La Paz Chattanooga will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday, September 15, with the 2014 Latino Leadership Awards at the Chattanoogan Hotel from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The 3rd annual event will recognize and honor Latino leaders from the Chattanooga area.
Throughout the month of July, La Paz fielded online nominations for the awards ceremony, and a selection committee has whittled the list of nominees down to 10 finalists who will be celebrated at the awards banquet. However, La Paz is asking for the community’s help in selecting the winner of one of the event’s signature awards—the “Chattanooga’s Choice” award.
“Our selection committee had a difficult time narrowing the field of nominees down to 10 finalists,” said Stacy Johnson, Executive Director of La Paz Chattanooga. “It was a treat to read about all the great things area leaders are doing to make Chattanooga the best city it can be. Now we need the community’s help in deciding who will win one of this event’s biggest honors, the “Chattanooga’s Choice” award. We’re hoping we get more votes than ever this year, and this list of finalists will definitely draw a lot of attention.”
The keynote speaker for this year’s awards banquet will be Fuad Reveiz, former University of Tennessee football standout and NFL Pro Bowl selection. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Fuad moved with his family at a young age to Miami, Florida. After earning the nickname “Fuad-o-matic” in Knoxville as an All-SEC placekicker, Fuad spent 11 years in the NFL playing for the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings.
La Paz will field online votes Monday, August 11 through Friday, August 22. The voting platform, found at www.LatinoLeadershipAwards.org, will close on August 22.
The ten finalists for the 2014 Chattanooga’s Choice award represent a healthy balance between professional success and community involvement. They are:
Paula Ball- Hamilton County Schools
Luz Bohorquez- Punto Latino
Naiara Cancel- Interior Designer & Community Activist
Zary Colon-Unum
Harold Diaz- Chattanooga Police Department
Danny Garcia-Deron LLC
Raquel Hidalgo-Partnership for Families, Children & Adults
Dr. Pablo Perez-St. Joseph Clinic
Pedro Rodriguez – Iglesia de Dios de la Profecia
Eda Walldorf – Green & Lofty LLC
Tickets to the 2014 Latino Leadership Awards are available now. La Paz Chattanooga, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the leading organization working with the Latino community in Chattanooga. For ticket and/or sponsor information, please contact sjohnson@lapazchattanooga.org.