Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Latina takes on entertainment world

Daughter of a President and executive producer for Comedy Kings, Luisa Leschin is a writer, an actress, and a renaissance woman extraordinaire
By Al Carlos Hernandez on December 6, 2009

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Determined Latina realizes her dreams

To Become Someone
A determined woman’s quest to realize her dreams
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 7

Oxnard, CA – Immigrants come to the United States each year with the hope of creating a better life for themselves. No matter what their aspirations, they bring with them a determination and drive to work hard to become someone. Author Norma Madrigal was one of these people. A Mexican citizen, Madrigal left her home and headed to Los Angeles with the hope, faith and confidence to create a successful and satisfying life. Her novel, To Become Someone in some ways parallels the road she took to get to where she is today.

Amy, the story’s main character, leaves her father’s house and embarks on her adventure to attend school in Los Angeles. Like many college students, Amy works to support herself and attend class full-time. Encountering obstacles along the way, she never gives up on her dreams and is determined to prove to her father that she can make it on her own.

Named the most successful in her graduating class, Amy leaves to complete her internship requirement in a clinic headed by Dr. Brett Zuk. She is instantly taken back by his good looks and charming personality. The chemistry between each of them is evident as she and others notice his eyes always looking her way. Amy is confident that she has met the man of her dreams.

Amy’s feelings and budding relationship with Dr. Zuk begin to cause a rift between her and her best friend, Lana. Jealous of Amy’s new-found love, Lana begins lashing out at Amy and devises a plan in hopes of destroying her friend’s romance. As the plot thickens, Amy begins to question Dr. Zuk’s motives. She is left with feelings of doubt about their relationship, his love for her and wonders if she is a pawn in his game.

To Become Someone
Trade paperback, soft cover
Approximately 148 pages
ISBN: 978-1438918143
$17.99 retail price
Available at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

About the Author
Norma Madrigal spent her childhood years in Michoacan, Mexico, where she realized her passion for writing. Her love for drafting short stories, songs and poems earned her The International Library of Poetry’s “Editor’s Choice Award” in 2008. The author has plans to continue writing and publishing novels, with the goal of catching Hollywood’s attention, and seeing her novels acted out on the big screen. Madrigal resides in Oxnard, California where she works as a medical assistant and certified phlebotomist technician.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Latina appointed Digital Equality Board

Alliance for Digital Equality Appoints Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Northwestern University to Board of Advisors
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 6

The Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) has announced the appointment of Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph. D., to its Board of Advisors. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto serves as Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and a Faculty Fellow at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research.

Dr. DeFrancesco Soto's research focuses on race and ethnic politics, immigration, and campaigns and elections. Her academic research has been widely published in scholarly journals and edited volumes. Her current work examines how Latino political candidates are evaluated by both Latino and non-Latino populations. Her research and teaching portfolio links race and ethnicity with political psychology to understand how 'cognition' and 'affect' shape how individuals process information in dynamic political environments.

Dr. DeFrancesco Soto also brings public opinion expertise to understanding presidential elections. Presently, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto is examining how the 2008 presidential campaign ads shaped public opinion and vote choice. In this analysis, she applies an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach to understanding how ethnically targeted ads influence political choice. In 2008, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto was Northwestern's University principal investigator for the Big Ten Battleground Poll, a public opinion survey of voters for the 2008 Presidential Election.

In addition to her current role at Northwestern, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto is in the media sphere, regularly contributing to national media outlets. In 2008, she served as a primary expert and analyst for CNN en Espanol's 2008 Presidential Election coverage. She has also been featured on the Today Show and NPR.

Latina hired as economic development director

City hires Belinda Ortiz
By Juliana A. Torres, OSC News Gazette, Nov 25, 2009

Belinda Ortiz – a Buenaventura Lakes resident, former state senate candidate and local business representative – will be Kissimmee’s first economic development director starting Dec. 1, the city announced Friday.

