HACR Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers(TM) Honored

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) — a coalition of the nation’s most influential community-based organizations — honored 28 young professional executives at its inaugural Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers™ (YHCA) program. Sponsors of the program are Comcast Communications, the Ford Motor Company and Phillip Morris USA.

“We have found that a company’s success is being increasingly influenced by their inclusion of professionals from the growing Hispanic population”

Candidates from across the country were nominated by their respective companies and selected after a review of the candidates’ accomplishments, established leadership qualities, industry expertise, education and employment experiences, as well as a demonstrated commitment to their communities. The candidates are between 25-40 years of age, of Latino origin and employed by a Fortune 500 company or HACR Corporate Member.

“We have found that a company’s success is being increasingly influenced by their inclusion of professionals from the growing Hispanic population,” said HACR President & CEO Carlos Orta. “It is important for us to recognize these young professionals who are helping to fuel the engines that drive our country’s economy.”

HACR’s research and findings reinforce the need for a continued effort to increase Latino representation in corporate leadership roles. As the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, Hispanics represent over 14 percent of the population and 12.5 percent of all employees in the labor force. Their imprint on U.S. culture and business is undeniable. More companies are recognizing the need to incorporate their perspectives at employee, managerial and governance levels to bring fresh ideas, new energy and opportunities to an ever-changing diverse marketplace.

The awardees took part in a one-day leadership development and networking program and were formally recognized as role models for other young, corporate professionals by their respective companies, HACR and invited leaders from the nation’s capital.

The 2007 YHCA honorees are:

East:
		David Ciccone, AT&T, Parsippany, NJ
		Cesar Conde, Univision Communications, New York, NY
		Pedro Cuellar, Merck & Co. Inc, North Wales, PA
		Ivan Gutierrez, Sodexho, Gaithersburg, MD
		Erica Pagano, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY
		Maria Tapia, IBM, Armonk, NY
		Benny Omar Torres Sanchez, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY
		Jasmine Vallejo, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY

Midwest:
		Irma Bantista, State Farm Insurance Co., Bloomington, IL
		Alejandro Castro, ConAgra Foods, Omaha, NE
		Enrique Delannoy, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI
		David Olivencia, Oracle, Madison Heights, MI
		Stacie Papp, National City Bank, Cleveland, OH
		Peter Sanchez, Sallie Mae, Fishers, IN

Southeast:
		Raquel Egusquiza, Ford Motor Company, Washington, DC
		Diana Orrego-Moore, The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA
		Fatima Perez, AT&T, Miami, FL
		Adrian Quintanilla, AT&T, Little Rock, AR
		Susan Santana, AT&T, Washington, DC
		Omar Vargas, PepsiCo Inc., Washington, DC

West:
		Irene Bustamante, MGM MIRAGE, Las Vegas, NV
		Daniel Cartagena, Intel Corporation, Chandler, AZ
		Laura Hernandez, AT&T, San Antonio, TX
		Ruben Lopez, Union Pacific Railroad Co., Gillette, WY
		Carolina Martin, Sallie Mae, San Francisco, CA
		Tim Rios, Wells Fargo Bank, Fresno, CA
		Peter Villegas, Washington Mutual, Los Angeles, CA
		Claudia Vasquez, UNUM, Glendale, CA