elected to her first term in office in November of 1998 with an overwhelming 85% of the vote and became the first Hispanic Democrat elected to state office in Michigan. Legislation introduced by Representative Garza includes House Bill 4736 which creates a Michigan Youth Gang Violence Board that would provide data and information to address gang and youth violence. Representative Garza who was born in Mexico City, Mexico, grew up in southwest Detroit and graduated from Detroit public schools. She was Assistant Executive Director of Council Programs for the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council prior to her election to the State Legislature.
Carmen Delgado Votaw - Carmen Delgado Votaw has the distinction of being the first Latina to hold the position of Chief of Staff of a Congressional Office. She was Chief of Staff for U.S. congressman Jaime B. Fuster of Puerto Rico from 1985 to 1991. Ms. Delgado Votaw is the Senior Vice President for Public Policy of the Alliance for Children and Families, an organization that includes over 350 agencies that serve children and families. Her previous jobs include Director of Public Policy for United Way of America, Director of Government Relations of the 3.5 million member Girls Scouts of the USA. Amongst her many accomplishments are author of a bilingual book, Puerto Rican Woman: Some Biographical Profiles, Chair of the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education and President of the inter-American Commission of Women of Color.
Linda Alvarado - Ms. Alvarado is President and CEO, Alvarado Construction, Inc, a commercial general contracting firm based in Denver, CO and San Francisco. Ms Alvarado has made history as the first Hispanic (male or female) owner of a major league baseball franchise, the Colorado Rockies. Her ownership of the ball club marks the first time any woman entrepreneur was involved in a bid for ownership of a major league team. She is the recipient of many awards including the 2001 Horatio Alger Award, and has been named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the "100 Most influential Hispanics in America." She was recently honored, along with Maya Angelou and US Attorney General Janet Reno as a recipient of the Sara Lee Corporation Frontrunner Award for exemplary leadership and achievement.
Anna Escobedo Cabral - Ms. Cabral as President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) is the first Latina to head a national coalition of Hispanic organization leaders. She served as Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee. She was the Executive Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs comprised of 25 Senators dedicated to ensuring the concerns and needs of the Hispanic community are addressed by Congress. Ms. Cabral has Political Science degree from the University of California, Davis and a Masters in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Honorable Sila M. Calderon - Governor Calderon (D-PR), born in San Juan Puerto Rico has had an impressive career in the public and private sectors including serving as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Labor, Special Assistant to the Governor of Puerto Rico, Executive for Business Development for Citibank, and President of Commonwealth Investment Company, Inc. She became the first woman to be named Chief of Staff for the Governor of Puerto Rico in 1985 and later she was appointed Secretary of State for Puerto Rico. Ms. Calderon was elected Governor of Puerto Rico and on January 2, 2001 she became the first woman to be elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and first Latina in U.S. history.
Nellie Kaniski - Ms. Kaniski is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp, and President of MANA of Orange County and was born in Anaheim, CA. She attended nursing school and worked as an Obstetrics Nurse serving migrant populations in the San Juaquin Valley and then served a tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. Ms. Kaniski returned to school and took a position at Santa Ana College (SAC). She received her MS in counseling and worked in Student Services for SAC for 25 years. Upon retiring, she continued to work at the College as adjunct counselor for the Student Transition Program. Ms. Kaniski's favorite work however is coordinating the Annual "Adelante Girls" Conference at SAC in which MANA, LULAC, The Unified School District, Rancho Santiago Community College and the community at large collaborate to bring together middle and high school girls for a day-long conference on motivation, values and support.
Elizabeth Vargas - Ms. Vargas of ABC News' 20/20 and PrimeTime Live Correspondent joined ABC from NBC News, where she spent three years as a correspondent, mostly for Dateline NBC. She joined ABC News' Good Morning America as News Anchor in May 1996. Also for ABC News, she has anchored World News Tonight Saturday and two one-hour Turning Point specials: "Same Sex Marriages" and "Surrogacy." She has also been involved in ABC's Children First Program, participating in a Children First Safety Special and in ABC's March Against Drugs. She recorded PSAs for both programs.