The position, the only personnel increase to this year’s budget that had a net decrease of 17 full time employees, first was introduced in April as a way to promote the city’s development of Vine Street, the airport corridor and its downtown.
Commissioners said that they felt the position could eventually pay for itself with revenue from additional business development.

Since then, the city has been seeking a candidate who had strong relationships within the local business community and could hit the ground running in promoting the city.

“As the city continues to grow, it's imperative we make businesses aware that Kissimmee is an ideal location if they are interested in either starting up or relocating to our area,” City Manager Mark Durbin stated in a press release announcing the decision. “Ms. Ortiz is highly skilled in business development, which will foster the goodwill relations needed to facilitate strong ties within the business community.”

In April, the commission approved hiring the economic development director right away and even approved additional funds be set aside for salary and benefits of the position prior to the new budget period that started in October.

However, delays in the hiring process prevented the new position from being filled until now. The city had hired a director, whose first day was to be in July, but who didn’t end up taking the job, Deputy City Manager Mike Steigerwald said. After considering the other candidates, the city decided to re-advertise for the position in October, starting the process over again, he said.

The 2009 fiscal year budget included $112,000 in salary and benefits for the new economic development director as well as expenses, travel and training for the new operation. Ortiz will make $75,000 a year.

“She has a breadth of experience on a variety of levels,” Steigerwald said. “Really what impressed us about her was that she was out there in the community (and) had lot of contacts in business development. She’s very professional, a very good communicator and very enthusiastic. She’s going to be a good salesperson for the city.”

The city has been represented by the county’s economic development department, contributing about a $50,000 annual fee – waived the last few years in the economic downturn – as well as economic development funds toward the incoming businesses, Steigerwald said.

Ortiz will be tasked with promoting the city’s redevelopment of the downtown, Vine Street and the area around Kissimmee Gateway Airport, areas the county office doesn’t target specifically.

“Our goal with this position was to supplement the services the county economic development department provides,” Steigerwald said.

Commissioner Jerry Gemskie said he pushed for the city to hire an economic development advocate in 2004 and was pleased with the decision to hire Ortiz.

“She presents herself well and she’ll represent the city well,” he said. “We need a people person that can go out and make people feel comfortable. You want someone to bring in some good quality business.”

Ortiz has represented Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, one of the region's strongest workforce engines. Before that, she worked for Orange County's Business Development office, assisting small business start-ups, promoting contract opportunities at the county and managing contracts worth more than $65 million. She also has served on a number of boards, including the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund.

Ortiz is nationally certified as a economic development finance professional and has earned a master’s degree in public administration.

Aside from her business experience, Ortiz unsuccessfully ran for state senator against Gary Siplin in 2008.

Latina makes being bilingual easier

Creating bilingual children using a unique approach
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 6

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are 46.9 million Spanish-speaking people living in the United States today. In this era of globalization, there are significant advantages for those who are able to speak more than one language, and in particular Spanish and English. Recognizing this reality, parents are looking to give their children every competitive edge.

Author Celina Penovi offers children a never-before-seen, fun, easy and effective way to become bilingual in her new series of English/Spanish storybooks. An international lawyer from Argentina and mother of four, Celina knows first-hand the importance of communicating fluently and effectively in both Spanish and English – while making the endeavor fun.

“Learning a second language is not as hard as it seems,” says Celina. “Reading books that are interesting and fun makes everyone more open and relaxed, so learning becomes smoother and more pleasant.”

The series of English/Spanish books includes:
- Scramble Breakfast (Alboroto a la Hora del Desayuno), a tale of hilarious breakfast table mishaps that occur between the food and utensils at the table.

- The Clumsy Stork (La Cigüeña Despistada), the story of a stork exhausted after a night of partying and the humor of delivering babies the next morning.

- Guess it if you can! - School Time! (¿Adivinarás, quizás? - ¡Hora de ir a la escuela!), eight riddles about activities taking place during the school day.

