La Paz Chattanooga will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with its annual Latino Leadership Awards on Monday, Sept. 21. This year’s event will take place at the Chattanooga Marriott Downtown from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The 2015 event will recognize and honor Latino leaders from the Chattanooga area.
Throughout the month of July, La Paz fielded nominations for the awards ceremony at www.LatinoLeadershipAwards.org. 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.
“The selection process is always the most challenging,” said Stacy Johnson, executive director of La Paz Chattanooga. “There are so many amazing leaders in our community and it is fun to read about all the great things they are doing to make Chattanooga the best city it can be. 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 is sure to draw a lot of attention.”
Renata Soto, executive director of Conexión Américas, will deliver the keynote address at the 2015 Latino Leadership Awards banquet on Sept. 21. She is co-founder and executive director of Conexión Américas, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville and founded to promote the social, economic and civic integration of Latino families. Ms. Sotot is also a nationally recognized leader and serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Council of La Raza, the foremost Latino advocacy and civil rights organization in the nation.
La Paz will field online votes Thursday, Aug. 20, through Thursday, Sept. 3. The voting platform, found at www.LatinoLeadershipAwards.org, will close immediately on Sept. 3.
The ten finalists for the 2015 Chattanooga’s Choice award represent a balance between professional success and community involvement. They are:
Brenda Amaral de Cabrera; Say What Consulting
Juan Garcia; Chick-fil-A
Veronica Herrera; McCallie School
David LaFontaine; BCBSTN
Gema Ormaza; Terra Nostra Tapas
Jorge Parra; Taqueria Jalisco
Elvia Piccolo; Retired
Raúl Ruiz Sr.;El Mesón
Bilda Acuna Small; GPS
Celia Sanchez; Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
In addition to the honorees listed above, the Latino Leadership Awards ceremony will also honor those selected as the Emerging Latino Leader of the Year and the Latino Community Champion.