Anna Maria Arias - Ms. Arias was the founder and Editor of LATINA Style Magazine. She earned a respected reputation for her work in the Hispanic media, serving for five years as managing editor for HISPANIC Magazine. In 1994 she launched LATINA Style Magazine, the first national magazine to cover from a Latina point of view, issues pertinent to the contemporary, professional, Hispanic working woman. On October 1, 2001, Ms. Arias lost her seven year battle against aplastic anemia and died from complications related to a bone marrow transplant procedure. She will be truly missed.
HERMANA AND HERMANO HONOREES
Senator Kay Bailey-Hutchison - Senator Hutchison (R-TX) became the first woman to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate with her election in 1993. With her election as vice chairman of the Senate Republican conference, Senator Hutchison became one of the top five leaders of Senate Republicans. She was elected to a second full term in 2000 with the largest number of votes ever garnered by a candidate in Texas, more than 4 million. Senator Hutchison has promoted legislation to increase funding to Hispanic serving institutions and is a leading member of the Senate Republican Hispanic Advisory Task Force, which raises awareness on issues important to the Hispanic community.
Senator Thomas Daschle - Senator Daschle (D-SD) was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he grew up in a working family as the eldest of four brothers. He became the first person in his family to graduate from college when he earned a political science degree from South Dakota State University in 1969. In 1978, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected and served until 1986 when he ran for the U.S. Senate. After a close race, he became the Junior Senator from South Dakota. Today, he serves as Senior Senator and Majority Leader. Senator Daschle in an effort to have continuous review of issues important to the Hispanic community co-founded the Senate Democratic Task Force, which looks to raise awareness on issues important to Hispanics.
Corporation Of The Year
State Farm Insurance Companies - State Farm Insurance Companies has a reputation for supporting community efforts. It was a grant from State Farm that enabled MANA to first open and staff its national office in Washington, D.C. Through the years they have provided more than financial support to MANA's AvanZamoSÒ and HermanitasÒ projects. Their employees have provided technical support, mentoring of young Latinas and development of chapters. For their outstanding public service and support of the Hispanic community State Farm Insurance Companies is awarded the "Corporation of The Year." Their corporate and employee support of MANA serve as a role model for all corporations interested in contributing to the Hispanic community.
Rosario Marin, Treasurer of the United States, has a long and distinguished history of public service. Before accepting her present appointment, she served as mayor and councilwoman of Huntington Park, California. She served as Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Community Relations during Gov. Pete Wilson's administration. Prior to this, she served as Assistant Deputy Director of the California State Department of Social Services. She also served as Chair of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and previously was Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services. Ms. Marin's commitment to people with disabilities has earned her numerous awards, including the distinguished Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize at the United Nations in June 1995. Ms. Marin is a graduate of California State University in Los Angeles and also a graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Programs for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Frances Garcia, Inspector General of the U.S. General Accounting Office has had an impressive career in both the public and private sectors. As IG, Ms. Garcia is responsible for all of GAO's internal audits, evaluations and investigations. Prior to assuming the I.G. position, Ms. Garcia was the GAO's Director of the Office of Recruitment, where she was responsible for all of GAO's nationwide recruitment. She is currently the Campus Executive at five universities for GAO. President Jimmy Carter appointed Ms. Garcia to Chair the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal, where she pioneered legislation establishing the royalty rates for the cable industry, the recording industry, noncommercial broadcasting, and the jukebox industry. Prior to joining GAO, Ms. Garcia was a partner at Quezada Navarro & Co., at that time, the largest Hispanic accounting firm in the country. Ms. Garcia was also an audit manager with Arthur Anderson & Co, in the financial division. Ms. Garcia is a Certified Public Accountant and is a graduate of Midwestern State University, where she received the Distinguished Alumna Award.