All books are written with matching stanzas in English and Spanish to make learning even easier, and are beautifully illustrated. The books are reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, with it’s fun, snappy rhymes. An excerpt of a riddle from Guess it if you can! - School Time!, reads:

En la cartuchera In the pencil box
yo me escondo I hide
junto a la lapicera. with the pen standing at my side.

Pinto con la crayola With the crayons
sobre el papel the paper we seek
bailando cola con cola. to paint while dancing cheek to cheek.

Visit www.kidspoemas.com to get a sense of Celina’s unique approach.

The series of books can be purchased at www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com, or www.barnesandnoble.com.

About the Author
Celina Penovi was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She received her masters degree in International Law from UC Berkeley and is a licensed attorney in Argentina and California. At present, she is senior counsel at the World Bank. In her spare time she assists in charitable work, and enjoys playing sports and guitar. She currently resides just outside of Washington, D.C. with her husband and four boys.

Monday, November 23, 2009

New GM will position Surropa.com with Hispanics

Surropa.com, the Ultimate Online Fashion Destination for Hipster Latinos, Hires New General Manager to Position Store for Future Growth Within the US Hispanic Market
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 5

MIAMI, FL -- SOBO Concepts LLC, owner of Surropa.com, one of the Internet's top destinations for Latino-focused apparel and accessories, announces the hiring of Natalia Zapata as their E-commerce Manager.

Since its launch in 2006, Surropa has focused on selling NaCo, the kitschy Mexican brand that has achieved cult-like status in Mexico, the U.S. and around the world. While Surropa continues to be the exclusive online retailer for NaCo products in the United States, "Hiring Natalia marks a new stage in Surropa's branding and development," remarked Dean Schwartz, President of SOBO Concepts.

"Our goal is to create an online destination where Latino clothing brands, artists, designers and consumers can come together to sell and purchase products that are cool, credible and culturally relevant. Having spent over 15 years working for brands such as Reebok and the NBA in Latin America and US Hispanic markets, I was continually frustrated by the lack of distribution, acceptance and access for Hispanic-driven products. Surropa will take a leadership role in providing this unique platform to millions of US Hispanic consumers."

Ms. Zapata brings over eight years of fashion, design, marketing and Internet experience to her role at Surropa. She has worked for Macy's, Guess and Cosabella and most recently managed Inside Fashion World Media, an interactive global hub for the trendsetting fashion industry. "I'm very excited to build Surropa into the web's top destination for fashion and other lifestyle products geared to the hipster Latino community," said Zapata.

Surropa's future assortment will feature a mix of contemporary and street fashion apparel, accessories, art and more. Be on the lookout for ongoing improvements to the site and product assortment.

Hispanic Dental Association appoints new Executive

Hispanic Dental Association appoints new executive director
Dental Economics, November 19, 2009

SOMERSET, New Jersey--The Hispanic Dental Association has appointed Dr. C. Yolanda Bonta of Somerset, a founding member of the association, as its new executive director.

Dr. Bonta's has 17 years in the corporate dental industry with Colgate-Palmolive, plus years of experience in academia and clinical research. During her career with Colgate-Palmolive, Dr. Bonta held a series of management positions in the areas of clinical research, new product technologies, professional product development, and global professional marketing.

She has interfaced globally with key opinion leaders across various specialties, defined strategies to build stronger relationships with dental and hygiene schools, and created scientific publications. She is well known throughout the dental industry for her leadership and determination to promote innovation and excellence in the field of dentistry.

Dr. Bonta's DMD is from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine, where she was academic faculty of the schools of medicine and dentistry. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo with a certificate in periodontology. She also holds master's degrees in clinical microbiology from UPR and Oral Biology from SUNY.

Dr. Bonta is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the Academy of Dentists International, a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Periodontology, American/International Association for Dental Research, National Dental Association, American Association of Women Dentists, member of the Board and past president of the Board of Directors for Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures, and past president of the Board of Trustees of the Student Clinicians of the ADA.

