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Washington, DC - Univision Co-Anchor María Elena Salinas will keynote the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ hosted by the Latino Leaders Network (LLN) on Thursday, September 10, 2015 at The California Club in Los Angeles, CA. She will also receive the Eagle Leadership Award for her outstanding contribution to the Latino community and our country.
“We are proud to honor María Elena Salinas. She serves as a powerful example of the success that can be achieved through preparation, persistence and hard work. Her personal story is an inspiration for Latinos and all Americans,” states Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman of LLN. Her book, I am My Father’s Daughter: A Life Without Secrets, is a powerful story of obstacles overcome to achieve success.
Called the “Voice of Hispanic America” by the New York Times, Salinas is one of the most recognized Hispanic female journalists in the United States. She is the co-anchor of the highly rated “Noticiero Univision” nightly network newscast and co-host of the news magazine “Aquí y Ahora” (Here and Now). Salinas has informed and empowered millions of viewers for more than three decades in the U.S., as well as in 18 Latin American countries. Her reputation as a serious and objective journalist has garnered her universal respect and allowed her to secure high profile interviews including Latin American heads of state, rebel leaders, dictators, and every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter.
Salinas began her journalistic career as a television reporter for KMEX-34 in Los Angeles in 1981. Her insightful reporting on the impact of daily news to the increasingly growing Hispanic community of Southern California quickly earned her the credibility that would lead to her assuming the anchor chair of “Noticiero Univision” in 1987.
She has gone on to earn several awards, including six Emmys. Most notably, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, making her the first Hispanic woman to receive this recognition. Earlier this year, she won a PEABODY Award, Walter Cronkite Award and her second Gracies® Award for her news and documentary special "Entre el Abandono y el Rechazo" (Between Abandonment and Rejection), a prime-time report on the exodus of Central American children to the United States, which judges have praised as "balanced and revealing." Salinas was honored this year with a Broadcast Legend award from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California, and was a part of the Univision News team that received the Edward R. Murrow Award for the network’s coverage of the Atlanta Olympic Park bombings in 1996.
The luncheon program will feature an honoree introduction by The Honorable Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State. Alex Padilla was sworn in as California Secretary of State on January 5th, 2015. Secretary Padilla previously served in the California State Senate where he chaired the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications. Prior to his election to the State Senate, he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council where he served three terms as Council President, becoming the youngest member and the first Latino to serve in this capacity.
The featured community partner will be Jarrett Barrios, CEO of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. Mr. Barrios leads a team of talented humanitarians to provide care and comfort to those afflicted by disasters both large and small. He also spearheads Prepare SoCal’s effort to prepare Los Angeles against disasters ranging from home fires to a major earthquake. Previously, he was elected the first Latino member of the Massachusetts state senate in 2002.
The Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ consists of quarterly events convened by invitation-only in Washington D.C. and other cities to provide a platform for prominent Latino leaders to share their personal story of obstacles overcome to achieve success. In addition, it provides a networking opportunity for elected officials, policy makers, corporate executives, opinion leaders, community activists, industry experts, and political insiders. Sponsors include Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Community Loans of America, Southern California Gas Company, Bank of America and Southwest Airlines.
About The Latino Leaders Network™
The Latino Leaders Network™ is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to “Bringing Leaders Together” to establish relationships, build unity, and share our personal stories. Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman, served as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House for President Clinton.
Other board members include: Ruben Alvarez, Molera Alvarez, Phoenix, AZ; Soyla Fernández, Fernández Government Solutions, Sacramento, CA; David Ibarra, Ibarra Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT; Maria Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino, Washington, DC; Michelle Minguez, New York, NY; Miguel Santana, Chief Administrative Officer of Los Angeles, CA; and Ken Trujillo, Partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia, PA |