Norma S. Rodriguez, City Clerk of San Antonio Texas graduated from the Municipal Clerk's Institute at the University of North Texas and received her CMC designation on March 20, 1987. She has been City Clerk of San Antonio since 1979 and prior to that, she served as Assistant City Clerk. Ms. Rodriguez has served as President of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, a professional association of municipal clerks from the U.S., Canada and fourteen other countries. She has served as a member of the Alamo Community College Public Professional Women's Club. Ms. Rodriguez has many interests in historical preservation and in 1997 was appointed a member of the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board. Her efforts in Records Management have been recognized on the national level. She received her Associates Degree in Public Administration from San Antonio College and has attended Incarnate Word College and St. Mary's University, as well as the University of North Texas.
Elizabeth Lisboa-Farrow, President and CEO of LISBOA, has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions to and success in the business community and the Latino community. She brings 30 years of public relations and marketing experience to LISBOA, which she launched in New York City in 1979. Lisboa-Farrow established a production division of LISBOA, Inc. in 1994, to handle multi-media development including video, TV, and radio productions. Proud of her Hispanic roots, Lisboa-Farrow donated the design of and published a bilingual book titled "Puerto Rican Woman." Written by Carmen Delgado-Votaw. She also fosters diversity and community advocacy through a progressive high school and college internship program and has groomed talented youth to become outstanding marketing and graphic design professionals.
HerMANA/HerMANO recipients
The Honorable Mel Martinez - United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is the nation's 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Born in Cuba, Secretary Martinez fled to America in 1962 as part of a catholic humanitarian effort called Operation Pedro Pan. Catholic charitable groups provided him a temporary home at two youth facilities. He subsequently lived with two foster families until he was reunited with his family in Orlando in 1966. Before he came to HUD, Secretary Martinez was the elected Chairman of Orange County, Florida, in Orlando. He previously served as President of the Orlando Utilities Commission and as Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority. Secretary Martinez graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 1973 and practiced law in Orlando for 25 years. Secretary Martinez is committed to expanding homeownership opportunities to more Americans, particularly minority and low-income families. In this vein, he has been exceptionally active in working with "Las Colonias", low-income Hispanic housing enclaves located along the U.S. and Mexican border.
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) is the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. Born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Rep. Velazquez entered the University of Puerto Rico at the age of 16 and graduated Magna cum Laude in 1974 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. After earning a Master's degree in Political Science from New York University in 1976, she joined the faculty of Hunter College at the City University of New York in 1981 as an adjunct Professor of Puerto Rican studies. In 1984, Ms. Velazques became the first Latina to serve on the New York City council. In 1986, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 12th District in New York. In February of 1998, Congresswoman Velazquez was named Ranking Democrat on the House Small Business Committee, making her the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chair or Ranking Member of a full committee in the history of the House of Representatives. The Small Business Committee has oversight on a wide array of programs. In this capacity, she has worked tirelessly to promote women owned business.
Corporation of the Year
The Ford Motor Company received the "Corporation of the Year" award for their nationwide support of programs that enrich the Hispanic community. Their generous corporate support of mentoring programs for young Latinas serve as a role model for all corporations interested in contributing to the Hispanic community.