To learn more about the Hispanic Dental Association, visit http://www.hdassoc.org/

Latina named as JCPenney's Director of Multicultural Marketing

JCPenney Hires Patricia Romero to Lead Multicultural Marketing
By Laurel Wentz, Ad Age.com/Hispanic, November 12, 2009

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Patricia Romero, former head of multicultural marketing at Hyundai Motor America, became JCPenney's new director of multicultural marketing starting Nov. 16.

At JCPenney, she'll be working with the retailer's U.S. Hispanic agency, Vidal Partnership, and Asian-American shop InterTrend Communications. The company doesn't have an agency of record for the African-American market.

Ms. Romero joined Hyundai two years ago. The carmaker cut its multicultural spending after mid-2008 and has spent very little on the Hispanic market in the last 18 months, so Ms. Romero's job increasingly entailed working on general market and digital efforts at Hyundai.

She said part of the appeal of the JCPenney job is that she really wanted to get back to doing multicultural marketing. The post was previously held by Olivia Vela, who left the company earlier this year for a job at Dr. Pepper. JCPenney ranked as the 24th largest advertiser in Spanish-language media in 2008, spending $46.5 million, and has been particularly active in spot radio and sponsorship in the Hispanic market.

Last month Ruby Anik, JCPenney's senior VP and director of brand marketing, said in a speech at the Assn of National Advertisers' annual Multicultural Marketing conference in Phoenix that she was looking for a multicultural marketing director. She said that until about nine months ago, multicultural marketing had been housed in another group but had since been moved into her brand marketing group. (Multicultural apparently reported into the merchandising group previously.) Ms. Romero will report to Lisa DeStefano Orebaugh, JCPenney's division VP for brand communications and strategy, who works with Ms. Anik.

Ms. Anik said in her ANA presentation that JCPenney has designated Hispanic and Asian-American stores. "That's the future of retail," she said.

The Hispanic stores beat the general market stores in sales, she said. The company doesn't have a Spanish-language website yet.

Before joining Hyundai, Ms. Romero was VP-director of client services at Bumpercar, a Hispanic shop in Los Angeles. Before that, she held marketing posts at DaimlerChrysler and Toshiba, and she led American Honda Motor Co.'s expansion in Latin America.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hispanic women run for Nevada office

Hispanic Women Run for Nevada Office
Joe Harrington, KOLO TV, Nov 3, 2009

Several candidates hope to alter the composition of the Nevada State Legislature. There are currently no Hispanic women serving in the legislature, but four have already announced they will run next year. Three of them are from Northern Nevada.

"As far as I know in the history of Nevada we have never had a Hispanic woman elected to the legislature," Ellie Lopez-Bowlan, a Republican candidate for Assembly District 26, said.

While that's not immediately clear, it is clear that there are no Hispanic women serving in the current legislature, but there are three Latinos.

"(There are) more women stepping out and wanting to run for politics because they think it's important to be represented," Lopez-Bowlan said.

Of 63 lawmakers, there are now 20 women.

Teresa Benitez-Thompson is a Latina Democrat running for Assembly District 27.

"I think it will only do us good the more diverse we are and the more we represent the communities of Nevada," Benitez-Thompson said.

Hispanics are more than a quarter of the state's population and a fast-growing segment of voters. Neither Benitez-Thompson or Lopez-Bowlan are asking for your vote because they're Latina, they say they're the most qualified.

"The legislature has to deal with almost the same issues that working families are dealing with right now which is how do we make ends meet with almost just not enough to get us there," Benitez-Thompson said.

Those running for the legislature still have months to file, so the complete field of hopefuls has yet to be seen.

P&G target Hispanic women

P&G Adapts Its Web Fashion Show for Hispanic Women
Branded Program 'De Moda' Retooled With Latin Topics, Celebs
By Laurel Wentz, November 02, 2009

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The first episode of Spanish-language online branded entertainment show "De Moda" focuses on celebrities who wear amazingly inexpensive clothes on the red carpet. That was the most popular topic last year on "The Thread," which like "De Moda" is produced for Procter & Gamble Co. by Starcom MediaVest Group units and Yahoo.