Linda Garcia Cubero - Linda Garcia Cubero has over 20 years of leadership experience in the global information technology, aerospace and manufacturing industries. She is director for Managing Organizational Change at EDS. During her 5 years there, Ms. Cubero has managed billions of dollars in annual global spend, multi-million dollar budgets, and hundreds of consultants across the U.S. Prior to joining EDS, Ms. Cubero served as director of Global Supplier Relations at Case Corporation and spent eight years with Martin Marietta Corporation, working in systems engineering, technical program management, mergers & acquisitions, and business development. Ms. Cubero spent seven years in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a command briefer to a 4-star general and on national level task forces at the Pentagon. As liaison to the White House, she supervised the development of a U.S. Commemorative Stamp honoring Hispanics in America's defense. The stamp was designed by the ten surviving Hispanic Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and unveiled in 1984. Ms. Cubero is a member of the first class of women to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, where she earned a BS in Political Science and her free-fall parachute wings. She also holds a Masters in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Chief Justice Petra Jimenez Maes - Petra Jimenez Maes was elected to the Supreme Court of New Mexico in November 1998 to fill a vacancy, assumed her position December 1998, and was retained in November 2002 for an eight-year term. On January 8, 2003 she was designated by unanimous vote of her colleagues to serve as Chief Justice, becoming New Mexico's top judicial officer. She is the first Latina Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court. Her initiatives during her terms as Chief Justice are changing the process for divorce proceedings, designated Children's Court Judges, better treatment of jurors and court security. Justice Maes graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School in 1973 as one of the first two Hispanic women to graduate there. Justice Maes's thirty years of legal experience includes seventeen years as a district court judge and four years as a justice. She has received numerous awards recognizing her work in the legal field, including: the "Latina Lawyer of the Year" award from the Hispanic National Bar Association in 1999 and the "Outstanding Hispanic Attorney Award" from the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association in 2001. She is a member of MANA del Norte.
Irma Maldonado - Irma Maldonado, founder and president of HMA Associates Inc., a Washington, DC-based multicultural marketing firm, is committed to and embraces every aspect of Latinas' lives. Her work on their behalf has had national impact. For thirty years, Ms. Maldonado has been at the forefront of Latina health, leadership and entrepreneurship issues. She is a founding member and former president of national MANA, and during her tenure helped establish the Raquel Frankel Scholarship Fund and Las Primeras, the first national event in the nation's capitol to recognize Latinas as trailblazers. She is a founder of Latinas: Partners for Health, a national group of women involved in HIV/AIDS and other health issues. Since it was formed in 1994, her company has dedicated itself to advising a broad spectrum of Latino health and well-being concerns covering childhood and adult immunization, breast and cervical caner, HIV/AIDS and asthma. Her company has been recognized by the government for its quality public health communications campaigns and products, public-private health partnerships, and community participation programs.
Barbara Martinez Jitner - Barbara Martinez Jitner is the first Latina Executive Producer of a primetime network television drama series. The Emmy nominated American Family made history in 2002 as the first Latino drama on broadcast television. Writer/director Martinez Jitner wrote the PBS premiere episode that garnered unanimous critical acclaim. Martinez Jitner went on to write 10 and direct 7 of the show's first 22 episodes and is currently Executive Producing 13 new episodes of American Family. Raised by her grandmother, a Mexican immigrant, Martinez Jitner's mission is to bring the untold stories of Latinos to television and film. She began her career as an award winning documentarian and produced the Disney documentary American Tapestry. Martinez Jitner also directed the Latino segment of American Tapestry entitled "La Frontera/The Border,". Posing as a factory worker, Martinez Jitner uncovered a dark world of grueling poverty and abuse in her first award-winning film. A collaborator of Academy Awards nominee Gregory Nava, Martinez Jitner first worked with Nava on his film Selena. Martinez Jitner continues to work with Nava as the Vice-President of El Norte Productions, and is developing several feature films including a biopic on the life of Emiliano Zapata for DISNEY, and Bordertown, a thriller set on the U.S./Mexico border.
Gloria Rodriguez - Gloria Rodriguez, President and Founder MAPA communications Inc. and ComunicAD, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She completed her undergraduate work in the U.S. and in Madrid, Spain. She received her M.A. from George Washington University in 1979 and has completed additional course work towards a doctorate in International Communications & Policy Development. She began her career working for PBS in Puerto Rico and moved to Washington, DC to join the Metromedia News team, now Fox Television. At the time, she was the only Hispanic news producer in the Washington DC market. In 1985, Ms. Rodriguez established MAPA Communications, a consulting firm dedicated to the Communications industry with expertise in the Hispanic Market and Latin America. Ms. Rodriguez received the Gallup Organization's highest Leadership Award "Visionary Leader for the 21st Century". She was named to the first Advisory Board created by the Interamerican Development Bank for women's leadership in the Americas. She is a Board member sharing responsibilities with five worldwide organizations, UNIFEM, UNDP, Interamerican Commission on Women (OAS/CIM), IDB and UNICEF. She is a Founding Board member and past Chairwoman of the National Hispana Leadership Institute and founding Board Member and Chair of the National Latino Children's Institute. Ms. Rodriguez is in the process of writing a book on mentoring based on her business experiences and featuring Corporate 500 executives who excel at it.