Marketers and their agencies can spend months deciding whether a successful English-language property will work as well in the U.S. Hispanic market, and if so, what besides language should change to appeal to a Latino audience. That's especially true in areas such as branded entertainment, where good Spanish-language content is still scarce.

In October Procter & Gamble debuted "De Moda," a U.S. Hispanic version of "The Thread," both designed to showcase about half a dozen P&G brands over 26 episodes for "De Moda" and more for "The Thread," which started a year earlier.

For the Spanish-language version, the first step was to be sure the premise -- celebrity fashion -- resonated with Hispanic women, said Marcy Greenberger, media director at Tapestry, one of Starcom Mediavest Group's multicultural units. Tapestry handles Hispanic buying and strategy, working with MediaVest and its branded-entertainment unit Connectivetissue, which handles production for both shows.

"Then we realized we didn't want to just translate it," Ms. Greenberger said. That's not just for cultural relevance, but also because Hispanics consume English-language media, too, and some viewers may be watching both versions of the program.

Latina stars
Right now about 50% to 75% of the content is the same on both shows, Ms. Greenberger said, but the idea is to use fewer Hollywood stars and more Latin American celebrities and telenovela actresses. For instance, the latest episode, about stylish Latina women of comedy, features Sofia Vergara, who appears in ABC's "Modern Family," America Ferrera from "Ugly Betty," and a novela star.

"One thing people struggle with is they feel they have to do something completely different with Hispanic," Ms. Greenberger said.

"De Moda" hired its own Spanish-speaking host, local newscaster Carleth Keys, and a Spanish-speaking producer. But they will share with "The Thread" stars like Sofia Vergara, who can be interviewed in both Spanish and English (some Hispanic celebrities may be pictured on "De Moda" without an interview; a clue that their Spanish isn't fluent). Piggybacking on production of "The Thread," "De Moda" cuts costs by sharing a set overlooking Times Square in Manhattan, and some of the same footage.

P&G's presence ranges from a simple sponsor's credit to full product integration every four episodes or so. In one upcoming video, "De Moda's" host and a model will go to a New York salon for a hair makeover involving Herbal Essences.

Both shows promote some of the same P&G brands, such as Herbal Essences, but "The Thread" brand portfolio has included Crest White Stripes, which aren't promoted in the Hispanic market, and "De Moda" works with Dawn with Olay Beauty dishwashing liquid, which may be highlighted with an upcoming episode on celebrity hands.

Yahoo partnership
New "De Moda" episodes will appear about every two weeks, and there are blog posts in between, drawing about 200,000 visitors in the first half of October. The top search terms in Spanish from Yahoo are also posted, giving the "De Moda" team insight into viewers' current interests.

"De Moda" is promoted across Yahoo en Español, including streaming banners that let viewers watch the videos from different parts of the site, said Adam Chandler, Yahoo's executive director for U.S. sales for partnerships and emerging markets.

Elsewhere on Yahoo, State Farm and OMD have added a Spanish-language version called "Mamas Famosas" to the "Goddess" blog about celebrity moms on Yahoo's popular OMG! site. It's a more limited program, with a Spanish-language introduction followed by Spanish subtitles over the English-language content.

"That's how the advertiser wanted to partner with us," Mr. Chandler said. "The next direction is the way we're headed with "De Moda.'"

Latina confirmed as Massachusetts U.S. Attorney

Ortiz confirmed as state’s first Hispanic U.S. attorney
By Associated Press, November 7, 2009

Carmen Ortiz has been confirmed as the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, becoming the first Hispanic and the first woman to hold the top federal prosecutor’s job in the state.