Jennifer Rodriguez - Jennifer Rodriguez is the first Cuban-American to win an Olympic medal. In 2002, she took the bronze in the 1000 meters and the 1500 meters for speedskating, becoming the first Latina to compete and win in a Winter Olympics. At Olympic Trials, Ms. Rodriguez became the first American woman in history to earn a spot on the Olympic Team in all five events. She currently holds five different American Records. In less than 18 months, Ms. Rodriguez made the remarkable transition from never having ice skated before to a fourth place finish at the Olympic Games (1998). Although a newcomer to the ice, Ms. Rodriguez grew up on roller skates, both as a figure and speed roller skater. She is the only woman in history to medal in both disciplines at the World Championships in the same year. Ms. Rodriguez was born and raised in Miami, Florida. In 1996, at the urgings of then boyfriend, now husband / three-time US Olympic Speedskater KC Boutiette, Ms. Rodriguez decided to try ice skating. She went on to earn four spots on the 1998 Olympic Team, and won both the US and North American Championships in 1999-00 and 2000-01. By 2000, she was considered the best distance skater in the US. In 2001 she won a silver and a gold World Cup Medal. In the 2002-2003 speedskating season Ms. Rodriguez raised the bar again, earning 14 individual international medals.
Maria de Lourdes Sobrino - Maria de Lourdes Sobrino is Founder and CEO of Lulu's Dessert© Corporation. Established in 1982, Lulu's Dessert© is ranked among the largest and fastest-growing Hispanic businesses in the United States. The company manufactures products distributed in domestic and international markets. Born and raised in Mexico City, Ms. Sobrino worked in the tourism industry, organizing conventions and events. She expanded her business to a travel agency, which grew so rapidly that she opened an office in Los Angeles. Her entrepreneurial spirit expanded when she recognized a need for ready gelatin in the US. From the initial production of 300 cups of gelatin a day, Lulu's Dessert© has overcome many challenges and obstacles to become a leading maker of ready desserts. This year, Lulu's Dessert© expects about 15 million dollars in sales and 130 million cups of desserts. Ms. Sobrino has contributed her expertise in a special commission created by President Bush and Mexican President Fox, "Partnership for Prosperity" to help identify ways to increase investment in remote part of Mexico that generate a large percentage immigration to the U.S. She is a member of the Import Export Bank and the US Advisory Committee representing small businesses. She was also appointed Ambassador to the US and Canada by the largest organization of Mexican women entrepreneurs in Mexico City, AMMJE.
Maria L. Tukeva - Maria L. Tukeva is Principal of Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C., as well as Executive Director of Multicultural Career Intern Program, Inc. Under her leadership, BMHS has become a model school ensuring that immigrant and refugee youth receive equal educational opportunities. As one of the founders of the school, she was responsible for initial fundraising, community outreach, program design, and hiring of staff. Ms. Tukeva's leadership has produced such results as an extrememly low drop out rate of 10% for Hispanic and immigrant youth, as compared to a national average of 40%, and over 65% of BMHS's graduates go on to college. For three school years, Ms. Tukeva served as a Lead Principal for the DC Public Schools. In this position, in addition to continuing to administer BMHS, she was responsible for coordinating communicatiosn to 33 schools in the DC Public Schools. Prior to working at the MCIP ad BMHS, Ms. Tukeva served for three years as Administratinve Director of Andromeda Mental Health Center, and worked as an educational specialist for SER-Jobs for Progress.
Jane Garcia
In 1990, Jane Garcia was co-founder of Corporate Responsibility through Advocacy
(True Ownership). This organization advocates for Latinos through stockholders’
annual meetings urging that diversity is only possible with Latino representation
at all levels an approach now used by HACR and others. NCLR recognized her advocacy
and the President of Mexico awarded its highest award to a non Mexican born
individual. For over thirty years she has served on many boards and commissions
which include: National Council of La Raza, Latin Americans for Social and Economic
Development; SER, Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc.; the Detroit Area Agency
on Aging; Davenport University Board of Trustees; Cable Commissioner for the
City of Detroit; and United Way of Southeastern Michigan. In 1982, she became
the first Latina elected Vice-Chair of the Michigan Republican Party and became
the first Latina in either party elected to state leadership as opposed to being
appointed.
Chief Justice Alma L. López
Chief Justice is the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Fourth Court of Appeals and is the first Latina to serve in a Chief Justice capacity. Her honors include the St. Mary’s University Law School Hispanic Alumni Association, “Henry B. Gonzalez Award”; San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee, Sheriff Honorary Deputy Sheriff, of Bexar County, Texas, and the National Association of Women Lawyers President’s Award for Excellence. She has been a strong advocate for the Hispanic community serving on a number of local, state and national boards of directors. As the Chief Justice, Fourth Court of Appeals she is the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals, the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chief Justice in the State of Texas and the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chief Justice in the United States
Patricia Madrid
New Mexico Attorney General, Attorney General Madrid is a native New Mexican, born in southern New Mexico. She received her law degree from the University of New Mexico where she served on Law Review. Madrid was the first woman elected to New Mexico District Court in 1978. Elected New Mexico's 29th Attorney General in November 1998, she was re-elected to a second term in 2002. The Latina Lawyers Bar Association honored her as the nation's first female Hispanic Attorney General in 2003. Attorney General Madrid has brought a range of actions that have resulted in cash settlements to the state. Madrid has taken the unique approach of, when possible, distributing those funds to address pressing social needs.
17th Annual Las Primeras®
Gala
Thursday, October 5, 2006
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Washington, DC
EDUCATION
Belle Ortiz,
Co-Founder and Manager, Mariachi “Campanas de America”
MILITARY SERVICE
Brigadier General Angela Salinas, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Western Recruiting Region
PUBLIC SERVICE
The Honorable
Iris Y. Martinez, Illinois State Senator
SPORTS
Milka Duno,
Race Car Driver
LEADERSHIP
Alma Morales Riojas,
Board Director, National Women’s History Museum; Chair, Hispanic
Association on Corporate Responsibility
HERMANITAS® Award
First Lady Laura Bush
HerMANA® Award
House Minority Leader Honorable Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA)
HerMANO® Award
Honorable John McCain (R-AZ)
CORPORATION OF THE YEAR
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Ford Motor Company
General Motors Corporation
EVANGELINE ELIZONDO CHAPTER OVERALL
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MANA de Topeka Kansas
18th Annual Las Primeras® Gala
Thursday, October 4, 2007
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Washington, DC
BUSINESS
Kimberly Casiano,
President and Chief Operating Officer, Casiano Communications
Board Director, Ford Motor Company
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Patricia Diaz Dennis,
Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel,
AT&T
Chair, National Board of Directors, Girl Scouts of the USA
LEADERSHIP
The Honorable Hilda L.
Solis (D-CA), United States House of Representatives
“Profiles in Courage” Awardee
PUBLIC SERVICE
The Honorable Leticia Van de Putte,
Texas State Senate
President, National Conference of State Legislatures
COMMUNICATIONS
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera,
Co-Anchor, CNBC “Worldwide Exchange”
HERMANITA
Ana Yathzin Ayala
HerMANA® Award
Bonnie Erbe, Host, PBS “To
the Contrary”
HerMANO® Award
Ignacio Salazar,
President and CEO, SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc.
CORPORATION OF THE YEAR
Southwest Airlines
EVANGELINE ELIZONDO CHAPTER OVERALL
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MANA de Topeka, Kansas Chapter
LIRA SCHOLARSHIP
Maria Zavala