Ortiz, an assistant U.S. attorney who prosecutes white-collar crime, was nominated by President Obama in September and confirmed by the U.S. Senate late Thursday. She succeeds Michael Sullivan, who was appointed by President Bush in 2001.

The New York native worked as an assistant U.S. attorney handling white-color crime for the past 12 years and was previously a Middlesex prosecutor and a defense attorney. In 1992, Ortiz was a member of the “October Surprise” team for the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which found no basis for allegations that the 1980 Reagan campaign tried to delay the release of hostages in Iran to undermine President Carter’s re-election. Ortiz also helped investigate allegations of sexual harassment made by a Boston Herald sports writer against the New England Patriots [team stats] in 1990.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Blogging in two languages: Bilingual student from Texas becomes ACT’s second Hispanic student blogger

Blogging in two languages: Bilingual student from Texas becomes ACT’s second Hispanic student blogger
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 2

Lisa Marie Cantú, a senior at La Joya High School in La Joya, Texas, has always wanted to be a writer and journalist. She will have an opportunity to do just that as ACT’s first bilingual student blogger.

But Lisa is not new to writing. Her dossier includes three first-place awards, three third-place awards and two fourth-place awards for journalism/editorial/headline writing at the Congressional Youth Leadership Council state conference in 2008. She was also Jimmy Carter High School’s 2007-2008 yearbook editor.

The 17-year-old reads, writes and speaks Spanish as fluently as she does English and says she’s been in love with writing from a young age.

“Ever since I was in elementary school, paper and pencils have been my escape from everyday life,” said Lisa. And she has adults to back her up. “My fifth-grade teachers questioned me when I returned from recess with a pen and paper in my hand. My answer was simple - I love it.”

Lisa is a prolific teen who aims high. She is a member of the junior Jewelettes, La Joya High School’s cheerleading team, she plays softball and is also a budding actress. Even with such a swamped schedule, Lisa is following a distinguished achievement academic plan and takes several advanced courses.

“I do not let the pressures of my teen years control or limit me to less than my own expectations. I have nothing but hope for myself.”

Lisa will share with ACT readers the way she handles such pressures as well as her plans for the future. Meet Lisa and read what she has to say about getting ready for college – in either Spanish or English – at www.actstudent.org/blog.

Sobre ACT
ACT es una organización independiente, sin fines de lucro que proporciona más de cien soluciones de evaluación, investigación, información, y administración de programas en las áreas de educación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. Cada año, ACT sirve a millones de personas de las escuelas preparatorias, universidades o colegios de la comunidad, asociaciones profesionales, empresas y agencias del gobierno, tanto en el ámbito nacional como en el internacional. Ahora que celebra su 50 º aniversario, ACT ofrece una amplia variedad de soluciones que comparten un propósito orientador: ayudar a las personas a lograr el éxito en la educación y en el área de trabajo. Si desea más información acerca de ACT, visite www.act.org.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Texas Gov. appoints first Hispanic femail to state Supreme Court

- Texas Gov. appoints first Hispanic femail to state Supreme Court
The Texas Insider

Gov. Rick Perry today appointed Appellate Justice Eva M. Guzman of Cypress as the first Hispanic female to serve on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term to expire at the next general election. Guzman was recently recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as Latina Judge of the Year and as 2009 Judge of the Year by the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation. “Justice Guzman is known throughout legal circles as a strict constructionist with an unmatched work ethic, and has demonstrated a proven record of sound jurisprudence,” Gov. Perry said. “I am proud to appoint this principled, conservative judge as the first Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of Texas.”

Latina recognized with the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award

- Latina recognized with the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol 2, Issue 1

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), U.S. Department of Commerce, proudly announces the winner of the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award for Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week 2009. The recipient, Theresa Alvillar-Speake, was honored at the Annual Awards Gala held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award recognizes individuals who are willing to take risks to achieve change and who have demonstrated exceptional leadership by significantly enhancing the development of diversity in the domestic and worldwide economies.

Theresea Alvillar-Speake has been involved in the area of small and minority business development since the late 1970s. She began her career at the Fresno, California region in 1972 as the Administrative Assistant at the National Economic Development Association (NEDA), a national non-profit organization responsible for promoting minority business development, and worked her way up the career ladder to Marketing Analyst and Director. In addition to starting her own non-profit organization, NEDA San Joaquin, Ms. Alvillar-Speake has received awards from numerous civic and professional organizations throughout her career.

Ms. Alvillar-Speake showed innovation by establishing the NEDA pilot “Minority Plan Room” which provides minority contractors with procurement opportunities and mechanisms to effectively identify projects, develop proposals and submit bids. She promoted diversity by opening doors for women, people of color, veterans, and small and minority businesses.

Ms. Alvillar-Speake is very involved in the community and MBDA. She also serves on more than 10 community organizations and groups.

Ms. Alvillar-Speake was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in August of 2001. As the first Hispanic ever to head the office, she provided guidance and direction to the Secretary of Energy on the impact of energy policies, procedures and programs on minorities, minority institutions and minority businesses. During her tenure the department increased awards to minority firms to $1.4 billion in FY 2008. She received several awards for her leadership while at DOE.

Ms. Alvillar-Speake also served as the Associate Director for Program Development at MBDA and instituted policies and procedures designed to increase outreach to the minority business community.

U.S. Department of Commerce, serves minority entrepreneurs across America who are building and growing enterprises. MBDA helps minority-owned firms be better equipped to create jobs, impact local economies and competing successfully in domestic and global marketplaces. With a nationwide network of more than 40 business centers and strategic partners, MBDA assists minority entrepreneurs and business owners with consulting services, contract and financing opportunities, bonding and certification services, building business-to-business alliances and executive training.

"Solo Para Mujeres" exposes for Latina breast cancer Awareness

- "Solo Para Mujeres" exposes for Latina breast cancer Awareness
CMN Events

CMN, Viva Entertainment and Planet MAC announced that the highly popular male review show “Solo Para Mujeres” (“For Women Only”) will stop at Chicago’s Rosemont Theatre as part of the Mexican theatrical production’s 2009 U.S. Tour on Friday, Nov. 6 at 8:00 p.m. CST.

For the very first time in entertainment history, U.S. Hispanic women will be the focus of a tour. Planet MAC approached the “Solo Para Mujeres” (SPM) group, which largely targets women, to step up and help change women's lives. Along with the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF), the organizations are reaching out to help protect Hispanic women from becoming part of the growing number of victims of undetected breast cancer. Current statistics show that Hispanic women are less likely to get breast cancer, but more likely to die of it due to lack of detection and intervention. Every 13 minutes, a woman dies of breast cancer in the United States. Alarming numbers show that the leading cause of cancer deaths in Hispanic women ages 18 - 40 is due to breast cancer.

The ABCF is one of the few foundations whose funds go directly to the patients and to detection and prevention programs. ABCF provides free mammogram vouchers and financial assistance to those uninsured or under insured.

Tickets for the show, priced at $95, $85, $65, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges, are now on sale and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Rosemont Theatre Box Office, located at 5400 N. River Road in Rosemont, IL. For more information, please call 312-492-6424.

“Solo Para Mujeres” is currently touring the U.S. with performances scheduled in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, San Jose and Denver. SPM is a show crafted for a female audience and performed in a classy cabaret theater presentation that includes 10 themed costume changes. Choreographed by the industries most respected producers, SPM has kept audiences thrilled for more than a decade!
SPM's entourage has many current soap opera and television stars that include the show’s producer, Sergio Mayer, as well as Alexis Ayala, Latin Lover, Juan Carlos Franzoni, Arturo Vasquez, Chao, Felipe Sanchez, Marco Corleone, Miguel Angel Montfort, Pepe Gamez, Ulises de la Torre, Perro Aguayo Jr., Ferdinando Valencia, Tony Vela, Jorge Boyli and Clever.